APD Launches ‘AS i AM’ Movement to Redefine Disability Representation

Bengaluru | September 15, 2026: The Association of People with Disability (APD) has launched ‘AS i AM’, a national photography and videography movement aimed at changing how people with disabilities are represented in India’s visual culture.

The initiative invites photographers, videographers and visual storytellers across India to document the everyday experiences of people with disabilities, including their ordinary, joyful and diverse realities. APD said the movement seeks to create a visual repository that presents disability beyond commonly used narratives of pity or inspiration.

Submissions for the challenge are open until midnight on October 31, 2026, with winners to be announced on International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3, 2026.

The challenge has three categories: Best Entry, Best Emerging Storyteller, and Best Photographer with a Disability. Winners will receive cash and in-kind prizes, one-on-one mentorship sessions with jury members, entry into a permanent global stock image library with royalties in perpetuity, placement in a public exhibition, national media features and APD certification as a Certified Disability-Sensitive Visual Storyteller.

The jury includes filmmaker and screenwriter R. Balki, cinematographer Santosh Sivan, BBDO India Chairman and CCO Josy Paul, Nirvana Films founder Sneha Iype, Indian para-badminton champion Manasi Joshi, filmmaker and visual artist Ishaan Nair, Know Disability founder Mohit Ahuja, and Indian School of Public Policy co-founder Luis Miranda.

Tanishq from Titan Company, as Lead Sponsor, and the Azim Premji Foundation have joined as anchor supporters of the campaign.

“At Tanishq, we have always believed that every individual carries a story worth celebrating. AS i AM resonates deeply with that belief - it is a movement that goes beyond imagery to assert that the lives of people with disabilities are rich, layered, and deserving of the same spotlight as anyone else. We are proud to support an initiative that has the courage to change the conversation and the vision to make that change last,” said Pelki Tshering, Chief Marketing Officer, Tanishq.

“Disability has always been a part of the human story, but rarely has it been told on its own terms. AS i AM is our call to each visual storyteller in India to change that; whether you live with a disability or not, your lens and your perspective have a place in this movement. Pick up your camera, find your subject, and help us show the world what has always been there but never fully seen,” says Jacob Kurian, The Association of People with Disability (APD).

“People with disabilities lead full, ordinary lives, but you wouldn't know that from the images you see every day. AS i AM is changing that, and it's long overdue. I'm proud to be associated with a movement that is giving visual storytellers across India the platform to finally get this right,” said Manasi Joshi, Para Badminton Champion and Jury Member, AS i AM.

Entries can be submitted through the AS i AM platform or by contacting APD at the email address provided for the campaign.