A unique request posed 24 years ago to Rajesh Sharma, a mechanic from Jaipur, has made the lives of over 3,000 differently abled people easier and convenient.
At that time, Sharma was making cars for driving schools by adding a clutch and a brake for the co-passenger seat in order to help the learner while they learn driving.
Then, in 1995, an amputee customer approached Sharma with the request to ‘modify’ his car. Amputation had left him unable to control the pedals of his car, which made it impossible for him to drive. And so, he requested Sharma to shift the accelerator and brake closer together, allowing him to control the car with just one leg.
“That person was my sole inspiration to change the direction of my work,” Sharma told The Better India.
Adding that the number of such cars designed by him has now crossed 3,000, Sharma recalls, “In 1998, under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment (MSJU), I started modifying the cars on a larger scale. Up until then, I had customized just one car, but was fiercely passionate about continuing the cause. After 1998, there has been no looking back for me.”
Taking into account the difficulties his customers go through, Sharma also provides door-to-door service to his customers.
For helping thousands and making their life convenient, Sharma was conferred with the Jaipur Samahoran award in 1998, the National Award for the Empowerment of Person with Disabilities in 2016 and the Rajasthan State Award for the Empowering of Person with Disabilities in 2017.
(With inputs from The Better India)
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