On October 12, 2025 at the International Purple Fest 2025 in Goa, our Founder & Executive Director, Nidhi Goyal, conducted a short session for the National Workshop for Leprosy Champions at the International Purple Fest 2025, in Goa – the largest and first-of-its-kind global festival celebrating persons with disabilities. It 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 workshop was organised by The Leprosy Mission Trust India and attended by over 40 participants, including leprosy champions. Nidhi’s session, conducted in Hindi, focused on advocacy for inclusion.
She emphasised that advocacy begins with recognising shared humanity across disabilities and challenging our internalised ableism. Through a personal story of engaging with disabled girls who had never been asked about their dreams, she highlighted how exclusion often starts with the denial of dreams, and how reclaiming the right to dream is itself an act of advocacy and where it can start. Nidhi spoke about confronting stigma perpetuated by pity, fear, and media stereotypes, and encouraged participants to actively reshape narratives through everyday actions, like on social media and conversations. She also stressed the importance of engaging with policy through collaboration. Approaching governments with solutions, not just demands.
She concluded by noting that solidarity across disabilities strengthens collective power and expands the movement’s vision beyond bare-minimum accommodations toward full and dignified lives.
