Surkhet: To mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Spinal Injury Union—with support from Save the Children and Vision 360—organized a friendly wheelchair basketball match between players from Karnali and Sudurpashchim Provinces on Wednesday. The match featured the Spinal Injury Union representing Karnali Province and the Api Inclusive Para Athletics Sports Club representing Sudurpashchim Province.
“Through this wheelchair basketball match, we want to send a powerful message that people with disabilities are confident, competent, and fully capable of leading dignified and active lives. What we need is stronger community and government support and collaboration to build an inclusive and stigma-free society,” said Dibya Khadka, Convener of the Spinal Injury Union. As part of Save the Children’s SHIFT campaign, the group uses wheelchair basketball to spark dialogue, storytelling, and artivism to promote disability rights and awareness.
“The wheelchair basketball matches are a unique and compelling way to challenge the stigma and discrimination faced by people with disabilities. Through sports, players are not only breaking stereotypes but also promoting a powerful role-model narrative—advocating for disability rights, accountability, and meaningful engagement,” said Ayush Joshi, Director of Advocacy, Save the Children. He added that the wheel chair matches and interactions between players and participants have contributed to visible shifts in knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors toward people with disabilities.
Speaking at the event, Ghanshyam Bhandari, Social Development Minister of Karnali Province, emphasized that disability inclusion should not be a discussion reserved for one day. “On behalf of the Karnali government, I reaffirm our full commitment to ensuring that people living with disabilities have access to inclusive services. We will continue to promote awareness-raising activities and advance disability rights.”
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