Sminu Jindal was 11 years old when a car accident turned her into a wheelchair user. With the support of her parents, who raised her to be independent, she completed her education and is now the managing director of Jindal SAW Ltd, a subsidiary of the O P Jindal Group. In October 2000, she founded Svayam, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to change societal mindsets around people with reduced mobility by spreading awareness, offering practical solutions in the built environment, advocating for policy interventions and capacity building. Jindal favours the more expansive term of “reduced mobility” as she understands that accessibility issues are not the domain of people with disabilities alone; rather, elderly people, war veterans, children and those with temporary disabilities are all affected, among many other groups.
Celebrating People
OT Interview: Sminu Jindal On Why Accessibility Is A Right For Everyone And What Keeps Her Going
The founder and chairperson of Svayam talks to Outlook Traveller about why she started the not-for-profit, her proudest achievement to date and her top accessibility-friendly travel destination

Sminu Jindal is the founder of Svayam, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to change societal mindsets around people with reduced mobility
Photo: Copyright: Rohan Ghate for Svayam.org All Rights Reserved
Sminu Jindal is the founder of Svayam, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to change societal mindsets around people with reduced mobility
Photo: Copyright: Rohan Ghate for Svayam.org All Rights Reserved

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