AS i AM is a photography and videography movement inviting visual storytellers across India to document the real, layered, joyful lives of people with disabilities and, in doing so, change how India imagines disability.
Win prizes worth 5 lakhs* and the chance to be mentored by some of the most notable visual storytellers in India.
[ PARTICIPATE ]
Note: Total prize pool of ₹5 lakhs, distributed across multiple categories
5 1 Scaled
6 2 Scaled
7 Scaled
12 Scaled

Capture
life beyond
the label

50+ Million

people with disabilities in India, yet their stories continue to be viewed through narrow and limiting stereotypes.

Person with disability

Powered by Leading Voices

Josy Paul

Josy Paul

Chairman and CCO of BBDO India

R Balki

R Balki

Filmmaker and Screenwriter

Santosh Sivan

Santosh Sivan

Film Director and Cinematographer

Sneha Iype

Sneha Iype

Founder, Partner, and Executive Producer at Nirvana Films

Ishaan Nair

Ishaan Nair

Filmmaker, Photographer, and Visual Artist

Luis Miranda

Luis Miranda

Chairperson and Co-Founder of Indian School of Public Policy

Mohit Ahuja

Mohit Ahuja

Founder of Know Disability

Manasi Joshi

Manasi Joshi

Indian para-badminton champion

KNOW MORE

Meet the Evaluators

A panel of dedicated evaluators ensures every submission is assessed with the rigour, sensitivity, and craft that this initiative demands.

Palani Kumar

Palani Kumar

Photographer and Founder of People’s Photographers Collective

Prakash Sontakke

Prakash Sontakke

Grammy-winning Slide Guitarist, Composer, Producer and Educator

Vicky Roy

Vicky Roy

Documentary and Street Photographer, and Visual Storyteller

Manmohan Anchan

Manmohan Anchan

Photographer, Designer and Artist

12 1 7 1

How it Works

STEP 1
CHOOSE YOUR
CATEGORY
Photography or Videography –
pick what you do best.
STEP 2
CREATE
YOUR ENTRY
Shoot or film following the given guidelines. Let your subject guide how they want to be seen.
STEP 3
SUBMIT
ONLINE
Upload your files and fill out the submission form by 30 th October 2026, 11:59 PM IST.
STEP 4
GET JUDGED
BY THE BEST
A two-round blind judging process evaluated by India's most respected creative minds.
VIEW FULL GUIDELINES
9 1 2 2

What You Can Submit

PHOTOGRAPHY

Portrait
Daily Life
Candid

Up to 3 photographs per entry.
JPG format, minimum
3000px on the longer side.
Camera/Mobile Phone shots accepted.

VIDEOGRAPHY

UNDER 60 SECS
UNDER 120 SECS

Up to 2 videos per entry.
MP4, 1080p minimum.
English subtitles mandatory.

Note across all categories:

Every entry must include a narrative statement: who the subject is and what their ordinary day looks like. The story behind the frame is as important as the frame itself.

A registration fee of ₹100 applies per entry.

[ PARTICIPATE ]

What You Win

BEST

Entry

BEST

Emerging Storyteller

BEST

Photographer with a Disability

Certificate of Merit and cash award
Formal APD certification as a Certified Disability-Sensitive Visual Storyteller
Entry into the permanent APD Inclusive India visual repository on global stock platforms
Royalties in perpetuity from stock platform licensing
Feature in a landmark public exhibition
Media and PR coverage in national publications
One-on-one mentorship sessions with jury members

Capture
life beyond
the label

[ PARTICIPATE ]

award@apd.com

© 2025 Association of People with Disability.
All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions

AS i AM Logo

AI IMAGES DISCLAIMER

The images on this website are AI-generated because the authentic, joyful, complex photographs of people with disabilities we need simply don't yet exist in mainstream stock libraries. That absence is precisely why AS i AM exists.