Javed Ahmad Tak became paralyzed from the waist down after being struck by a militant’s bullet in 1997. Rather than retreat into despair, he transformed personal tragedy into social purpose, becoming one of the most respected voices for differently-abled people in Jammu and Kashmir.
He founded the Humanity Welfare Organization Helpline (HWOH) in 2003 and later the Zaiba Aapa Institute of Inclusive Education, which offers free, accessible schooling to children with physical and intellectual disabilities many of whom had no place in the mainstream education system.