Meet Minal Singhvi, A Visually Impaired Woman Running Radio For People With Disabilities

In a world that is hoping for and moving towards disability inclusivity, Minal Singhvi is actualising that prospect in a big way. From a tiny corner of Hyderabad, Singhvi is connecting people in over 119 countries. She runs an entire online community radio called Radio Udaan where everyone is welcome and disability isn't a 'barrier' to equal and full living. She proves that, being visually impaired herself.

Minal Singhvi lost her vision at the age of 28. "I was devastated when I lost my sight, people started to demotivate me by saying that there is nothing much I can do," she tells news agency ANI. She had an interest in fashion designing, a road she hesitated going down at that time.

Today, she is the station director and president of Radio Udaan, a platform working towards raising awareness about people with disabilities, giving them an equal opportunity of expression and telling them that no dream is too big.

Minal Singhvi: A Woman Creating Equal Spaces For People With Disability

After Minal Singhvi lost her vision, she pursued information about seamlessly transitioning into a life suited to her new ways. Unfortunately, she says, she found little matter. But that acted as the spark that inspired her to kickstart a platform where information dissemination on disability awareness and resources would be convenient.

Hence, Radio Udaan was incepted.

"I trained myself to use a laptop. With some like-minded people and with a common goal to do something for the differently-abled people we came up with an idea to establish Radio Udaan," she says. "Initially, we were just a team of 6 members and currently 26 people are working with Radio Udaan."

She was doubted by many when she was on the verge of beginning. But upon her own determination and confidence in her idea for Radio Udaan, she powered through.

Today, she says, the radio has massive reach, going from 1000 listeners in the first month to 20,000 on a daily basis now. On YouTube, her radio shows span a wide breadth of topics. From hosting the ">blind Indian cricket team to informing listeners about ">disability-friendly apps, Singhvi is doing it all. And there's only upwards and onwards to go from here.

Image Credit: Milaap + Radio Udaan