For Ekta Bhyan, the most defining moment of her life came in 2013 when she qualified for the Haryana Civil Services Exam. “It changed everything,” she says. “Not just for me, but for how people saw my disability. Before that, I often heard discouraging things, but after clearing the exam, I saw the perception shift.”
In 2003, Ekta’s life had changed in an instant. A severe road accident left her with a cervical spinal cord injury, making her a wheelchair user. “Accepting my new reality was not easy,” she recalls. “The physical challenges, inaccessible infrastructure, and the mental barriers society creates, all of it felt overwhelming at first.”
But she refused to let circumstance define her. With her parents’ unwavering support, she resumed her studies within a year of the accident. “Education gave me hope; it empowered me to believe I could still live an independent life.” She completed her graduation and post-graduation, and soon after, she cleared the Haryana Civil Services Exam.
Initially, her only goal was to achieve financial independence. But after 2013, Ekta felt ready to explore something new, that’s when she discovered para sports.
“In 2016, I won my first national and international medals,” she smiles. “Sports gave me a platform to voice not just for myself, but for my entire community. It made me realise that people with disabilities are not included in every sphere, especially education, employment, and sports. We still have a long way to go, but every step forward matters.”
There were, of course, moments of doubt. “After my injury, I often questioned my abilities,” she admits. “People would say discouraging things when they saw me in a wheelchair. But my parents taught me to ignore the noise. Once I started excelling in acade
Ekta’s message is simple but powerful: “Circumstances don’t define you, your hard work does.”
Over the years, she’s faced underestimation countless times, for being Woman with disability. “After my accident, when I resumed my studies, people told my parents, ‘What’s the use of educating her? She’ll never be independent.’ But instead of replying to them, I decided to prove them wrong through my work,” she says. “Your actions will always speak louder than your words.”
Beyond her medals and professional achievements, Ekta’s mission now is to improve literacy and employment rates for women with disabilities in India. “The literacy rate among women with disabilities is still very low, and the employment rate is below 10%,” she says. “We need more inclusion, not just in words, but in action.”
Her message to other women is one born of lived experience:
“We don’t need to be perfect. We just need to prioritise what truly matters to us. Know your worth, don’t live to prove it to others. Focus on your passion, take that first step, and you’ll see how people begin to follow you. The strength and power you need are already within you.”
“Life is not in our hands, but living is. So live, with passion, with purpose, and with courage.
