The real superhero

The stories hope to break gender stereotypes and educate people about dyslexia

Even at the tender age of 13, Nitya Rathi speaks of inclusion in the most articulate and well-informed manner. "Inclusion is important because without it, we won't be introduced to new learnings. By understanding this, we won't judge people for being differently-abled," says the Delhi resident. With the urge to educate people and assure those with dyslexia that they're not alone, the comic Beating The Odds: Purple Flame and Dabung Girl was created by Rathi and comic book writer and educator Saurabh Agarwal.

Nitya Rathi

The duo details their motivation behind this venture, "Since I'm dyslexic I have experienced the many struggles associated with it. I realised that many kids with dyslexia face similar issues, and I wasn't the only one so I wanted to do this to create awareness and make others feel less alone too," says Rathi.

Saurabh Agarwal

"While creating this, we discussed how to give confidence to those with dyslexia and help those around them understand it too, so we thought if we created a girl superhero, children would really relate," adds Agarwal. The comic is designed to be a visual treat for children along with creating awareness about dyslexia, stating that many people with dyslexia are creative thinkers, innovators and problem solvers. Noopur Jhunjhunwala, Rathi's mother, also chimes in with how she feels the book has impacted parents. "Dyslexia is a condition that most parents would prefer to hide about their children so this has been a tool that I've used to share with other parents, to help them deal with any disability that their children might get diagnosed with," says Jhunjhunwala. The book is the first edition of the series planned by the duo, with another edition lined up for later this year.

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