An inspiring story to come out of IIIT-Hyderabad’s stable is that of young super-trooper Lasya Katari, a 2nd year dual degree student who loves chess, music, food and movies. What makes her story noteworthy is that the class topper is immobilized neck down and uses her chin and head movements to write assignments and exams.
A happy vibrant youngster, you wouldn’t guess that Lasya Katari has an acute physical disability. Her older brother Rishi who battles a similar undiagnosed medical condition, is a law student at Nalsar Hyderabad.
Wheelchair bound but gung ho about life, the fourth semester student talks about her favorite things, some challenges and how she balances IIIT-H’s heavy workload, from her specially rigged work-station in Rajahmundry, where she keeps in touch with college work and the world at large.
Lasya’s workstation has a simple setup of assistive devices; a microphone, a connected mobile or laptop and a small switch that operates the cursor on the screen. The switch clicks when Lasya touches it with her lip and the cursor moves according to her head movement. The web camera on her phone or laptop captures her head movement.
Parents create an enriching environment
Lasya was willing to open up about her IIIT-H world because she believes that “many differently abled are not pursuing higher education, not knowing the adjustments that can be made for them by an Institute”. Once a chess player with state and national-level experience, and a Carnatic – trained music enthusiast, it is class assignments and book lists that take up most of her day now.
Being doctors, her parents realized very early that something was wrong. “My mom is a gynecologist and my father is a pathologist. Our neuro-muscular symptoms started manifesting when I was two years old”. While parents consulted the medical fraternity worldwide, their symptoms started deteriorating progressively. From Class 2 through her 12th Boards, Lasya was a student of Sri Shirdi Sai Vidya Niketan, a local school that was accommodative; whether it was flexible timings, allowing parents to feed her at lunch-break or use of the elevator. “Initially, I could walk in school and write my own exams”.
On-the-go, her parents were figuring out how to make their lives as normal as possible. Custom-made comfortable chairs with specially designed cushions for each child, at home and school, were designed. Specific pillows are propped on either side to steady the legs and bolstered to push at particular points for the scoliosis in her back.
“Post-pandemic, we moved to home-schooling, with one-on-one lectures by teachers, classmates helping with notes, and a scribe for dictation during theoretical exams”. Somewhere in her 9th standard, Lasya discovered assistive devices, and began using head movements to write on screen for classwork and exams. “For verbose human sciences, I still dictate them to my scribe”.
“After my tenth boards, given Rishi’s university admission experience, I realized that it would be less complicated to join an online program for degree and higher education. I chose a random combination of subjects I am passionate about – Math, psychology, sociology and computer science, knowing that I wouldn’t attempt any competitive exams, and quietly joined the IIT Madras online degree program, which I then quit to join IIIT-Hyderabad”.
Destiny throws a nice curve ball
“As 12th board exams approached, it was destiny that I actually stumbled on this IIIT-H program that offered Math and human sciences and used the boards channel for admission. It was the first interview of my life and we spoke about chess, music and other topics of interest”. After her selection, Lasya emailed them about her medical condition and assuming that they wouldn’t notice the email, her grandfather was dispatched to the campus. “Meanwhile Prof. Ramesh Loganathan spoke to me over a call to understand the specific adjustments I needed. It is only after that I realized that this was really happening!”
Banyan tree extends strength to Rajahmundry
Prof. Anirban Dasgupta elaborates about Lasya’s dual degree B. Tech- MS in computing and human sciences. “This is possibly the first of its kind program where students without physics-chemistry background are shortlisted for interview, based on their Plus Two Board scores. The Boards channel is available only for students with both humanities and mathematics in the plus two level. During her interview, Lasya performed well, in mathematics, technical skills, general knowledge, and a sense of the world and argumentation. Prof. PJ Narayanan and we had quite a few weeks of intense discussions at various levels because this was obviously quite unprecedented”.
Even though it is a completely residential program, the research Institute seamlessly put together a special online classroom for Lasya. “Connected through Microsoft Teams, with the camera set-up oriented towards the professor, presentations are screen-shared and two hand-held mikes for students ensures that Lasya contributes meaningfully to all classroom discussions. “Project discussions happen online with professors and exams are written by screen sharing with an invigilator present. It is simply awesome that the institute has gone to such lengths to accommodate me,” says the class topper on Dean’s List 1 (Monsoon ’24, Spring ’25).
“Mine is a dream curriculum”, observes Lasya who has a great time every time she visits the IIIT-H campus. ““The campus is so beautiful and welcoming. I get to meet the TA who is assigned to me, and my faculty along with Prof. PJ Narayanan, Prof. Radhika Mamidi, Prof. Ramesh Loganathan and Prof. Anirban Dasgupta, my point of contact. A happy memory during campus visits is always dinner with my group of friends who are sweet and funny. Sitting with them, listening to their experiences and anecdotes and their ways of looking at different things is very refreshing. Of course, starting conversations is tough when you are not interacting in class, corridor or canteen, but I have friends who keep in touch, especially one close friend whom I interact with constantly. Bitter- sweet moments like panicking about deadlines or coordinating between teams is what makes college life fulfilling”.
Chess, music and few of my favorite things
Lasya indulged her love of chess and writing for a short stint in her first year, when she took part in the Institute’s chess, film and theater clubs. “All the clubs and seniors have told me that if I wish to participate, they will make it happen. I enjoy watching movies with my parents. Though I prefer south Indian and Hindi movies and music, after joining IIIT-H, I have been exploring a bit of the English genre, based on suggestions only. Music, food and sleep is something that keeps me going! Whenever I feel low, I think about the next great meal that I can have”, grins the lass who loves her biryani and Indian non-vegetarian cuisine.
“Like most regular teenagers, I once had an Instagram page, where I posted thoughts, quotes and poems, while I was in school. In IIIT-H, I now get to explore philosophy, asking fundamental questions about social structures, why people behave the way they do and the quirks of collectives of people as a society. Like a regular youngster, I am still figuring things out and am riddled with questions like, will my work be good enough or do I really have what it takes? But now I’m in peace with it”.
On a journey to code machines and decode humans
“IIIT-H is actually teaching me to find a work-life balance and I have this sense of urgency to reduce stress levels by figuring out the weightage to be given to academics and my hobbies. I can watch movies, write, sketch, sing or play chess with the limited functions I have, that gives me personal fulfilment”.
“I find everybody around me is having a major struggle with being average. One thing that I have made peace with and I think everybody should do too, is that it is okay to be an average writer or artist, if it gives you contentment”, says the amateur philosopher who intends to write a long-form story or book on how a disabled person feels and deals with life.
“Even though my disability is not diagnosed as SMA (Spinal muscular atrophy), my mother is part of multiple support networks. My parents are simply amazing. We were never told that something was impossible. If I wanted to go somewhere, they made sure I did, even if it meant carrying me or lifting my wheelchair to inaccessible places.”
“IIIT-H has given me college life which I probably wouldn’t have had, if they had not accommodated for me. I put in 100% effort, whether it is an evaluation, exam or lab or assignment. My parents are the major motivation that I keep a smile on my face because they put all their efforts to put that smile there and they deserve the happiness of being successful in making us happy. I stay happy, for them to be happy.”
Prof. Anirban concludes, “I find the entire family quite remarkable in how they are dealing with what was handed to them, and literally trying to make the most of it. The long and short of it is that Lasya has done splendidly well and there’s not a single course in which she has got anything less than an A. She is lucid in the way she thinks, very matter-of-fact and doesn’t allow any scope for sympathy. Being in touch with her teaches you to be more mindful about your own life”.
Deepa Shailendra is a freelance writer for interior design publications; an irreverent blogger, consultant editor and author of two coffee table books. A social entrepreneur who believes that we are the harbingers of the transformation and can bring the change to better our world.