After the successful South and West Zone editions, the North Zone Regional Abilympics & Conference 2025 is set to take place on August 1–2, 2025, at the Atal Convention Centre, Lucknow. This regional edition will bring together 100+ Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) from across Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Delhi, showcasing their skills across multiple trades. Winners from the North Zone will qualify for the National Abilympics to be held in New Delhi in November 2025, where Team India will be selected to represent the country at the 11th International Abilympics in Finland (2027).
Widely known as the “Olympics of Abilities” or the “Work Skill Olympics for People with Disabilities,” the Abilympics are organized by the National Abilympic Association of India (NAAI) in collaboration with Sarthak Educational Trust, supported by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), TPCDT, and IndusInd Bank. This regional competition culminates in a grand celebration of ability, skill, and determination — reaffirming the potential of Persons with Disabilities to lead, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to society through vocational excellence.
To bridge the gap between skills and livelihoods, an inclusive job fair will also be held on Day 1 of the event, bringing together leading companies that are actively hiring and supporting inclusive employment practices. The fair will provide on-the-spot interview opportunities and career guidance to skilled PwD candidates across various sectors.
The event will feature live skill competitions in trades such as Photography, Painting &Decorating, Basket Making, Crochet, Massage, Hairdressing, Cake Decoration, Character Designing, Engineering Design, and more — paving the way for national and international representation.
In addition to the vocational competitions and job fair, the two-day event will feature a National Conference that brings together leaders from government, corporates, NGOs, academia,. Discussions will center around inclusive skilling, employment gaps, and building sustainable systems of empowerment. “This is more than a competition. It’s a movement to unlock economic dignity, confidence, and careers for millions of PwDs across India,” said Dr. Jitender Aggarwal, Secretary-General of NAAI and Founder & CEO of Sarthak Educational Trust. “. Our mission to empower 10 million PwDs and facilitate over 2 lakh sustainable job placements by 2027 is what drives our every effort.”
