When disability can be conquered

Chennai, Mar 5 (UNI) ''Only a perfectly-able person with a negative attitude to life is really a disabled person,'' said Neha Bansal, a tetraplegic paralysed neck down.

But the Delhi-based chartered accountant has every reason to say what she feels. One will vouch for it after listening to her tale of woe.

One day, while still in school, life took a sad turn when Neha suddenly suffered a spinal cord injury. Her parents even wondered if it was their same chirpy daughter.

But Neha never gave up. She took it in her stride and pursued the dream of becoming a qualified chartered accountant. Although her fingers were not fully functional, Neha wrote the CA examinations and today, she is a qualified professional.

At a colourful function last evening attended by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, his poet-daughter Kanimozhi, music maestro A R Rahman and film star and social activist Revathy, who compered the programme, the cynosure of all eyes was Neha who was one of the recepients of the Chennai-based NGO Ability Foundation's Mastery Awards.

Another Delhi-based woman, Anjali Arora, who conquered handicap to become to first blind woman advocate to practise in Supreme Court and Delhi High Court, also received an award which recognises the fact that even the worst disability can be conquered and the victims can lead a normal life and even empower others.

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