Disability and Recognition

Some recognitions don’t just celebrate your work, they remind you why you began.

Today, I am overwhelmed with gratitude and humility to be recognised in the 2026 D-30 Disability Impact List by Diversability, a global honour celebrating disability leaders creating meaningful impact across the world.

As someone who is visually impaired, I have lived in a world that often focused on what I could not see. But I was fortunate to be surrounded by people who chose to see my potential instead. That belief became my strength, my purpose, and my responsibility.

Every step of my journey from working through the Office of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities Goa [a state on the southwest coast of India], contributing to the vision of an Inclusive Goa, curating the series of the International Purple Fest*, and serving through Rotary has never been about individual recognition. It has always been about ensuring that every person with a disability is seen, heard, respected, and given an equal opportunity to dream, lead, and succeed.

International Purple Fest, Goa, 2026

This honour may carry my name, but it belongs to every mentor who guided me, every colleague who stood beside me, every friend who believed in me, my family who never stopped encouraging me, and the countless persons with disabilities whose resilience inspires me every day.

My heartfelt gratitude to Tiffany Yu, the Diversability team, and the D-30 Selection Committee for believing in my journey.

This recognition is not the destination. It is a reminder that our work is far from over.

If my journey proves anything, it is this: when we replace barriers with belief and inclusion with action, we don’t just transform lives—we transform society.

The journey continues, and so does my commitment to building a world where no one is defined by disability, but empowered by opportunity.

Originally posted in LinkedIn by Rotarian Taha Haaziq, Secretary, Goa State Commission for Disabilities. Haaziq conceptualised and directed Purple Fest*. He was presented with the Sarvashreshtha Divyangjan Award by the President of India in 2023. He was honored as Best Bureaucrat Award Goa in 2024, and as Sabal Change Maker in 2025.

*The International Purple Fest in Goa is India's first pioneering, inclusive festival celebrating persons with disabilities. Hosted in Panjim (Panaji) by the Goa government and national ministries, the event features artistic performances, accessible sports, interactive conventions, and exhibitions promoting universal design and equal opportunity.