Person with Speech and Hearing Impairment

Aravind is from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He is passionate about photographing subjects related to culture and human faces. He has 3 years of experience in professional photography and uses a Cannon 1500 Camera. Aravind says, “3 years ago I meet Mr. Srivatsan in Chennai who founded a photo blog. For a year I learned more about photography from him”. Now Aravind looks forward to showing his skills to the world.

Person with Locomotor Disability

Awinash Kulkarni is from Kolhapur in Maharashtra. A tragic accident in 1990 left him paraplegic and wheelchair-bound for life. Photography has been a hobby that keeps his mind busy and gives him great happiness. With his Nikon D3500 camera, he travels around capturing moments in his surroundings. He takes challenges like these as a wonderful opportunity for persons with disabilities to showcase their unique skills.

Person with Alzheimer’s

Dave Carpenter lives in Toronto, Canada and was diagnosed with young-onset Dementia due to early stage Alzheimer’s a year ago, at the age of 51. While the news was a huge shock to him and his family, Dave marvels at how the diagnosis also helped him learn to live life fully. With this, Dave’s life-long passion of photography gave him purpose, and he began to use his iPhone 15 Pro to click and edit shots that intrigued him. He has also hosted fundraisers and participated in disability challenges like this one, that , in his words, “showcase that persons with disability can continue to create and live meaningful lives.

Person with Locomotor Disability

Dr. Deepanshi Sharma was born and raised in Delhi. According to Deepanshi, her locomotor disability is not her limitation but an important part of her journey, shaping the person she is today. She is a nature photography enthusiast who “likes to capture unique and natural moments from the vibrant beauty of a pomegranate flower, to the timeless mystery of the Safdarjung Tomb- all found in Delhi, with every shot telling a story”. Shooting photographs with her Vivo V20 phone, she joined the challenge because of her belief in persons with disabilities. She mentions “PwDs have unique talents, surprising the world with their creativity and unique abilities- sometimes surpassing so called “normal” expectations”. She feels that challenges like these are vital to boost confidence and inspire others.

Person with Speech and Hearing Impairment

Akankasha Kamble is a deaf artist from Thane, Maharashtra. Akanksha took this photograph to highlight the quality of education in India and the plight of persons with disabilities in finding accessible education. Using her Sony A7iii, she joined to the Global Ability Photography Challenge to highlight issues in India and share her unique perspective as a deaf artist. She expresses “programmes like this are important as they support inclusion and help persons with disabilities in India express their ideas.

Person with Down Syndrome

Rohan Goyal is from Pune, Maharashtra and simply explains Down Syndrome as “one extra chromosome which makes me special”. Rohan emphasises on how important this photo is to him, showing his mother thinking bout how to blend in this modern world, depicted by the shadow of the building on her beautiful face. Rohan used a 1200D DSLR Camera to click the photograph and considers this challenge to be extremely special. He is excited that his photograph will be displayed on a global stage, giving him confidence to move higher in photography and helping him seriously consider it as a career path.

Person with Low Vision

The Story behind the Shot: Bujanga Prasada Sai Mohith Vissa is from Kakinada, a small town in Andhra Pradesh. Mohith had vision only in one eye since his birth, while vision in his second eye deteriorated through the years. Since he was young, Mohith had a deep fascination with nature and wildlife, that nurtured his passion in photography. “I cannot express the immense satisfaction that I got when I first shot through the viewfinder of the camera”, says Mohith. He first started with a phone camera, but his doting uncle gifted him a Nikon D3500 with an 18-55mm, which he used to click this picture. Mohith explains, “coming from a coastal region, I started capturing the struggles of fishermen on boats in the sea as well as the river. Capturing these amazing moments of their hard work and grit has always given me immense pleasure”. Mohith has recently suffered retina detachment in his other eye, leading to a 70% loss in vision. Demotivated, Mohith felt his belief in his photography start to fade away, as his ability to recognise colours diminished. When his friend mentioned the Global Ability Photography Challenge to him, it became a ray of hope and motivation for him, and a chance to cherish a past moment in his life. “Recognition is important for everyone, disabled or otherwise, and I’m grateful for this opportunity” concludes Mohith.

Person with Intellectual Disabilities

Yadagiri Nithin is a young boy from Hyderabad, with few words but a lot of joy. He is currently receiving training at the National Institute for Empowerment for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities. Nithin is enthusiastic about his love for photography as well as his love for flying in aeroplanes! His wonder at seeing the world from different perspectives is reflected in his photographs.