well thank you for the Oscar I would like to thank him sorry wrong script ah
like to thank him sorry wrong script ah
like to thank him sorry wrong script ah it’s more scary being here than taking
it’s more scary being here than taking
it’s more scary being here than taking off that mountain how many how many of
off that mountain how many how many of
off that mountain how many how many of you here think it’s crazy for a blind
you here think it’s crazy for a blind
you here think it’s crazy for a blind pilots to be a pine pine well every
pilots to be a pine pine well every
pilots to be a pine pine well every person I told this dream to said it was
person I told this dream to said it was
person I told this dream to said it was even crazy to think about it it took me
even crazy to think about it it took me
even crazy to think about it it took me seven years just to find an instructor
seven years just to find an instructor
seven years just to find an instructor who would believe in me who would say
who would believe in me who would say
who would believe in me who would say why not
why not
why not I was nineteen when I woke up blind one
I was nineteen when I woke up blind one
I was nineteen when I woke up blind one day completely blind I lost my sight to
day completely blind I lost my sight to
day completely blind I lost my sight to glaucoma and when I woke up that morning
glaucoma and when I woke up that morning
glaucoma and when I woke up that morning I was the only blind person I knew so I
I was the only blind person I knew so I
I was the only blind person I knew so I thought well let’s do what the blind do
thought well let’s do what the blind do
thought well let’s do what the blind do and learn about their lives so I checked
and learn about their lives so I checked
and learn about their lives so I checked into a rehab and they told me there that
into a rehab and they told me there that
into a rehab and they told me there that I can spend the rest of my life making
I can spend the rest of my life making
I can spend the rest of my life making chalk or cane furniture or at best
chalk or cane furniture or at best
chalk or cane furniture or at best become a telephone operator they
become a telephone operator they
become a telephone operator they stripped me of my dignity my rehab
stripped me of my dignity my rehab
stripped me of my dignity my rehab lasted exactly one hour
the best the best rehab sometimes is the
the best the best rehab sometimes is the one you don’t have 18 years later I’ve
one you don’t have 18 years later I’ve
one you don’t have 18 years later I’ve had a successful career in computers
had a successful career in computers
had a successful career in computers I’ve climbed mountains I’ve learned I’ve
I’ve climbed mountains I’ve learned I’ve
I’ve climbed mountains I’ve learned I’ve got my degree in cognitive neuroscience
got my degree in cognitive neuroscience
got my degree in cognitive neuroscience and psychology and of course become the
and psychology and of course become the
and psychology and of course become the first blind pilot
first blind pilot
first blind pilot [Applause]
well you guessed it I never made a chair
well you guessed it I never made a chair in my life
in my life
in my life [Applause]
well raise your hand raise your hand if
well raise your hand raise your hand if you know somebody with a disability
well but think about it why is it that
well but think about it why is it that it don’t know anybody with a disability
it don’t know anybody with a disability
it don’t know anybody with a disability I’m guessing not too many right I’m
I’m guessing not too many right I’m
I’m guessing not too many right I’m guessing not too many of you here know
guessing not too many of you here know
guessing not too many of you here know somebody with a discipline that’s
somebody with a discipline that’s
somebody with a discipline that’s because you never went to school with
because you never went to school with
because you never went to school with them you don’t see them in workplaces
them you don’t see them in workplaces
them you don’t see them in workplaces you don’t see them in cinema houses
you don’t see them in cinema houses
you don’t see them in cinema houses restaurants public places we are 200
restaurants public places we are 200
restaurants public places we are 200 million of us and yet we’re invisible
that’s because there is shame and stigma
that’s because there is shame and stigma associated with disability as a result
associated with disability as a result
associated with disability as a result of which a majority of us are never even
of which a majority of us are never even
of which a majority of us are never even introduced to this world and a majority
introduced to this world and a majority
introduced to this world and a majority of the other half are trapped indoors
of the other half are trapped indoors
of the other half are trapped indoors because of lack of access in
because of lack of access in
because of lack of access in infrastructure despite having an
infrastructure despite having an
infrastructure despite having an impeccable resume
impeccable resume
impeccable resume I still get denied jobs I don’t have
I still get denied jobs I don’t have
I still get denied jobs I don’t have access to education travel leisure and
access to education travel leisure and
access to education travel leisure and all these social barriers that we face
all these social barriers that we face
all these social barriers that we face largely stem from lack of contact and
largely stem from lack of contact and
largely stem from lack of contact and the best I know of how to engage these
the best I know of how to engage these
the best I know of how to engage these two communities is through contact think
two communities is through contact think
two communities is through contact think back to your childhood when we play
back to your childhood when we play
back to your childhood when we play together as friends we never just we
together as friends we never just we
together as friends we never just we never really saw any difference between
never really saw any difference between
never really saw any difference between race religion caste we just played
race religion caste we just played
race religion caste we just played together
we played together as friends that we
we played together as friends that we celebrated our differences and play is a
celebrated our differences and play is a
celebrated our differences and play is a powerful tool to not just establish
powerful tool to not just establish
powerful tool to not just establish contact but to build empathy and
contact but to build empathy and
contact but to build empathy and understanding so in 2014 we set up
understanding so in 2014 we set up
understanding so in 2014 we set up adventures beyond barriers Foundation a
adventures beyond barriers Foundation a
adventures beyond barriers Foundation a not-for-profit with the aim to promote
not-for-profit with the aim to promote
not-for-profit with the aim to promote adventure sports for persons with
adventure sports for persons with
adventure sports for persons with disability and able-bodied people
disability and able-bodied people
disability and able-bodied people together the goal is simple we get these
together the goal is simple we get these
together the goal is simple we get these two communities to mix together come
two communities to mix together come
two communities to mix together come together as equals to do things the
together as equals to do things the
together as equals to do things the Society has said are impossible to
Society has said are impossible to
Society has said are impossible to challenge these same limits and to
challenge these same limits and to
challenge these same limits and to understand each other we do all kinds of
understand each other we do all kinds of
understand each other we do all kinds of things we do marathons we climb
things we do marathons we climb
things we do marathons we climb mountains we go diving we go cycling we
mountains we go diving we go cycling we
mountains we go diving we go cycling we go flying we go up a mountain of
go flying we go up a mountain of
go flying we go up a mountain of strangers but come down as thick friends
[Applause]
[Applause] so there’s so many stories I don’t know
so there’s so many stories I don’t know
so there’s so many stories I don’t know where to start the hundreds of stories
where to start the hundreds of stories
where to start the hundreds of stories of transformation and change that we
of transformation and change that we
of transformation and change that we witnessed in the past two years I’m
witnessed in the past two years I’m
witnessed in the past two years I’m going to give you just a few here’s a
going to give you just a few here’s a
going to give you just a few here’s a prominent builder from Pune who came and
prominent builder from Pune who came and
prominent builder from Pune who came and ran alongside a blind runner in a
ran alongside a blind runner in a
ran alongside a blind runner in a marathon and what he learned that day
marathon and what he learned that day
marathon and what he learned that day about accessibility he never knew he
about accessibility he never knew he
about accessibility he never knew he learned so much he promised that day
learned so much he promised that day
learned so much he promised that day that every single building he would
that every single building he would
that every single building he would build from now on would be made hundred
build from now on would be made hundred
build from now on would be made hundred percent accessible he didn’t have to
percent accessible he didn’t have to
percent accessible he didn’t have to wait for government regulation to
wait for government regulation to
wait for government regulation to somebody tenant or take the story of
somebody tenant or take the story of
somebody tenant or take the story of Ashok a poor farmer’s boy who is pushed
Ashok a poor farmer’s boy who is pushed
Ashok a poor farmer’s boy who is pushed off a train and lost his leg amputated
off a train and lost his leg amputated
off a train and lost his leg amputated lying on that hospital bed he wanted to
lying on that hospital bed he wanted to
lying on that hospital bed he wanted to kill himself I said you want to die I
kill himself I said you want to die I
kill himself I said you want to die I don’t have a problem with dying there
don’t have a problem with dying there
don’t have a problem with dying there are better ways of die let’s go climb a
are better ways of die let’s go climb a
are better ways of die let’s go climb a mountain
and recently he was 300 meters shot of
and recently he was 300 meters shot of summiting Mount Everest
or take this prominent HR lady who came
or take this prominent HR lady who came from a very very big organization and
from a very very big organization and
from a very very big organization and went for a trek with us to every Space
went for a trek with us to every Space
went for a trek with us to every Space Camp and watching launch about our
Camp and watching launch about our
Camp and watching launch about our abilities on that trick just blew her
abilities on that trick just blew her
abilities on that trick just blew her mind she comes back to her organization
mind she comes back to her organization
mind she comes back to her organization starts a diversity initiative and today
starts a diversity initiative and today
starts a diversity initiative and today has employed hundreds of persons with
has employed hundreds of persons with
has employed hundreds of persons with disability empowering them for the rest
disability empowering them for the rest
disability empowering them for the rest of the lives well as for me I’m the
of the lives well as for me I’m the
of the lives well as for me I’m the resident guinea pig ventures beyond
resident guinea pig ventures beyond
resident guinea pig ventures beyond values so I I get to try out everything
values so I I get to try out everything
values so I I get to try out everything first and also to ensure higher safety
first and also to ensure higher safety
first and also to ensure higher safety standards are met so here’s a recent
standards are met so here’s a recent
standards are met so here’s a recent adventure I went on I recycle from
adventure I went on I recycle from
adventure I went on I recycle from Manali to kardama the highest motorable
Manali to kardama the highest motorable
Manali to kardama the highest motorable Road in the world
Road in the world
Road in the world [Applause]
and here’s a glimpse into our adventure
and here’s a glimpse into our adventure take a look
[Applause]
[Applause] [Music]
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
in global play creates opportunities for
in global play creates opportunities for equal spaces for equal access it enables
equal spaces for equal access it enables
equal spaces for equal access it enables us to imagine possibilities and do the
us to imagine possibilities and do the
us to imagine possibilities and do the seemingly impossible you can discover
seemingly impossible you can discover
seemingly impossible you can discover more about a person in an hour
more about a person in an hour
more about a person in an hour display than a yearís conversation so
display than a yearís conversation so
display than a yearís conversation so here’s so here’s what I want you to do
here’s so here’s what I want you to do
here’s so here’s what I want you to do come join us
come join us
come join us come play with us experience the thrill
come play with us experience the thrill
come play with us experience the thrill of outdoor sports right with us climb
of outdoor sports right with us climb
of outdoor sports right with us climb with us die fly I promise you you’ll go
with us die fly I promise you you’ll go
with us die fly I promise you you’ll go back with a change perspective on your
back with a change perspective on your
back with a change perspective on your life
the invitation to all of you is simple
the invitation to all of you is simple just come play thank you
just come play thank you
just come play thank you [Applause]
”
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