Path to being independent was not easy for Dinesh Kumar, but he achieved it with years of dedication

30-year-old Dinesh Kumar, a wheelchair user from Bengaluru has beaten odds to lead an independent and successful life. His mantra towards being independent is training to be what you want from a very young age. It worked well for Dinesh and he assures that with determination and confidence, anyone can reach for the stars.

Dinesh Kumar, now 30 years old, had a polio attack when he was a baby. It left him with a lifelong disability, but it could not deter his spirits. Dinesh, who learnt to stand on his own feet from a very young age shows that people with disabilities can lead an independent, self-reliant and happy life. Currently working in Enable India at Bengaluru as a ‘senior specialist’, Dinesh’s journey was not easy and is one that the world needs to know. Read on.

Being independent from a young age

Born in Sonbhadra, a village in Uttar Pradesh, Dinesh says that he moved to different towns and villages in the state to complete his education. Recollecting his childhood, Dinesh says, “My parents told me that I was affected by polio at the age of one. I had high fever after an injection and then was unable to move. My worried parents took to me to different hospitals, but they couldn’t help me. One of the doctors confirmed that I had a polio attack”.

From a very young age, Dinesh’s parents were determined to reach out to him. Since they had only one school nearby their home and that had only till class 6, Dinesh decided to move out of his village. He completed until class 12 in different schools, kilometers away from his home. He started living alone in rented houses from a young age since travelling to and fro was a herculean task. “From school, I started living alone. I learnt to wash, cook and do everything without help. I also used to take tuitions for children nearby”, he says. With the help of his tricycle, Dinesh moved around.

“I always wanted to become independent. So I used to help my father who runs a grocery store. My parents were also willing to go to any extent just to help me. So I’am blessed”, he says.

Happy days ahead

Dinesh completed his graduation and under-graduation in English literature, diploma course in computer science and engineering, then pursued an MBA in Human Resources. He came to Bengaluru in the year 2013 and ever since then has been a part of the ‘garden city’. In fact he came to attend a training session at ‘Enable India’ and they hired him soon after the training.

“The three month employability training helped me a lot. Initially, I had to train people with physical disabilities. Then I got promoted and I work with cross disabilities now”, he says.

Dinesh loves to play wheelchair badminton and makes sure to find time every week to play. He also loves art. As part of different projects, Dinesh loves to do graffiti on walls along with his team mates and they have completed various grafitti art projects in Bengaluru. Wheelchair dancing is something else that keeps him engaged. “I take part in a lot of cognitive activities and keeps myself engaged. There is never a dull moment in life. I believe there is a solution to every problem that you come across. I travel a lot to places for work as well as for personal reasons. So when people ask me how I do it I tell them, if you can do it then why can’t I?”, signs of Dinesh.

Amidst all the hardships that he has gone through, his positive attitude towards life cannot be missed.

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