New Delhi, March 1 -- A few weeks before he was to receive the National Award for Empowerment of Divyangjan from President Droupadi Murmu in December 2023, Sai Kaustuv Dashgupta got into a serious discussion with his mother. "Receiving the award was one of my biggest accomplishments and since the event would be live on channels, I had to look my best. My mother and I had a brainstorming session on what I should wear for the ceremony," Dashgupta, 34, recalls. An accessibility advocate, TEDx speaker and happiness coach, Dashgupta was conferred the award for his contributions to improving diversity, accessibility and inclusivity.

The Bengaluru resident suffers from osteogenesis imperfecta, or brittle bone disease, which has him wheelchair b...