Minal Singhvi, from Hyderabad, India, had a passion for fashion and interior design, but when she lost her eyesight at the age of 28, that dream seemed lost. “I was devastated when I lost my sight, people started to demotivate me by saying that there is nothing much I can do,” she said.
But Singhvi has proven people wrong by creating an online radio platform, Radio Udaan, to provide valuable information to people with disabilities and raise awareness about disabilities to the public as a whole.
She is the president and station-director.
Singhvi desired to do something despite her disability and searched several sources, to no avail.
That is how she came up with the idea of creating an online platform to help people like herself get all the pertinent information they required.
“Through some sources, I have found out that visually impaired people can use laptops and computers through some training. I have trained myself to use a laptop. With some like-minded people and with a common goal to do something for the differently-abled people we have come up with an idea to establish Radio Udaan,” she said.
“Radio Udaan is an online radio platform that is being listened to in over 119 countries across the world. This is the only platform that helps differently-abled people with the required information regarding leanings and any other information.”
“Initially, we were just a team of 6 members and currently, 26 people are working with Radio Udaan,” said Singhvi.
The first day Radio Udaan aired, it had over 1,000 listeners, and in the very first month, it had around 10,000 listeners. Now the platform is followed by over 20,000 people daily.
It offers a wide range of programming, including information, entertainment, and news.
“Especially for the people with disabilities, we run special programs where information regarding gadgets that would help people with disabilities and much other information are being provided. We also train differently able people in computer education, English and many other aspects.”
Singhvi plans to open an inclusive school where students, regardless of their disabilities, are taught in the same way a child without a disability is taught, saying, “Awareness must be brought among the public regarding the mobility of differently-abled people and the problems they face on day to day basis that can be easily done by normal people.”
