DEEPA NARASIMHAN, WEB DESIGNER, EMC2

Deepa is 75% disabled due to Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which is a neuromuscular disease characterized by degeneration of motor neurons resulting in progressive wasting away and extreme weakness of muscles. She is confined to a wheel chair since the age of 10. She has strength left only in her wrist and fingers, which she preserves through physiotherapy.

Deepa is a self-trained graphic and web designer. She has designed presentations and developed websites for different types of organizations, including NGOs, consultancy firms and finance and IT companies. At EMC2, where she works as a Web Designer, she manages the intranet portal, designs posters, promotional materials, and internal communication materials of the company. How does she do all these!?

Deepa has not allowed a disability to come in the way of achieving her career goals. She has found creative solutions for all her needs.

MOBILITY: Deepa uses a modified wheelchair – a power wheel chair, all the parts of which can be separated so that it can be taken in a car easily. It is a hard surfaced wheel chair as she is advised not to sit on a soft surface like cushion. She also has modified her car to allow access to the wheelchair via ramp.

PERSONAL HYGIENE: For her personal hygiene needs, she has made arrangements which enables her to function with her extremely limited range of physical movements. EMC2 has also provided her with a ‘helper’.

ACCESS: The company is accessible with ramps. It has accessible rest rooms.

PC USAGE: Because of the limited mobility she has in her hands, she uses an onscreen keyboard that can be operated using mouse. The monitor is affixed to a certain height for her to be able to use the keyboard easily.