In September 2025, social media users, mostly Gen-Z, organised a protest against government corruption. This eventually brought down the then-government and led Gen-Z to choose their own interim government, with the Prime Minister elected through the app called Discord. Although it has been established as a “youth revolution” with support from media and civil society members, youth with disabilities were completely excluded. Physical modes of transportation were inaccessible and unsafe; there were no real-time warnings and assessments related to physical mobility, and so most young persons with disabilities were structurally locked in their homes. The digital world, on the other hand, had taller walls that kept PWDs from entering this political space. In this extremely online movement, viral videos and news lacked sign language interpreters, picture-heavy content went around, Discord was difficult to navigate, and documents circulated up until the elections of the federal parliament had inaccessible formats.
Whether the processes adopted, decisions made, and negotiations concluded in this process were truly representative of the aspirations and demands of the entire Gen-Z population is a question that perhaps no single member of this demographic can answer. Throughout this process, marginalised youth with little to no access to the internet, and persons with disabilities in particular, were specifically excluded from this digital “revolution”.
Against this context, this research undertakes inclusion and representation as the core framework to assess the movement, from its inception to its conclusion. In particular, it assesses how persons with disabilities perceived and navigated the technocratic Gen-Z revolution to equip us with the tools required to navigate such crises more inclusively and meaningfully in the future. Hence, this paper anchors the status of political participation in the experiences and strategies used by PWDs to navigate the September movement and its aftermath.

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Rewati Karki is a socialist feminist, researcher, and disability rights advocate originally from Sindhupalchok and based in Kathmandu. Currently pursuing her master’s degree in Gender Studies, her work operates at the intersection of gender, disability, accessibility, and systemic policy reform.
Rewati brings extensive experience in organizational leadership and public policy, serving as President of the All in Foundation, former Vice-President of Shiksha Nepal, and a core team member on the National Curriculum Framework Revision Committee 2083. Having previously contributed to Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s education policy team, she is also the Captain of the Nepal National Cerebral Palsy Football Team, championing accessibility across policy, inclusive education, and sports for all.