Anita Sharma was paralysed from the waist below when she was barely six months old and says the happiest moment of her life was when she could finally drive her own car when she turned 28.
After calling many driving schools around the country, Anita decided to start her own to help all Persons with Disabilities (PwD) to learn how to drive.
On My Own was founded in 2017 in Amritsar, Punjab. The cars that the driving schools use are retrofitted with the accelerators and breaks located on the top rather than at the bottom like in usual cars. A nominal fee is charged for all those who come to the institute to learn how to drive and a portion of the fees collected is donated towards charities that provide wheelchairs for the needy.
Besides regular driving lessons, there are also conversations over coffee where Anita helps people with disabilities get driving licenses and retrofitted cars.
Anita also organises workshops and seminars where she takes the role of a motivational speaker and advises people with disabilities on how best to get driving licences in different states across the country. She has successfully organised two workshops so far and has also trained 16 people in driving as she prefers to teach one student at a time.
On the website https://driveonmyown.com, you can also gift a driving session for persons with disabilities and read all about the aim of the organisation and what plans Anita Sharma has for the future.
Content Team
Himanshu
Shree Lahiri
