Our Founder and Executive Director, Nidhi Goyal was invited to speak at the Sabal Rural Disability Convention held in Bhubaneswar, Odisha organised by Tata Steel Foundation on March 10, 2026. The event brought together 100 participants, and Nidhi was joined on the panel by distinguished speakers Smt. Katsuri Mohapatra, Former State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, Odisha, Jharana Mallick, young Thalassemia champion, and Durgashri Sardeshpande, Assistant Manager, Sabal.
Nidhi focussed on the compounded and often invisible challenges faced by women and girls with disabilities in rural spaces. She highlighted how gender concerns are frequently overlooked within disability discourse, particularly in rural contexts. Using a lifecycle approach, she spotlighted the barriers faced by girls with disabilities from childhood through adulthood and into old age, covering key areas such as social inclusion, education, livelihoods, sexual and reproductive health, and family life.
Other speakers brought attention to specific disability experiences, including mental health, psychosocial disabilities, and blood disorders, while highlighting gaps in access to healthcare, social protection, support systems, and so on.
