The State Commission for Persons with Disabilities (SPCD) has come up with inspiring accounts of persons with disabilities, who possess unique skills, talents and capabilities, and the State’s visually challenged women’s cricket team, through a Coffee-table book.

“A number of Persons With Disabilities (PwDs) in Odisha have extraordinary exposure in various fields, even fighting against all odds with their will-power, practice and fortitude,” said Ashok Chandra Panda, Minister, Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disability while releasing the Coffee-table book ‘Inspire… Empower’

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The SPCD has made a humble attempt to recognize these special individuals by highlighting their achievements through photography and text. The Coffee-table book illustrates amazing stories of success, fortitude and victory scripted by persons with disabilities in Odisha, said Mrs Sulochana Das, Chairperson, SPCD.

These successful individuals have not let their disability come in their way to achieve different feats in their lives. Who can be a better example of the achievers than Pramod Bhagat? Mr Bhagat has made the country proud by winning a gold medal in the recently concluded Tokyo-Paralympics.

Apart from Mr Bhagat, the Coffee Table book features brothers – Sriharsa and Sidhartha Sukla (painting), Prachurya Kumar Pradhan and Soundarya Kumar Pradhan (Chess), V Ramesh Rao and Rakhal Kumar Sethy (Wheelchair fencers), Rasmi Rekha Sahu (Odissi Danseuse), Tapaswini Das (OFS officer), Baraj Das (student topper), Sabita Rana (Asha worker), Jayanti Behera (para-athlete), Pankaj Bhue and Sukhram Majhi (cricketers), Srinivas Rao (singer), Abhijit Kundu (corporate executive), Niranjan Behera (disability right activist), Dilip Sahu (singer) and visually challenged women’s cricket team.

The success of differently-abled persons signifies the gradual improvement in their facilitation at various levels of governance in Odisha. A few years ago, who thought of a para-sportsperson being bestowed upon the coveted Arjun Award and winning Paralympics gold or a visually challenged person from the State addressing Indian Parliament on disability issues.