Do we treat everyone equally, regardless of their ‘popularity’? Do we manage to ensure we don’t make spontaneous judgements about people, without knowing the essence of who they are? Sadly, it seems that society constantly degrades those who don’t conform to it’s norms. Preethi Srinivasan, the founder of the SoulFree trust is a change maker, and a person with a disability. From winning numerous accolades in sports and academics, she became bound to a wheelchair, due to a fatal accident that resulted in the paralysis of every part of her body below the neck.
Ms. Preethi Srinavasan speaks about the powerful effects of stigma- how it has caused numerous world calamities, from World War 2, and the brutal killing of George Floyd.
Many people with disabilities end up comitting suicide, unable to cope with the inherent prejudices they must face on a daily basis. This is why Preethi Srinivasan started the SoulFree trust, to help people with disabilities attain a spiritual awakening, and give them the ability to be who they are. Let’s be the change. Preethi Srinivasan was the only child of loving parents, she excelled in sports and became the youngest cricketer to find a place in the playing 11 of the Tamil Nadu Senior Women’s Cricket Team at just 8 years of age, a record that still stands. She was also a state-level swimmer and received several accolades for exceptional academic performance including the “Who’s Who amongst America’s students” in 1996.
Her life then changed course when she became paralysed below the neck in a freak accident. After years of struggle, she went through a spiritual transformation and now is the co-founder of Soulfree a charitable organisation that is transforming lives and empowering the disabled to become positively-abled! She is also a psychologist, cricket coach, writer, painter and change-maker. She has won the prestigious Kalpana Chawla award and her work has been applauded by the President of India. Currently, she is writing a book and pursuing a doctorate at the IIT Madras. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx
Destigmatizing Disability | Preethi Srinivasan | TEDxYouth@Hyderabad