New Delhi [India], October 22: When Pooja was born twenty-six years ago with cerebral palsy, the first emotion in the hospital room was not joy, but panic. Her parents, schoolteachers from a quiet neighbourhood, had never seen an adult with cerebral palsy holding an office job, laughing with friends, or living independently. In their mental library, disability existed only as tragic television appeals or divine punishment. And so, they built a fortress. Pooja was homeschooled, kept indoors, and shielded from the curious stares of neighbours.
Across the country, millions of families find themselves improvising in the same void. India is home to over 50 million people with disabilities, yet society offers almost no visual vocabulary for what an ordinary, thriving life with a disability looks like.
When twenty-two-year-old Rahul acquired a spinal cord injury in a highway bike accident, his family’s reaction took a different shape: they became “fixers.” For four years, Rahul’s life was reduced to hospital corridors, experimental therapies, second opinions, and temple vows. Rahul says, “We had never seen a paraplegic man who was married, employed, and happy. If you’ve never seen it, you assume it’s impossible.”
Then there is Meera, who was diagnosed with clinical depression and sensory processing issues during her first year of engineering. In her home, mental disability was met with fierce, polite denial. Her family became “pretenders,” instructing her to mask her distress, work harder, and act “normal” so people wouldn’t talk.
And for seventy-year-old Ramanathan, disability didn’t arrive at birth or in his youth. It came with a mild stroke two years ago that permanently affected his mobility and speech. Overnight, his adult children began treating a retired bank manager like a toddler, whispering in his presence and making every decision on his behalf. They set the bar as low as possible: just keep him safe, comfortable, and quiet.
None of these families was cruel. None of them was neglectful. They were navigating an experience completely blindfolded, because the culture around them had never provided an honest image of disability.
The Universal Brush
There is a widespread myth that disability is a fixed identity belonging only to a few. In truth, disability is a continuum of the human condition.
Some are born with it. Some acquire it abruptly on an ordinary Tuesday morning through an illness or accident. Many will experience it temporarily – a severe fracture, a bout of clinical burnout, or post-operative recovery that turns a staircase into an insurmountable wall. And almost everyone who lives long enough will acquire it through the natural process of ageing.
Disability is not a separate category of humanity; it is an experience that everybody will brush against at some point in their lives. And mainstream media has reduced disability to a tired binary: either an object of tragic pity or a superhuman spectacle conquering impossible odds.
Putting the Picture in the World
This systemic blind spot is precisely what the AS i AM movement is working to dismantle.
Spearheaded by the Association of People with Disability (APD), AS i AM is an open visual storytelling movement calling on photographers, filmmakers, and creators across India to turn their cameras toward the authentic, unscripted everyday lives of people with disabilities.
To ensure these stories live on, winning visuals will be onboarded onto global stock image platforms. For the first time, when art directors, brand managers, and journalists look for images of Indian life, they will have access to authentic, dignity-first representation – replacing pity and tokenism with real lived citizenship.
A Lens for Everyone
The initiative is deliberately designed to be accessible to everyone – professional photographers with high-end cameras and everyday storytellers with basic smartphones alike.
Participants are invited to submit a set of 3 photos or 60-second videos capturing people with disabilities as active protagonists, navigating joy, work, ambition, and relationships.
Entries are being evaluated by a multidisciplinary jury panel comprising filmmaker R Balki, cinematographer Santosh Sivan, advertising veteran Josy Paul, Para-badminton World Champion Manasi Joshi, film producer Sneha Iype, visual artist Ishaan Nair, and longtime disability advocate and photographer Mohit Sharma.
Alongside a national platform and over ₹10 Lakhs in prizes, winners will receive ongoing royalties and portfolio reviews with acclaimed mentors.
We cannot expect families to build an open, ambitious future for their loved ones in the dark. It is time to turn on the lights.
Submissions for the challenge close on October 31, 2026. To learn more or submit your entry, visit asiamapd.com.
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