Founder – Shri Pranav Desai

 

  • Shri Pranav Desai is an Engineer, MBA and Global IT business
    leader with 20 years of experience of working for large MNCs
  • Hon. Adviser to Dept. of Empowerment of PwD, Ministry of SJE,
    Govt. of India
  • Specially Abled Person with Polio since age of 4
  • Driving “Vision to Reality”, working with leaders and
    volunteers to sensitize and contribute to transform lives of 1
    BN+ Specially Abled People

 

Advisory Team

Dr Bhushan Punani

 

 

  • Dr Punani is serving as Executive Secretary of Blind People’s
    Association, India’s largest NGO in the Disability Sector.
  • He graduated from IIM, Ahmdebad and dedicated to the cause.
  • He has been on several committees of Planning Commission of
    India, Human Resource & development Ministry, Govt of
    India.
  • Dr Punani has published 218 papers, 83 articles and 8 books on
    the subject of integrated education, community based
    rehabilitation etc.
  • Brief introduction
    here

Dr. (H.C.) Deepa Malik Padma Shri Khel Ratna

 

 

  • Paralympian, Motivational speaker, disability activist and President of Paralympic Committee of India
  • First Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympics. She won a silver medal in the shot put at the 2016 Summer Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro. (23 international medals and 68 national & state level medals in swimming, javelin, shotput & discus)
  • Recipient of Five Prestigious President of India Awards & honours – Padma Shri ; Arjuna Award, President’s National Role Model Award ; Women Transforming India Award and ‘First Ladies Award’, Received several International awards including the New Zealand Prime Minister’s Sir Edmund Hillary Fellowship.
  • A motor rally driver, sports bike racer, and swimmer. She has even completed an 8-day, 1,700-kilometer bike ride to 18,000 feet in sub-zero temperatures.
  • Founder of Wheeling Happiness Foundation.

 

Mrs Meenakshi Lekhi (2016 – July 2021)

 

 

  • Minister of State, External affairs and MoS, Culture Govt. of
    India
  • A lifelong ardent supporter of rights of the under-privileged,
    Mrs Meenakshi Lekhi is a lawyer by profession and has
    practiced at the Supreme Court of India. She is Member of
    Parliament of current Lok Sabha from New Delhi.
  • She is Vice Chairperson of JPM, Blind School in New Delhi and
    Joint Secretary of the Blind Relief Association, Delhi. She
    has served as the special committee member of the NCW
    (National Commission for Women).
  • Mrs Meenakshi Lekhi is leading the cause of Voice of SAP in
    Indian parliament along with other MPs, sharing VOSAP vision
    to accelerate Social Transformation by giving voice, promoting
    perspective in parliament for inclusive bills, addressing
    needs of Specially Abled People.

Dr. Mallika Nadda

 

 

  • Dr. Mallika Nadda is currently the Vice Chairperson of Special
    Olympics in India and the Secretary of “Chetna Sanstha” in HP,
    India.
  • She has dedicated her life in activities related to Specially
    Abled and Women empowerment that have brought her accolades
    and awards from all over India for her exceptional service
    excellence in all fields from Special Olympics to enrichment
    of lives through education.
  • She is the founder member of Viklang Sewa Bharti, a volunteer
    organization in Jabalpur.
  • She is associated with the Red Cross and Indian Council for
    Child Welfare and advises many organizations in the field.

 

Shri Rohit Shah

 

 

  • Shri Rohit Shah is an industrialist, served as the Chairman of
    Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee at GCCI.
  • Shri Rohit Shah is a successful business owner and an active
    executive member of Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industries
    for more than 25 years.
  • He has contributed immensely in the Lion’s club and Jaycee
    Club towards volunteering and leadership development in the
    young generation.

Shashi Shekhar

CEO, Prasar Bharati and Social Media Strategist

 

 

  • Shashi is a Digital Strategist and Innovator with nearly 20
    years of experience in the Information Technology Industry.
    Shashi is also a well-known Blogger and Commentator on
    Politics and Public Policy in India.
  • More populary known as Offstumped, Shashi’s blog was one of
    the first efforts to to advance a Center Right Nationalist
    Political View on the Internet.
  • During the 2014 Campaign Shashi was spearheading the India272+
    Digital Volunteering Platform for Shri Narendra Modi’s
    Campaign.

 

DR INDUMATHI RAO

 

 

  • Founder & Regional Adviser of CBR NETWORK (CBR NETWORK has
    special consultative status to UN ECOSOC and Associate member
    of Rehabilitation International)
  • Former member-National commission for persons with
    disabilities, Govt. of India.
  • Social worker for over 38 years.
  • Chairperson, Global partnership for Disability and development
    (GPDD, initiated by World Bank Trust Fund)

Martin Sweeney

 

 

  • As a parent, activist and Assistive Technology consultant,
    Martin Sweeney has over 25 years of experience in the field of
    Assistive Technology. Sweeney served as managing director of
    the California AT Network and was a founding director of the
    Assistive Technology Project for the Frank D. Lanterman
    Regional Center in Los Angeles.
  • Currently, Sweeney is working as a development partner for the
    India America Assistive Technology Exchange (IAATE), a project
    to establish a professional development exchange among Indian
    and American educators, assistive technology specialists,
    healthcare professionals, AT vendors, designers, engineers,
    AT-users, families and disability rights advocates.

 

VOSAP Ambassadors

Karen Darke, VOSAP Brand Ambassador

 

 

  • Karen Darke MBE (Member of British…..) is a British paralympian, paratriathlete, Adventurer and Explorer, Mindset Coach and Author, Guinness Book record holder.
  • September 2023, in collaboration with VOSAP, she hiked Mt. Kilimanjaro,Kenya and hosted VOSAP flag at 5895 Meters high spreading the message of Inclusion.
  • A keen runner and mountaineer, Karen was paralysed in a traumatic rock-climbing accident at the age of twenty-one.
  • Karen has become the first paraplegic woman to handcycle across the Himalayas, sea kayak from Canada to Alaska (1500km, 2003), ski across the Greenland icecap (a trip of over 600 kilometres, 2006), and to climb the kilometre high overhanging rock-face of El Capitan. She has also hand-cycled in various corners of the world including the Silk Route, the length of Japan and across Tibet.
  • Karen’s purpose is about helping individuals and organisations ‘Find Inner Gold’: turning a challenge into an opportunity, turning ‘mud’ into ‘gold’.She is the author of 3 books that talk about her life journey: Quest 79, If you Fall and Boundless.

Sparsh Shah, VOSAP Youth Ambassador

 

 

  • Sparsh Shah is a 20-year-old prodigy, singer, songwriter, rapper, inspirational speaker, philanthropist and Guinness World Records holder.
  • He has Osteogenesis Imperfecta, a rare genetic disorder, but he hasn’t let it deter him from pursuing his dreams.He has had more than 150 fractures throughout his life so far. A documentary film Brittle Bone Rapper was made on his journey.
  • Sparsh has hosted several shows as an Emcee/keynote speaker and has delivered inspirational speeches and has also been Emcee at VOSAP Annual Events. He also represented VOSAP at the UN as Ambassador.
  • Sparsh has performed pro bono and helped raise over 2.0 million dollars for various non-profits supporting children and adults in need. He has performed in front of a billion people (twice) through television and the internet
  • Sparsh has been the recipient of various prestigious awards such as “In the Limelight” Rebranding Disability Through Achievement, Danny Music Award,Champion of Inclusion,Inspiration Award of Excellence and many more

 

 

Our Partners and Advisors