WINGS OF CHANGE: REDEFINING MOBILITY FOR THE DIFFERENTLY ABLED

In a country that often celebrates development in terms of highways, flyovers, and smart cities, the quiet revolution sparked by Wings on Wheels—a CSR initiative by the Manappuram Foundation—deserves attention of a different kind.

- V.P. Nandakumar

On 2 June, in Kodungallur, Kerala, 50 specially designed three-wheeler scooters were handed over to differently-abled beneficiaries. The effort may seem modest in numbers, but its message is profound: mobility is not a privilege; it is a fundamental right.

Mobility determines how we access opportunity, express autonomy, and assert dignity. Yet, for the millions of differently-abled Indians, mobility is one of the most persistent and overlooked barriers. Public transport is often physically inaccessible, poorly designed, or outright discriminatory. Private solutions, on the other hand, are unaffordable for the very people who need them the most. The result is a society where physical limitations are compounded by systemic exclusion.

It is in this context that the Manappuram Foundation’s Wings on Wheels programme becomes more than a CSR gesture. It is a statement—a declaration that inclusion begins with access. At the event, presided over by Kerala MLAs and inaugurated by Kerala Industries Minister P. Rajeev and Minister for Higher Education & Social Justice, Dr R. Bindu, the symbolic and practical value of the scooters distributed was unmistakable. They are not merely vehicles. They are enablers of education, employment, and engagement.