“There are too many people who can’t afford wheelchairs, but that shouldn’t stop them from moving,” Nipun said.
Nipun Malhotra, a resident of Noida, knows how it is to live with the lack of mobility. He was born with arthrogryposis, a congenital disorder that leads to a lack of muscles in arms and legs. For 4 years, he was devoid of a wheelchair forcing his mother to carry him everywhere in her lap.
This inspired Nipun Malhotra to form Nipman Foundation, an online portal called ‘Wheels for Life’ that connects people who need wheelchairs with people who can gift them. A wheelchair costs about Rs 5,000 and anybody willing to ‘donate’ can do that on the site.
Nipun still remembers the feeling of getting his first wheelchair. It enabled him to enjoy the independence and allowed him to take a step forward as a confident and an optimistic man.
However, the life continues testing his strength. In his column in Hindustan Times, he writes, “Till a few years back, I had to demand a menu whenever I visited a restaurant. Don’t the waiters know I can read too? Or perhaps the physically challenged don’t have a right to eat out! While I must confess the situation has improved, still whenever I order a cocktail, I’m given weird looks followed by a confirmation question “Sir, it’s a cocktail…”
So, if you are thinking of helping the differently-abled stand on their feet, don’t just think but act! It’s just a click away! Help Wheels for life roll!