Skip to main content
  • Accessibility
  • Headlines
  • Coronavirus-News
  • Get-Hooked
  • Technology
  • Education
  • Employment
  • Parasports
  • Ask Bhavna
  • NHBrandView
  • Independent Living
  • Lifestyle
  • NH Videos
×
Newz Hook – Changing Attitudes towards Disability Logo
  • Stories
  • Videos
  • Inclusive
  • NH Voice
  • Login
COVID-19 Notification by Government in Accessible Format

Accessibility Tools

Text Size:

Contrast Scheme:

  • C
  • C

Reset

  • Home
  • Get-hooked
  • Hasitha Illa’s quirky & fun YouTube channel aims to spread disability awareness

Hasitha Illa’s quirky & fun YouTube channel aims to spread disability awareness

Get-hooked September 22, 2020
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)

24-year-old Hasitha Illa from Pune is a motivational speaker and YouTuber. With her quirky talks and sense of humor, Hasitha, a wheelchair user, ensures to glue audiences to her latest YouTube channel ‘Hasitha Illa’. In ‘My Take’ this week, this youngster talks about her journey and how she hopes to become instrumental in changing society’s attitudes towards disabilities.

Though I’am basically from Hyderabad, my family has been settled in Pune for a long time now. I was born and brought up in the city. I was diagnosed with a loco motor disability at the age of ten.

Since I was able to walk quite well during childhood, my parents put me in a mainstream school. I started using a wheelchair only after I joined college. School was not too great because it was not inclusive. I have faced many incidents of discrimination and was often left out. In fact, it made me feel so odd when other students used to stare at me when I walk.

Life in a non-inclusive environment

I did a B.Tech in biotechnology. College was ok for me because students were more accepting. But what amused me is how people kept questioning the choice of subject that I took for my higher studies, it was like everyone kept demotivating me. They said B.Tech is not for someone with a disability. In fact, my teachers also tried to pull me back. They did not allow me to do practical work, so I had faced discrimination there too. But I tried to move on and I did.

I completed college and plans to do my higher studies. But due to Coronavirus crisis and lockdowns, I was unable to pursue it. But I’am looking forward to doing something interesting academically.

Hasitha has all the support from her parents and sibling. A motivational speaker, she has spoken at different venues and even shared stage with prominent personalities like renowned singer and music composer Shankar Mahadevan.

An exclusive YouTube channel for people with disabilities

It is unfortunate that people still lack awareness about disabilities. They are just not ready to accept a disabled person into mainstream and I still have not got why it is like that!

Since I love writing, I have my own blog where I scribble down my thoughts. Vlogging was something on my mind since long. So when the lockdown started in March, I kick-started my own YouTube channel called ‘Hasitha Illa’. I did that mainly because I was bored, but I love doing it now.

I have uploaded already 30 videos and has been getting some great responses too. I put up one video every week.

I have certain objectives for starting the channel. Firstly, I want disabled people to have representation. As a community, we lack that. Do we have adaptive clothing showrooms or even dolls with disabilities? It is high-time for disabled people to be represented on mainstream platforms. Secondly, I want to create awareness about disabilities and talk about life on a wheelchair. Thirdly, I don’t want other people with disabilities to feel alone. They must understand that there are many others like them.

“I hope to keep uploading more inspirational videos. What I want to tell other people with disabilities is to keep dreaming and never feel sad because of someone else’s opinion about you. Want to do something? Then just do it”.

Watch in Sign Language

Also Read:

  • “Education is the key to acceptance in society”- My Take by Athira Bhaskar

Support us to make NewzHook Sustainable – Make a Contribution Today

We need your continued support to enable us work towards Changing Attitudes towards Disability. Help us in our attempt to share the voices of people with disabilities that enable them to participate in the society on an equal footing!

Contribute to Newz Hook

NH Videos

Healing pain through art - Dr. Anubha Mahajan, Founder Chronic Pain India

Contribue to Newz Hook |Disability news. Support us to make NewzHook Sustainable – Make a Contribution Today.

Newsletter

 Subscribe to our Newsletter

Want to feature disability stories or share disability news with the disabled community? Write to:

editor@newzhook.com

Newz Hook - Accessible News

Download App Now!

Videos

View More

Get-hooked

Come, be a part of this inclusive Garba event for deaf people in Mumbai

Get-hooked

Understanding Childhood Depression

Get-hooked

Understanding Autism and Head banging

Get-hooked

Musician Anjana Rajagopalan’s song pays tribute to bond between children with disabilities & parents

Newz Hook Logo

About Newz Hook

Newz Hook | Disability News - media site focusing on Disability Stories and Changing Attitudes towards Disability globally. We highlight disability news, offer inclusive solutions and create accessible collaborations. Our focus is to have Inclusion Champions from across the globe who will share disability stories and news.
Lets come together to change attitudes towards disability!

Newz Hook is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Follow us on:

Related Links

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Partner with Newz Hook
  • Embed Newz Hook Timeline
  • Affiliate disclosure
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Contribute to Newz Hook

Our Awards

Zero Project Award Winner 2018
Back To Top
© 2019 All Right Reserved. Inclusive News India Private Limited.

Ask Bhavna

All fields are mandatory unless specified as optional.