Gifted : Inspiring Stories of People with Disabilities

by Sudha Menon, V.R. Ferose

While the rest of the world has taken great strides in mainstreaming the differently abled into the larger contours of their society, life continues to be an uphill struggle for the differently-abled in India. They continue to be burdened with their handicapped status and live a life on the fringes, largely forgotten by a society which is galloping ahead at a fast pace. Born different from the rest of us, they have been put in a position of disadvantage in a world where being normal is at such a premium.

Written by the bestselling author of Legacy and Leading Ladies, Sudha Menon and the MD of SAP Labs India, V. R. Ferose, Gifted celebrates the journeys of these very Indians who are neither CEOs nor part of any influential power clubs, but special in their own way. These are stories that can inspire even the most abled among us.

About the Author

Sudha Menon is the author of two bestselling nonfiction books, Leading Ladies - Women Who Inspire India and Legacy, a compilation of letters from inspirational Indian men and women to their daughters. She is a former newspaper journalist and is currently a columnist. Sudha is the founder of Get Writing!, a writing workshop that she set up to help people kick start their writing journey and is founder of Writing In the Park, an initiative to get people to explore their creativity while writing in public parks and gardens. Sudha is a TEDx speaker and often speaks at educational institutions and corporate campuses about womens leadership and diversity issues. Meeting the people she interviewed and wrote about in Gifted made her realize the immense potential and promise that each of us carry within us. Some of us manage to tap that well deep within us to bring out our best while some go through life without the faintest idea of who we can really be. Having met the people in Gifted, she is determined to live her life to the fullest, just as they do.

V. R. Ferose is Senior Vice President and Head of Globalization Service for SAP AG and former Managing Director of SAP Labs India. Deeply sensitive to the unequal world in which we live, Ferose founded the India Inclusion Summit, a unique platform that focuses on the need for inclusion in our lives. He is a Director on the Board of Specialist People Foundation, a not-for-profit foundation with the goal to create one million jobs globally for people with autism and is on the panel of The Vision Group on Information Technology, Government of Karnataka. He is also co-founder of the Karnataka chapter of Global Shapers, which works to create leadership among the youth. For his professional accomplishments, commitment to society and potential to contribute to shaping the future of the world, Ferose was honored as a Young Global Leader in March 2012 by the World Economic Forum. In a study published by the Economic Times and Spencer Stuart, Ferose was selected as one of the leaders in Indians Top 40 under 40, 2014. This study is considered to be Indias most authentic leadership study and it lists 40 extraordinary business leaders under the age of 40.

304 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

Sudha Menon is a journalist with over two decades of experience ín news and feature Writing. She has Worked in some of India’s prominent newspapers, including The Independent (The Times Group), The Hindu Business Line (The Hindu Group), and Mint (HT Media in exclusive agreement with Wall Street Journal).

Reviews

[Aayushi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An inspirational read into the world of people with special needs. Thoughtful, engaging and informative. Vividly describes the struggles of those withing the spectrum and makes you appreciate the little things which are easily disguised as normal.

[Prashant Deshmukh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dear Reader,
Good morning,
Today is *International Day of Persons with Disabilities*
& I have completed reading the book *GIFTED* (Inspiring stories of people with disabilities). By Sudha Menon & V.R.Ferose.

*1) AISHA CHAUDHARY:* Aisha Chaudhry’s constant companion for the last few years has been a portable oxygen concentrator that she has been largely dependent on after she developed a debilitating condition called Pulmonary Fibrosis that reduced her lung function to just 20 percent of what it should have been.
She thinks it has to do with the fact that each of us has to struggle in life; what differentiates us is that our problems are different. But no matter what the nature of our problem or the extent of our struggle, all of us would like to get past our misery and find a life of happiness. I think her talks help us find that elusive happiness, not because she is giving us any big advice but because people believe that if she, with all her problems, can find happiness, then they too will be able to do that.
She was born with an immune deficiency disorder and that doctors told them she would not live beyond the age of 1. She decided to talk to the audience about the five things that her struggles had taught her. She called it ‘Singing in the life boat’ and it basically means that we can find things to celebrate even when we are in a shipwreck and in the middle of the ocean, on a life boat. *Happiness is a choice we can make, an attitude we can adopt.*
Sometimes she thinks the hardships and struggles of life have made her a different person. To her, it is unbelievable that she has delivered to prestigious events such as TEDx and that people are willing to spend their precious time listening to her speak about her journey towards finding happiness.

*2). ANKIT JINDAL:* he was suffering from retinitis pigmentosa, a progressive disorder where the patient gradually loses his vision. After hardships and struggles and doing MBA he has been working as a Marketing Manager for Wipro Infotech and Global Infrastructure Services.Wipro is an extremely inclusive organization that goes the extra mile to understand the needs of people with disabilities.
An exploratory meeting with Vidhya Ramasubban, an activist for inclusion and the rights of people with disabilities, led to him getting involved in the setting up of yet another social enterprise, Wheels of Change, that started the country’s first inclusive cab service for people with disabilities.
He was chosen as one of the role models among people with disability for the 15th Helen Keller Awards given by the NCPEDP. He got the Hellen Keller award and it does not matter that he is blind. What matters is the substance within a human being, his spirit, and his ability to get over obstacles.
*I want the world to know that having a disability does not mean that we cannot have dreams of our own. Someday, I want to become the CEO of a company and also want to continue with my work in the social sphere to take up projects that add value to the life of people with disability, he says*

*3) ASHWIN KARTIK:* He is a software engineer today, working with one of India’s best-known Information Technology companies. He never imagined he would be the first cerebral palsy quadriplegic to become a BE graduate in India. After my engineering nobody wanted to hire a disabled engineer.
He would never have thought that he, with all his problems, could one day get the NCPEDP Shell-Helen Keller award for 2011. His life has been full of ups and downs but somewhere along the way, he has learnt to deal with the downs with equanimity.In December last year, he was chosen for the National Best Employee Award given by the Ministry of Social Justice.
*he want to convey a message that even in the most difficult situations in life, if you hang in there, and wait for the right moment, there is hope and an opportunity waiting around the corner so that you can show your worth to the world.*

*4) GEORGE ABRAHAM:*
George Abraham is perhaps best represented by the symbol of a torchbearer (also relates to the honour bestowed upon him in Atlanta Olympics). Holding the torch high signifies the dignity he commands for his himself and for his community, also marking him as a champion for the wide and varied service he has selflessly imparted over the years. The flame could mean the flame of passion and flame of consciousness for most people in the society who do not have the right perspective to look at disability.
George has charted a journey for himself that has proved to him at every step that being blind is not a limiting factor.‘Being blind is not a problem, people’s mind-set about the blind is the tragedy,’ he says.
In 1994, at the age of 33, he got the Sanskriti Award for Young Leadership in the Field of Social Development, in recognition of his work with the visually handicapped.
People with visual impairment are usually treated with pity and charity in our country. It is tragic that instead of focussing on their ability and potential, we focus on their limitations, and this leads to their marginalization in society. Instead of looking at them as potential human resource for a developing country, most people end up treating them as liabilities.
For him, one of these moments came when he was given the extraordinary honour of running with our Olympic torch at the Atlanta Olympics in the year 1996.
*One of the things that I have learnt over the span of my life is that if you believe in something, you have got to make it happen. Don’t wait for things to happen to you. Instead, make your moves and make them happen. And, always keep your objectives in mind because it is easy to get distracted and go off the course. My years spent working with the blind, often asking for funds to continue my work, taught me that humility is the most important value to cultivate. Pride and ego are things that will destroy you. Sometimes, hardships makes us forget our values but I believe in always being true to my values and being honest and sincere because you can defend honesty, but not dishonesty. When you achieve something by honest means, that feeling of achievement is far greater, he says.*
So if there’s a challenge, resolve it. Challenges are there to teach you, to show you the way, rather than to block you.

*5) GIRISHA H.N.:* Girisha was born with a disfigured leg.It was perhaps, this determination to rise above his circumstances that eventually led him to the winners’ podium to receive the silver medal in men’s high jump at the Paralympic Games in London, in 2012.

*6) HANS DALAL:* the story - rising above the disability to take up the profession of a tiger conservationist which most people in their best of abilities would dread to imagine. His hands with broken lines come together with a gentle protective care (almost like preserving the flame of a lamp)...and in the centre is the tiger, subtly brought about by its footprint rather than blatantly showing its face.
Hans Dalal Afflicted by cerebral palsy—(Cerebral palsy is defined as set of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, leading to limitation in mobility, that are attributed to non-progressive disturbances that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain. This is also often accompanied by difficulties with thinking, learning, feeling, communication.)

*7) JAVED ABIDI:* Being confined to a wheelchair at the age of 15 due to a congenital condition did not deter the young man from pushing his boundaries. In fact, he seems to know no boundaries. From the by-lanes of the university town of Aligarh in Uttar Pradesh to life on a university campus in the Unites States to becoming a popular journalist who used unconventional way to land a story to starting a momentous campaign for the rights of people with disability, his life is the stuff that could inspire the most hardened among us.
he recounts his fascinating story from his hometown in Uttar Pradesh to the relentless action that he is now involved in, as Executive Director of the National Centre For Promotion of Employment For People With Disability (NCPEPD).
*It does not matter that you are a person with disability. What matters is your attitude, your determination to go after your goal, and be firm with your resolve.*

*8) MALATHI HOLLA:* A medal of glory is the equivalence used for bringing out the personality of Malathi Holla. A collection of 300-plus medals will leave a permanent trace of Malathi in this world. The medal has a spiral enclosed within... an ancient symbol that holds multiple meanings such as, a sacred journey, consciousness, all-encompassing universality, and in a more subtle manner, the wheel of her chariot, rotating swiftly in the races! Malathi says, ‘I wish I could fly like a bird fearlessly from one place to another.’ Therefore, the ribbon of the medal has been stylized like the wings, depicting the fact that Malathi has indeed flown high in the sky and gone places flapping her wings, and carrying the torch of glory, that kindles the mind!.
Malathi Holla might have spent the better part of her life on a wheelchair but she is a woman with a formidable willpower that has taken her to far corners of the world, representing India at various sports events—including the Paralympics, the Asian and Commonwealth Games, and the World Masters.Malathi is also the proud recipient of the coveted Arjuna and Padma Shri Awards and is known among sporting circles as the ‘Champion of Champions’.
*God has planted a seed in you and it is your job to nourish it with confidence, belief, punctuality, and discipline. When you do that you will start taking responsibility for your life instead of blaming others and life will become much easier.*

*9) MALVIKA IYER:* Few things define the substance of human beings like their response to a challenging situation does. While most ordinary mortals like you and me would worry endlessly or collapse under the burden of the setback in our lives, there are others who take it in their stride and move ahead without letting it take centre stage in life.
She listened and watched in fascination as the radiant young woman recounted her journey of hope from being bed-ridden in hospital to someone who infuses life into everything and everyone with her joie de vivre.

*10) RITWICK & ROSHAN RAJAN:* A young woman gave birth to a blind child and devoted herself to him. Years later, when she felt that her child was lonely, she decided to have another child. Unfortunately, her second son, too, was born blind. Only, this time it was worse—her second born was not just blind but had multiple disabilities as well. A fighter, the woman decided to raise her children in a way that would give them fulfilling lives.
In 2007, Ritvik got the opportunity to participate in Asianet channel’s Idea Star Singer program and that made him a very popular singer, noticed and admired wherever he went. December 2011 was the beginning of an altogether new journey when they started their own music school.
*A couple of years ago, former President Dr Abdul Kalam paid us a visit at our home and we had the pleasure of singing some of his favourite songs for him, he says.*

*11) SIDDHARTH G.J.:* It is not often that a 33-year-old grows to a stature where a former President of the country counts him among his friends. Very few people that age have the breadth of experience, perspective, or maturity to be invited to deliver leadership and motivational lectures at some of the country’s most reputed corporate houses and educational institutions. Siddharth G J does all of this and makes it seem like a cakewalk. He is no CEO, MD, or tech-wizard, has no degrees from any prestigious foreign university, and yet, he is a much sought after public speaker, a man whose talks are always met with standing ovations. Siddharth’s motivational talks, a heartwarming mix of humour, sarcasm, pathos, and courage pumps up the spirits and morale of leaders who steer the fortunes of multi-million dollar companies. Among Siddharth’s legion of admirers is the former President of India, Abdul Kalaam, who calls him ‘his friend, the banker from Chennai.’ Siddharth also happens to suffer from cerebral palsy.
Often, I am asked what my dreams are and I say that I don’t dream. Life has taught me not to dream. I live each day to the fullest and that, in itself, is a dream, isn’t it? He says.
*Today, I know that problems are a part and parcel of life. Everybody has them but how we deal with them is what decides who we become. My biggest challenge was accepting myself the way I am and it was a long and painful struggle but in the end I did it. Today, I compare myself to no one because I am unique in my own way. Wanting to be like someone else will defeat the purpose of me being Siddharth. I want to be no one else but me, he says.*

*12) SUNDEEP RAO:* ‘The inability to laugh at life’s problems, challenges, and inadequacies is a disability in itself!’ Sundeep Rao is partially blind but if you were to go by his definition of disability, he would be the fittest amongst us, considering that he has made a living out of laughing at the problems and challenges that life has thrown at him. Sundeep has the rare privilege of being able to make a career out of his passion: stand-up comedy.
Sundeep has done over a 150 stand-up comedy acts over the last few years and his audience still can’t have enough of him.
*THANK YOU*

[Pragya Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Because it's not the nazar but nazariyaa.... A book dat will definitely change the way u look at disabled and d way u look at life... Deeply inspiring... Hats off to their courage n will power . Really 'sky is the limit'... After reading it u will never complaint about anything in ur lye instead u will b grateful for all d blessings u have in life(y) <3 <3

[Amit Deshmukh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing and inspiring book. Makes you see yourself in a different light altogether. Must read

[Anand Nagda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth inspiring

[Arundhati · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really inspiring book. A must read.

[Prateek · Rating 5 out of 5]

When god takes away something from you, he gives you back a lot of good things in return. This book is truly an inspiration, not only the one with disabilities, but for everyone.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Truly inspiring. Our against all odd these super heros made it to the top. The book is a compilation of real life struggles of persons with disabilities who made it to the top in their field with only their determination. Many did not have family support and many did not have financial support, but their determination was inspiring. My personal favourites are the stories of Mr Suresh Advani and Ms Aisha Chaudhary

[Disha · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I released my book 'Because Life is a Gift', someone told me a week ago, he had read a similar book 'Gifted'. A big coincidence for me aroused my curiosity. The subject is very very close to my heart and so are the stories. Wonderful book which I would recommend to all. And if you are touched by these inspiring stories and cannot get enough of it, do also read 'Because Life is a Gift' :)

[Amrit Sinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gifted’ is a lesson to the society, of living together in humility and care, and making the most of what we have, instead of cribbing about what we don’t.

To read the full review, click here .

[Harshit · Rating 5 out of 5]

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