On October 9, 2025, our Programmes Lead, Srinidhi Raghavan, participated in the panel discussion “Building Inclusive Health Systems: Addressing Barriers and Promoting Health Equity for Persons with Disabilities” at the International Purple Fest 2025, in Goa. The International Purple Fest is the largest and first-of-its-kind global festival celebrating persons with disabilities. The Fest was organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of India; Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Government of Goa; and the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Government of Goa.
The session was attended by over 50 participants and organised by the UN in India, the World Health Organization – South-East Asia Region, the Central Health Education Bureau (CHEB), and the Disability Rights India Foundation (DRIF).
Srinidhi shared her lived experience navigating the healthcare system in India as a person with psychosocial disabilities and chronic illnesses. She highlighted how physical symptoms are often dismissed or misattributed to mental health conditions, leading to increased complications. She noted that healthcare providers frequently assume persons with psychosocial disabilities do not fully understand their own bodies or experiences.
Srinidhi also emphasised how the responsibility of understanding medication, its side effects, interactions with climate, menstrual cycles, and daily life, often falls entirely on the individual, with limited to no guidance from medical professionals.
She urged medical professionals to move away from dismissive approaches and instead recognise persons with disabilities as experts in their own bodies. She stressed that building relationships grounded in trust is essential to move dignity, care, and truly inclusive health systems beyond accessibility alone.