By Pratik Ingale
As someone who is visually impaired, I’ve spent much of my life navigating a world that often wasn’t built for me—be it classrooms without screen readers, buses without announcements, or systems that ask you to “attach photocopies” when you cannot even see the form. I grew up in Pune district, and though I was fortunate to complete my education, I knew my journey wasn’t typical. Most Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) in India still live in invisibility—not by choice, but by design.
This invisibility begins with the absence of legal identity.
Only 34% of PWDs in India have a Unique Disability ID (UDID) card, despite the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 making it a cornerstone for accessing government benefits, health entitlements, scholarships, and reservations in education and employment.
This gap is what I chose to address when I joined the Samavesh Fellows Program.
What I Do as a Fellow
As a Samavesh Fellow, I anchor the disability rights and legal access initiative in Pune district. My work focuses on documenting and supporting children, youth, and adults with disabilities—especially from low-income families—to obtain:
- UDID (Unique Disability ID) Cards
- Disability certificates from certified hospitals
- State entitlements under Divyang Kalyan Yojanas
- Scholarships for students with disabilities (Government of India and state schemes)
- Applications for assistive devices such as hearing aids, mobility tools, and smartphones
- Support for higher education coaching and transition into inclusive institutions
Over the past year, I have:
- Supported 60+ PWD students through career pathways and life skills capacity building wrokshops
- Enabled 13 PWD Students in applying for and receiving UDID Cards
- Conducted 5 community workshops on navigating disability entitlements
- Partnered with NGOs to run monthly documentation camps
What I’ve Learned
The disability access system in India is not inaccessible by accident—it is structurally designed in a way that isolates those who lack digital literacy, mobility, or language access. Through Samavesh, I’ve learned how to not just help people fill out forms—but how to restore dignity, agency, and confidence in the process.
Every UDID card I help secure isn’t just a legal document—it’s someone’s path to education, mobility, and identity.
“This fellowship taught me that identity is not just a number—it is how society chooses to acknowledge your existence.”
What’s Next
Going forward, I hope to:
- Launch a district-wide digital toolkit on UDID, accessible in screen-reader-friendly formats
- Build a peer-led support group for students with disabilities transitioning into higher education
- Advocate for inclusive admission policies and assistive infrastructure in universities
- Continue creating digital content to democratize information for people with disabilities
My long-term vision is to create an inclusive infrastructure—both online and offline—where no student with a disability is left behind due to lack of information, documentation, or support.
Why Samavesh Matters
Before Samavesh, I had the training but not the structure. This fellowship gave me the tools to operationalize my knowledge—and to lead from my lived experience. Today, I walk into offices, colleges, and courts not just as Pratik—but as someone who can create systemic pathways for those who’ve long been pushed aside.
“I’ve lived through exclusion. Through Samavesh, I now work to end it—for myself, and for thousands more like me.”
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About the Author
Pratik Ingale is a Samavesh Fellow. He has a Master’s degree in Media and Communication Studies, specialising in media research. He is UGC-NET and Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) qualified. Having lost his vision at the age of nine, Pratik’s lived experience has deeply informed his work at the intersection of disability rights, access, and public policy.
He has two years of experience as a copywriter and is also a digital advocate. Through his platforms on Instagram and YouTube, he creates accessible content on assistive technology, producing short-format videos that demystify legal rights, tools, and everyday strategies for persons with disabilities (PWDs). His work is grounded in a rights-based approach to disability inclusion, bridging digital advocacy with on-ground action to make the invisible visible.
