Aameer Siddiqui was diagnosed with Post-Polio Residual Paralysis after his right leg became paralyzed at 18 months old. The disability didn’t stop Aameer – he earned an education and now works for India’s Department of Education.
In an effort to improve accessibility and inclusion in India, Aameer co-founded Eagle Specially Abled Riders in 2015. The group was established “with the aim of spreading awareness amongst people about social issues, and to draw attention towards disabled people,” said Aameer.
The accessible biker group completed the world’s longest accessible awareness ride in 2019, focusing on the ‘Importance of Education for Differently-Abled’. The 3,500km long ride began at India Gate in Delhi and went all the way to Gateway of India in Mumbai, before turning around and going back to India Gat. The journey was completed using scooters accessible to the riders’ disabilities.
The group, through its advocacy, is focused on improving the accessibility of tourist attractions and destinations. Ameer said: “An able-bodied person can use a ramp just as easily as stairs. Then what is the need for stairs? We must have ramps alone. The same goes for trains and buses. Buses have ramps only in the name; nobody waits long enough for us to use them.”
To read more about the Eagle Specially Abled Riders, check out the full story in Banega Swasth India.
OUR TAKE: The advocacy of Aameer and his motorcycle group is shifting the perception of disability in India, and it’s fantastic to see disabled people taking the lead on accessibility improvements!
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