Get Inspired Everyday by This Calendar That Features 12 Trailblazing People with Disabilities

As 2017 inches closer with every passing month, several corporations are launching calendars featuring professional models and stunning landscapes. But the Swarga Foundation released an ‘I’m Special’ calendar, in an attempt to showcase the talent and courage of several disabled people who have done pioneering work in their respective fields.

One of the models who features in the calendar is J. Swarnalatha, Managing Trustee of the Swarga Foundation in Coimbatore. The Swarga Foundation was established in 2014 by Swarnalatha, who is affected by multiple sclerosis, and her husband Guruprasad. The Foundation works exclusively with people living with disabilities and various neurological disorders.

The ‘I’m Special’ 2017 calendar features a visually impaired Hindustani singer, a Bharatnatyam instructor with Down Syndrome, a quadriplegic circuit racer, and a wildlife photographer living with multiple sclerosis, among other people living with disabilities.

There are two versions of the calendar – tabletop and wall hanging, and Swarnalatha has received 2,000 orders for these already.

The first edition of the calendar was launched in October 2015 and it featured six models from Coimbatore. The Swarga Foundation managed to sell 2,000 calendars and used the proceeds to buy a disabled-friendly van called Sarathi for Rs. 15 lakh. Sarathi comes with a wheelchair accessible ramp, a sofa bed, three seats, and a chemical toilet.

Read more about the first edition, here.

The van can be rented by differently-abled people to drive to any destination of their choice and it was launched on October 1st, along with the 2017 calendar.

Swarnalatha has been working on the latest calendar since February 2016, when she started hunting for models by placing ads online. In order to keep expenses in check, the design was done in-house. Five photographers of international repute worked on the project pro bono. According to reports, after news spread about the calendar, three people approached Swarnalatha to volunteer for the 2018 edition of the ‘I’m Special’ calendar.

The price of the calendar is Rs. 300/-
To place orders, contact : +91 88709-55111 / 98432-49854,  or write to [email protected] Visit www.swargafoundation.org to know more.

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