On March 21, I attended the Purple Festival at the Rashtrapati Bhavan along with a friend. Organised by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Purple Fest aims to raise awareness about disabilities and their impact on people’s lives, promoting understanding, acceptance, and inclusion of persons with disabilities in society. The event was attended by the President Droupadi Murmu.Before the president’s speech, we had the opportunity to explore the various exhibitions and stalls at the festival. As I wandered through the exhibition halls, I was impressed by the creativity, effort, and passion put into showcasing products, services, and initiatives aimed at supporting persons with disabilities. Many booths were manned by disabled individuals themselves, proudly explaining their products and services with enthusiasm. Their personal stories and the ways in which their products had helped improve their own lives were powerful testaments to their determination and creativity.I visited a few stalls that showcased products designed for individuals with various disabilities. Some focused on providing tools and services that offered greater independence, while others highlighted innovative products meant to assist with everyday activities. There was a stall demonstrating tactile maps and braille books, another featuring sensory-friendly environments, and several others presenting solutions that allowed individuals to engage with the world more easily.What was most striking was the visible effort to create accessible spaces, allowing individuals with disabilities to be more independent and self-sufficient. It was truly inspiring to see the passion behind these creations and the genuine desire to make life easier for everyone, regardless of physical or sensory challenges.However, as I moved from stall to stall, there was one glaring issue that I couldn’t ignore: the lack of captions. While the booths offered a variety of engaging and informative displays, including video demonstrations and presentations, there was no captioning available. Whether it was a video on how a product worked or a staff member explaining a service, there was no way for me to fully engage with the content.This was particularly frustrating as a person with hearing loss. I often rely on captions to access information at events, and without them, I felt excluded from key aspects of the festival. It was disappointing because these booths were clearly designed with accessibility in mind – yet, a fundamental accessibility tool like captions was missing.After exploring the exhibitions, we barely made it in time for the president’s speech. I squeezed into a spot up front, ready for my usual mix of listening, lipreading, and mostly reading captions that transcribe speech to text on a screen – only to find there were none. When I inquired about accessibility, I was told that a sign language interpreter was available – but that’s not the kind of access I need.We reached out to the organisers and staff for help, but they refused to listen and even shoved us aside, prioritising wheelchair users. This experience highlighted the widespread ignorance about invisible disabilities, especially the lack of awareness regarding the spectrum of deafness – most of whom are non-signers. With no captions available, we had no choice but to leave disappointed.As someone with hearing loss, I often rely on captions to fully access events. This is a need shared by many in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. It’s not about being “difficult” or “demanding” – it’s about equal access to information. While events around the world routinely provide captions, accessible seating, and inclusive communication strategies in addition to sign language interpretation, many spaces in India continue to overlook these needs.Tina Saighal is an architect. As a deaf individual herself, she understands first-hand the challenges and barriers faced by persons who are deaf and hard of hearing. She founded Sanket Foundation, a registered charitable trust that works for the welfare of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Community in India.