'We want opportunity, not sympathy', emphasises Para athlete Manjunath

“The accessibility at the JLN Stadium is very good. It needs to address a few things like a few people with spinal injuries could not access the bathroom so I request you to improve that. Otherwise, in all other aspects it’s fully accessible, it is a very good stadium and we have received a lot of support.

“All stadiums should be accessible for the differently abled. The ramps, restrooms, access to the grounds, everything needs improvement in all stadiums. We don’t want sympathy, we only want opportunity. We want to do our best for the country and win lots of medals,” Manjunath told IANS.

Leading accessibility organisation Svayam marked World Accessibility Day with the launch of a Sports Accessibility Handbook during the Khelo India Para Games closing ceremony at Indira Gandhi Stadium on Thursday. Developed through a detailed study of national and international accessibility standards, the handbook offers practical guidelines for designing, retrofitting, and implementing inclusive sports facilities.

It draws from key reference frameworks such as the Harmonised Guidelines for Universal Accessibility (2021), Guidelines from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) for making airports accessible and Guidelines for Accessible Sports Complex and Residential Facilities for Sports Persons with Disabilities. Additionally, it integrates insights from accessibility standards established for Healthcare Facilities, the National Building Code (2016) and Guidelines Implemented for Building Construction highlighting Accessibility and Usability Parameters. Various other global best practices were referred to address infrastructural gaps and foster truly inclusive sporting environments.

Dolly Gola, a silver medal winner at KIPG 2025 and national record holder in discus throw F54, lauded Svayam for their initiatives and claimed the improved infrastructure will help young athletes grow and prosper without having to worry about other aspects.

“The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium is accessible for all athletes, even athletes who have serious problems get access. I would like to thank the Svayam, since they have joined the Paralympic Committee of India, the infrastructure has definitely improved. If the infrastructure is good then the athletes will not have worries, they will avoid injuries and focus only on their practice,” Dolly told IANS.