In India, people with disabilities often face immense challenges in finding and keeping jobs due to discrimination in various sectors. Many workplaces lack accessibility features, making it hard for them to navigate and perform tasks in the first place. Moreover, there’s societal stigma, leading to biases during the hiring process. Even if they secure employment, they have limited opportunities to grow.
However, all of this did not stop T. Vaitheeswaran from Tiruchi to give up. At the age of 2, both his legs were paralysed because of polio and he is 88% disabled. At 7, he lost his mother. His father worked as a daily wage labourer. Hence, from a very young age, he was taught that he has to sustain himself…stand on his own two feet even if he physically cannot.
Since the age of 14, Vaitheeswaran has been working and earning. He worked in a lathe workshop after school and college hours and bore the educational expenses on his own, reported The Hindu. He also has a Master’s degree in Tamil.
He now works as a food delivery executive and a senior executive at a healthcare firm. He crawls to move around. His work starts at 6 AM. He receives orders from restaurants in his vicinity. Since most restaurants do not have ramps or other disabled-friendly facilities, he crawls to the restaurants, collects the parcel, rides his scooter to the different addresses, and again crawls to the doorstep to deliver them.
“My body condition does not permit me to do whatever I want. But whatever I do, I do it with devotion, dedication and love. This has been my attitude since childhood,” he says.
Here’s a video that captures him at work. Have a look:
Though a polio attack left both his legs paralysed when he was just two years old, T. Vaitheeswaran, of Tiruchi, obtained a masters degree, and works two jobs for 16 hours a day to lead a self-sufficient and dignified life.
Read more here: https://t.co/imBR4q4zug pic.twitter.com/uR3S3j5OQe
— The Hindu (@the_hindu) May 2, 2024
Not just from work, his disability could not stop him from trekking as well – one of his favourite activities. He has trekked to the Amarnath Cave Temple in Jammu & Kashmir, Kedarnath, Rishiskesh, Velliangiri hill, Sathuragiri hill, Paruvathamalai and Siddharmalai to have darshan of Lord Siva.
What an incredible story of dedication!