India, April 26 -- A society is often judged not by the wealth it creates or the technology it develops, but by the way it treats those who are most likely to be overlooked. Across the world, conversations around equality have moved beyond legal rights and policy promises towards a deeper question: who is truly included in everyday life? Inclusion is not simply about access to schools, workplaces or public spaces. It is also about dignity, visibility and the chance to participate fully in cultural and social life. For many differently-abled individuals, this remains an unfinished promise.

Too often, disability is viewed through the narrow lens of limitation. Public narratives can focus heavily on what a person cannot do, rather than what...