Para sailing for people with disabilities for the first time in Tamil Nadu

NGO Vidya Sagar is bringing the joy and thrill of para sailing to people with disabilities in Chennai. This is the first such event in Tamil Nadu if not the entire country.

There’s nothing like para sailing to get the heart pounding. Thanks to Chennai NGO Vidya Sagar, it’s a thrill that people with disabilities are getting to experience for the first time. For five days, 10 to 15 March, disabled people can get to fly high at Chennai’s Besant Nagar beach.

Disabled people have little access to adventure sports

This is the first time that para sailing has been organised for people with disabilities in Chennai and its quite likely it’s an India first too.

I love adventure sports myself and it’s a thrill that people with disabilities don’t get to feel in India because no one is really thinking of them and modifying the para sailing or any other adventure equipment. As a result, children get few opportunities to take part in activities related to nature and sports. We thought this was an experience we must give them. – Radha Ramesh, Director, Vidya Sagar

The para sailing activity takes place at the Alcot Kuppam beach near the Broken Bridge at Besant Nagar from 2 to 5.30 pm. “The location was chosen as a one-time endeavour keeping in mind the accessibility aspect for wheelchair users”, adds Radha, who adds that the area must be left as is. There is a proposal to run a road through it for developing it into a pedestrian bridge and tourism facility that she says must be abandoned.

The activity is taking place with the support of the local fisherman community, which allowed Vidya Sagar to conduct the event in an eco-sensitive area.

The para sailing equipment was modified with the help of Major S R Roy. A retired Indian Army office, he is a lead trainer at adventure sports facility, Adventure Zone and a sports enthusiast. He is also the man behind Sadya, a fund-raiser for Vidya Sagar.

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