This TikTok Star Is Determined To Improve Wheelchair Access In Dubai

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Shobhika Kalra

Racking up over 1 mill likes on TikTok for her comedy skits, but behind-the-scenes, Dubai resident Shobkiha Kalra is on a mission to improve wheelchair accessibility in Dubai. She joined The Lovin Dubai Show to share her story (Scroll to watch.)

At 13 years old, Shobhika Kalra was diagnosed with Friedreich Ataxia, a muscular disorder that affects some of the body’s nerves. Symptoms can appear in late childhood and tend to get worse over time. At the time, Shobhika was forced to leave school as her classroom was on the 1st floor and she couldn’t climb the stairs.

Wheelchair-bound by 15, Shobhika recalls being at the cinema and needing to be carried by four men as the cinema didn’t have wheelchair access. At these pivotal moments, Shobkiha saw that wheelchair access was extremely limited. Shobhika gained this insight in India and it encouraged her to set about making change here in Dubai.

To date, she is the youngest Indian in the Middle East to receive the ‘She The Change’ – Udyami Award. She’s also a TikTok ‘fluencer, a disability model and she worked against the odds to finish school and complete a Bachelor’s degree in business management and a Master’s degree in psychology.

Shobhika launched ‘Wings of Angelz’ to make the world more wheelchair accessible

Wings of Angelz is a disability awareness group that works with organizations to help construct ramps in public spaces. The team is also working on a new app which will help people of determination find suitable work in Dubai.

To date, thanks to the work by ‘Wings of Angelz’, 1,000 places in Dubai are now more wheelchair accessible – Watch Shobhika’s story here

Wings of Angelz empowers people of determination to find employment opportunities

Shobhika is also killing the game on TikTok with her Hindu comedy – Follow her here

@shobhikakalra

Jaanu aaj na #shobhikakalra #hindi #comedy

♬ original sound – Gracy Khan👉🏻🐅295

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