Dhanya Ravi, India’s Locomotor Disability Ambassador at Purple Fest 2023, was born with Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI). This rare genetic disease makes her known as the country’s “glass woman.” Despite her condition, she has achieved remarkable feats, including receiving State and National awards and speaker at two TEDx and JoshTalk events.

She works as an executive at EnAble India, Dhanya has participated in numerous webinars for college students and corporations, where she has discussed topics such as inclusivity, mental health, and social responsibility. She has spoken to over 10000 people worldwide and has been an active contributor to the disability sector for over a decade, inspiring many differently-abled individuals to pursue their goals.

Dhanya is actively mobilizing and sensitizing people about OI, rare diseases, and the disability community in India and the USA, working in collaboration with various non-profit organizations (NGOs). She advocates for a more inclusive society and strives to raise awareness about rare genetic conditions. Dhanya manages Aasmaan Foundation Trust, an in-house NGO that assist people with disability to live a dignified life. She loves to volunteers her time in audio reading for individuals with visual impairments and fulfills the vital role of a mentor for special parents.

Over the past 3 years, her trust has distributed over 8 lakh powered wheelchairs, connected prospects for education and hosted two social awareness events. Her life stories and experience meeting people worldwide through the Disability Awareness and Advocacy Program have earned her many testimonials. Dhanya’s life message and mentorship have empowered women and youth in the community to live a life of independence.

Academics and Profession

Dhanya is a highly sought-after speaker who has addressed audiences at educational institutions and private establishments. Her experiences of facing environmental stigma in family and society, not had access to mainstream schooling, dealing with over 200 fractures in her body, and lacking awareness about rare diseases have encouraged her to be heard in the disability community. Dhanya was taught at home by Mrs Victory until 10th grade. Then she pursued intermediate program from India Gandhi Open University and an Online Novel Writing certificate course from The Climber Knowledge and Careers Private Limited (An NSRCEL IIM Bangalore incubated company).

Beginning her career as a data entry specialist, Dhanya later became a freelance content writer and digital marketer. As a self-taught individual, she is committed to advocating for inclusivity in society, raising awareness about rare genetic conditions, importance of women being financial independent, sexual health education and promoting “self-advocacy.” Although there is no cure for OI, Dhanya hopes to establish a policy requiring mandatory and affordable prenatal screening for genetic diseases.

Dhanya is actively involved in empowering projects at various non-profit organizations, particularly in raising awareness about rare diseases and gathering funds for treatment and assistive aids for those facing similar challenges. At EnAble India, she works for the candidate success team, which works to create livelihood opportunities for individuals with disability in urban areas.

Public Speaking and Activism

When she was in her early 20s, a newspaper report inspired her to discover her life’s purpose. As a result, she played a key role in
establishing the Amrthavarshini charitable society and actively contributed to the organization from 2010 to 2017. Through Amrithavarshini, she engaged in public speaking, news shows, and TV interviews to increase awareness about OI.

Over the years, she has appeared in various television programs, such as Idea Star Singer – 6, Ningalkkum Akam Kodeeswaran, Ashwamedham, Happiness Project, TEDx (twice), Theater performance, Flowers Oru
Koodi, and Faasle Aasman Tak Mita De (an album song), to name a few. Her involvement in these programs aimed to raise awareness and funds for the beneficiaries.

She has also been actively involved in rare disease programs by conducting campaigns through talks, social media, short films, and theatre dramas and participates in walkathons and marathons.

In the past two years, she has activitly worked through her Trust and indep to raise funds to provide over 14 powered wheelchairs for the Freedom Project.

RECENT ACTIVITIES

• Moderate for the Samarth hyundai launch by NDTV (2023)
• To promote wheelchair accessibility, ‘Humans on Wheels’ is a new social media initiative.”
• Speaker at ICCE -2023
• Diversity speaker at Analytics India 2023
• Purple ambassador for locomotor disability at Purple Fest, Goa 2023-2024
• Faasle Aasman Tak Mita De | Celebrating Differences | Dec 3rd 2022
• India’s “glass woman” and disability evangelist Dhanya Ravi seeks start up support to bridge health care gaps.
• Featured on The Invisible Majority: India’s Able Disabled
• Flowers Oru Koodi 2021 (Malayalam Quiz Program for the community)
• Hosted ZELDA on (International Women’s Day) by #AFT
• Raising fund for powered wheelchair worth 8 lakhs for 14 individuals (2021-present).
• Olangal (Dec 3rd,2020) is an inclusive musical cover by differently-abled artists who remind us to focus on our gifts than our worries and create a more inclusive world. The song won appreciation award from #WOWFoundation.
• In-state and community level volunteered to raise awareness of Covid-19 #HealthyAtHome – Mental health for more than 3000 individuals.
• On 5 June 2020. on World Environment Day volunteered for Athijeevanam project, a global initiative to plant 10000 trees by Persons with a disability and able individuals.\
• Have raised fund for essential needs by AFT during the lockdown,2020
• Nartana, inclusive dance by differently-abled women individuals by AFT on Aug 15,2020
• Raised 1,58,000 Lakh for people with rare diseases for their medical and assistive aids through crowd funding. (2019-2020).
• Conducted India’s largest fashion show for differently-abled individuals by #AFT on Feb 29th 2020.

Recognition and awards

• Rex Karmaveer Chakra Silver Award (2023) instituted by iCongo in partnership with the United Nations.
• Moderator and speaker for the samarth NDTV 2023
• Ahalia, women icon award 2023
• REX Karmaveer global stories of resilience fellowship and chakra award bronze (2020)·
• Recognition certificate for volunteering in the department of minority welfare, Karnataka
• Walking Mind Docudrama | Bharath Chand | Sandeep Balan
• Celebrating inclusiveness on World Environment Day-2020
• Lack of awareness, stigma affects people diagnosed with Brittle Bone disease, Wishbone Day 2020
• Personality Development | Dhanya Ravi | Josh Talks Malayalam
• Recipient of Kerala State Award for the empowerment of persons with disabilities (Best Private Sector Employee – 2019).
• Winner of Spoorthi special award 2019 by Karnataka Women Achiever Award.
• Recipient of National Award 2018 in the Role Model category by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, India.
• TEDx Speaker 2019 decoding with disability.
• One of the facilitators for an Inclusive Dance called “The InVincibles”.
• Speaker at KWAA – Karnataka Women Achievers’ Awards.
• Speaker at snehadeepam 2018 fundraising event, Boston, Massachusetts.
• Speaker 2018: International Autism Conference hosted by Cadrre the Autism Center, Trivandrum Visibly Invisible – interact One Step at a Time
• Won annual Inspired Indian foundation award (IIF) 2014 for initiating activities for social causes (from the governor of Karnataka, His excellence H. R. Bhardwaj at Raj Bhavan, Bengaluru, Karnataka).
• Speaker at We The Women Asia at Mumbai in 2018. TEDx speaker 2017 Celebrating the joy of pain.
• Speaker at Bangalore Tech Summit 2017 (Biotechnology session for Rare Diseases).
• Won Certificate of appreciation from ICICI Bank (advantage women).
• Have addressed motivational talks at various platforms including schools, colleges, corporate companies and public events (Kerala, Karnataka, Mumbai and USA).
• Recipient of “Brave Bangle Award 2012” for the extra ordinary women by filmbrew (Kochi, Kerala).