World Disability Day: Kartikeya Sharma seeks stronger support for visually impaired athletes

On World Disability Day, Rajya Sabha MP Kartikeya Sharma used a Special Mention in Parliament to highlight the urgent need for strengthened national support for visually impaired athletes — an issue he has consistently championed over the years.

- TDG NETWORK

Drawing attention to India’s vast population of visually impaired citizens, including nearly 5 million who are fully blind, Sharma noted that many young athletes still train in unsafe and poorly adapted facilities. He flagged the absence of essential accessibility features such as tactile pathways, audible cues, tactile court markings, non-slippery flooring and disability-friendly circulation areas. The shortage of trained coaches and guides — fewer than 1,000