Teen in Wheelchair Maps 50+ Accessible Spots Across India

At 13, Pratik Shingare started noticing things about his hometown of Pune that he'd never seen before. A step at an entrance, a doorway too narrow, a washroom impossible to use—suddenly, the smallest details decided where he could and couldn't go.

A road accident had left him with multiple fractures, and during recovery, he relied on a wheelchair. The hardest part wasn't the physical healing—it was realizing how many doors were now closed to him.

When Pratik tried returning to school, his request was denied. Living with osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition that makes bones fracture easily, administrators said the risk was too high.

"I was heartbroken," he tells The Better India. "I missed my friends. I missed school. I just wanted to go back."

Those months at home changed everything. Pratik began writing and creating art to process his emotions, eventually publishing a poetry collection called Where Hope Begins. But he also started thinking about the daily challenges facing millions of people with mobility limitations.

For wheelchair users, stepping outside means carrying questions most people never consider: Will there be a ramp? Is the bathroom accessible? Will this place actually work for me, or just claim to online?

His sister noticed him spending hours on the computer and suggested he build something to help others facing the same barriers. That conversation sparked StairlessJourney.

Now 14, Pratik leads a 13-member volunteer team that personally verifies accessible spaces across Pune, Goa, and Kolkata. In just over a year, they've mapped more than 50 locations—restaurants, cafes, parks, and public spaces that wheelchair users can navigate independently.

The verification process matters deeply to Pratik. "For people with mobility challenges, finding one accessible place can take weeks," he says. "And even then, you're not sure."

Every location on StairlessJourney has been tested in person. Can someone enter? Move around independently? Use the facilities without assistance? Those basic questions get clear answers.

Why This Inspires

One wheelchair user with multiple sclerosis says the initiative has given her freedom she didn't have before. "Whenever I feel like going out, I just browse their page and pick a place," she shares.

The page has just over 100 followers on Instagram and LinkedIn, but its impact runs deep. For people who've spent years navigating cities that weren't built with their needs in mind, verified information transforms spontaneous outings from impossible to achievable.

Pratik describes StairlessJourney as a "heart-led page and future app" that could grow across cities. A website is currently in development to expand the platform's reach.

He's also working toward continuing his education through an open schooling system after his drop year. The boy who was told school was too risky is now creating pathways for others to move freely through the world.

What started as one teenager's isolation has become a resource helping others step outside with confidence.