Disability Rights Advocate | Organizational Psychologist | Storyteller
“Disability inclusion is not charity—it’s about justice, equity, and redesigning systems that leave people behind. As someone who has lived through inaccessibility, I’m committed to building a world where every body and mind is seen, heard, and empowered.”
— Kavya Mukhija
Kavya Mukhija is a bold and visionary disability rights advocate with over a decade of national and international representation in forums for disability justice. Living with a locomotor disability and using a wheelchair, she brings firsthand experience to her work, championing accessibility, inclusion, and equity for people with disabilities and rare diseases.
Currently serving as Trustee & Chief Operating Officer at Chronic Pain India, Kavya co-curated India’s first-ever National Conference on Invisible Disabilities at the International Purple Fest, Goa 2024. Her leadership focuses on digital accessibility, chronic illness advocacy, and community empowerment.
She has trained over 150 candidates with disabilities in business English, conducted accessibility audits for major corporations, and designed inclusion workshops and newsletters for MNCs through her impactful tenure at v-shesh Learning Services.
Internationally, Kavya has represented India at landmark platforms including:
• United Nations CoSP (New York, 2015) as the youngest delegate from India,
• Global Disability Summit (2022) as a panelist on stigma in education,
• C20 India Summit (2023) where she advocated for equitable workplace ecosystems.
Kavya is the founder of Namastey Disability, a peer-to-peer network of disabled and non-disabled youth in India, platform driving accessible tourism in India, and has done fellowships at NCPEDP and Rising Flame, underscoring her role as a national changemaker. Her academic work and advocacy have been published in major outlets such as The Indian Express and Feminism in India.
Recognized among the 2024 D-30 Disability Impact List Honorees and as a Rare Star Awardee by ORDi, she continues to influence policy, narrative, and public consciousness around disability rights in India and beyond.
2024 Diana Award Recipient, Kavya holds a Master’s in Applied Psychology from the University of Delhi and is currently pursuing an MSc in Disability Design and Innovation at University College London on a fully-funded Chevening Scholarship by the UK government.