Ahead of International Women’s Day, the Rising Flame team with Founder and Executive Director Nidhi Goyal and Programmes Lead Srinidhi Raghavan conducted a half-day workshop at Goa Medical College on March 6, 2026, titled 'Beyond the Medical Model: Gender, Disability and Rights.' This was in collaboration with the Goa State Commissioner’s Office for Persons with Disabilities and the Department for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Goa.
58 medical students and healthcare professionals came together to reflect on how healthcare systems engage with women with disabilities.
The session focused on moving beyond the medical model of disability to a more holistic social model, recognising that barriers in systems, environments and attitudes often shape access to healthcare. Discussions also highlighted the importance of recognising invisible disabilities, including psychosocial disabilities and chronic illnesses, which are frequently overlooked or questioned in healthcare spaces.
Participants further examined how women with disabilities face layered discrimination: from being denied decision-making power to experiencing barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health information and services. Through stories, case discussions and reflection, participants learnt the importance of consent, autonomy and respectful communication in medical practice.
The session concluded with a collective understanding on what inclusive healthcare means in practice – ensuring accessible information, recognising decision-making rights, and centering the voices and agency of women with disabilities in healthcare systems.
