Kashmir Marathon 2017: Build a Ramp & Make the World Wheelchair Friendly

Under the spirited slogan "Build a Ramp & Make the World Wheelchair Friendly", FORD successfully organized the landmark Kashmir Wheelchair Marathon in Bagh on September 6, 2017.

Scores of wheelchair athletes from Bagh, Muzaffarabad, Rawalakot, and Islamabad participated in the competitive race along the scenic Bagh bypass road. Cheered on by hundreds of spectators and civil society members, the marathon served as both a fierce athletic contest and a visual protest against architectural barriers in public spaces.

Advocacy for Universal Design

In his keynote address, founder Aqeel Haider highlighted that a person in a wheelchair is not disabled by their body, but by poorly designed buildings, steep curbs, and absent ramps.

The event concluded with medal ceremonies, cash awards for winners, and a formal memorandum submitted to the district administration requesting mandatory wheelchair ramps in all government offices, banks, and educational institutions across Azad Kashmir.