Shubajit B is a graphic designer, and counselor-in-training. Being a double amputee, travelling on public transport proved to be difficult. So, he built himself a cycle and a scooter. Currently an employee of the Association of People with Disabilities (APD), Shubajit lost his arms in an accident that took place in the city 19 years ago. After the accident, he shifted back to his hometown of Kolkata. He rejoined school eight years later and entered the sixth grade at the age of 17.He came back to the city in 2015, “I knew that I wanted to come back to regain what I once lost,” he said. It was then that he started work at APD as a consultant and designer. “When someone tells me that I can’t do something because of my disability, I take it as a challenge to do it,” he says.He adds that the feeling of being left out, when he saw his friends riding cycles motivated him. In 2013, he designed and created his own cycle. Four years later, he built a scooter. “I explained my idea to about 80 people but almost all of them said it wouldn’t be possible. That motivated me further,” he says. He had to first learn how a scooter works to be able to modify it. The entire process took less than three months. A friend of his sponsored the cost and a nearby workshop was his classroom and studio. All the functions such as brake and indicator that are placed on the handles ,have been moved to the bottom, allowing him to control them with his feet. In the last two years, he has ridden 15,000km on it. “Next year I’m planning to ride from Delhi to Ladakh to show people that they can’t decide my limitations.”He is currently pursuing a diploma in counselling. He noticed that many disabled people who join APD aren’t able to overcome the self-stigmatisation. He hopes that when they see someone like themselves counsel them, it would help them grow.
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