India’s First Paralympic Medal Winner Boniface Prabhu Teaches Corporates Sign Language

Boniface Prabhu was just a normal child till the age of four, when tragedy struck leaving him quadriplegic for the rest of his life as a result of a blotched lumbar puncture. Sports came naturally to him as a form of recreation and physiotherapy. In fact, you’d be surprised to know that Boniface has played football, hockey and cricket without letting his disability get in the way. Today, he has represented India over fifty times in six disciplines at international events. He’s won the country accolades in athletics, shot put, badminton, javelin throw, shooting, discuss throw, table tennis and wheelchair tennis.

More recently, Boniface has been leading the 3,500 KM Thums Up VEER Kashmir to Kanyakumari (K2K) road expedition which aims to sensitize and create awareness among people towards pesons with disabilities. While addressing a gathering in Gurgaon at the One Horizon Center he taught more than 200 people the A-B-C of sign language.

Over the next month, Boniface will be taking part in over 50 events promoted by India’s largest selling soft drink brand- Thums Up with leading NGO, American India Foundation. As the lead of the Thums Up VEER K2K expedition, Boniface will meet students, civil society workers, government officers and others to sensitize them on the various requirements of Persons with Disabilities. He will also help train close to 10,000 people through awareness programs and sign language sessions.

Speaking more about the expedition, Boniface said that while everyone focuses on issues like technology, infrastructure, manufacturing and other sectors, he believes that India will not reach its full potential if they do not leverage the skills of specially abled persons.  Being a quadriplegic, he felt the onus was on him to take the step forward. He also hopes that his expedition will help set the ground for meaningful interventions making India accessible for all.