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  • Diversity and Disability
    Diversity and Disability

    Celebrate Life; Celebrate Diversity

    We welcome you to the community page "Celebrating Disability", an online discussion forum where we introduce, discuss, debate as well as campaign and advocate various concepts, perspectives, paradigm shift, models and legal provisions that concern and impact persons with disabilities. The title Celebrating Disability emerges from one of the ideologies of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) to celebrate human diversity and that Disability is a part of human diversity. 

    This online community page aims at demystifying the stigma associated with disability and reinforces the paradigm shift experienced by persons with disabilities from the charity and medical model to the social and developmental model, a holistic development of the society where persons with disabilities are an integral and contributing part and not apart. It will also focus on discussions and debates with regard to legal frameworks that impact persons with disabilities rightfully as well as adversely. The context and connect of UNCRPD with most terminologies & concepts to be discussed in the forum goes without saying. The perspectives of different professionals and their work with persons with disabilities are to be dealt as well. Any requirement for a larger campaign or advocacy may also be analysed in due course of a discussion. 

    This community page "Diversity and Disability" will provide motivational stories and achievements by persons with disabilities on an equal  basis with others, articles by expert persons with disabilities as well as professionals without disabilities on their work and perspective, the gaps in the legal framework and way forward to harmonise the same, strategies/models to implement UNCRPD at every level and a lot more, by way of public discussions, debates and other creative methodology on each article/story. In addition a webinar will be organised every quarterly to discuss the topic of the term. The topics may widely range from different provisions of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its connect with UNCRPD & vice versa, evolving concepts on disability, innovations pertaining to products, designs, services, infrastructure, information, communication and technology etc. 

    Supported by Vidya Sagar, Chennai

     

  • How To Interact With A Blind Or Visually Impaired Person
    Preeti Monga, blind since childhood, who works towards inclusion and empowerment of blind children and women, gives some valuable tips to sighted people about interacting with the blind or visually impaired to avoid awkward encounters. Do you feel a sense of discomfort when you need to interact with a blind person? And, therefore, do you try to avoid the interaction totally? Or simply allow someone else to interact instead of doing it yourself! I know you are always there to help us, but,…
  • Upcoming Webinar: Stepping Out For Social Inclusion
    Stepping Out For Social Inclusion: A Dialogue For Inclusive Society Socialisation is necessary for everyone. However persons with disabilities and their families face barriers and challenges with respect to social acceptance and inclusion. We speak with parents of young adults with developmental challenges to understand how they have navigated the social barriers over the years, what has worked, what has not worked. When :20th Jan 2022 4PM IST Panelists: - Akila Vaidyanathan - Ruchika Sethi…
  • It is Liberating to Accept My Hearing Loss
    Shruti Gupta, a cochlear implant user, an employee of a MNC and an ardent techie strongly believes that a considerate and accepting community, whether virtual or non-virtual, can help in bettering the lives of a disabled individual. Could you tell us bit about your hearing loss background? At what age was your hearing loss detected and what was the cause? When I was one-and-a-half years old, my parents realised that I wasn’t responding to the loud firecrackers during Diwali. An immediate…
  • Each of His Activities Add to His Achievement
    Sharan Delhiwala, who was born with Down Syndrome, has always been encouraged to live an engaged, healthy and productive life. His mother, Parini, writes about the challenges he dealt with and and how her son enjoys trying out different activities and engages socially with family and friends. Sharan was born on November 9, 2000. He is blessed with Down Syndrome. We are based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. Syndrome undetected in Nigeria When he was born our doctor didn’t inform us about his diagnosis.…
  • My Vision Impairment Challenges Have Strengthened Me
    Aruna Misra, 60 from Faridabad has only 8 per cent peripheral vision left, which is also on a steady decline. But that does not stop her from living independently,  doing all her chores, and even cooking when her husband had COVID. Most importantly, it has not sapped her zest for life. Please tell us a bit about your condition I am suffering from an advanced stage of Retinitis Pigmentosa. I have a mere 8 per cent of vision left now. And it is mainly peripheral. I don’t have any vision…
  • When Camera Relaxes Kids During Covid
    Mumbai based photographer Rajen Nair has been motivating children with cancer and hearing loss to take pictures during pandemic lockdown to keep their mind off stress and worry. You have been able to teach photography to children with cancer and hearing loss even during the Covid pandemic. Could you tell us how you managed amidst the lockdown? Due to Covid lockdown, my photography classes and outdoor photography activities were discontinued. Some students had expressed fear about the corona…
  • Ripples Of Music From A Wheelchair
    Jolene Dias, who was diagnosed with Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy, persevered her passion for music against adversities. From a celebrity singer, she began to teach music to children, including those with special needs, and challenge preconceived notions about people on wheelchairs. I was an extremely active child, good in sports and studies. I used to love to sing, dance, and perform. In school, I was at the center of all music shows, singing classes, and choir practices. I have been…
  • Autistic young man in black and his sister in red
    His Magic and Madness Holds the Family Together
    Shreya Jain, neurodiversity advocate and founder of Reservoir, talks about her brother on the autism spectrum and how she provides financial and legal security solutions to the special needs community. Could you tell us a bit about your brother? How has autism shaped your relationship with him? My brother, Suvrat, was diagnosed with autism at the age of two and a half years. I was about 7 at the time. I remember my mom running across the country with this little baby boy because she thought he…
  • 6 Most Important Documents Needed For A Child With Special Needs!
    Chitra lyer, a Special Needs Parent and a Trustee at Forum for Autism on the documents required to ensure that the child with special needs is well looked after.   The first step is to know exactly which documents are essential, the legal actions needed to protect your child and the correct steps to secure your child’s financial future. Without these, you will always wonder if your Child’s future is secure and whether you will be able to protect him/her legally and financially,…
  • Physical Fitness Is Important For All, Including Those With Disabilities
    Divya Sharma, 27, is a young lady with only 25 per cent vision due to acute glaucoma as a child. But that has not stopped her from being a fitness enthusiast. She has five belts in Karate and she also does regular weight lifting to keep herself in shape. Fitness is an important aspect of our life. It is said that people often relate fitness just to celebrities and models. Well, what do you do to ensure that you are fit and active? And if you feel that fitness is primarily about climbing the…
Received a request for an OT in Patiala for a 2 year old child with Cerebral Palsy. Any suggestions, recommendations would be welcome Family currently going to PGI Chandigarh for doctor visits thanks 
People tend to develop their personalities from the different things that they get to know and do in their lives, which may also have an impact from time to time. People develop their personalities at all ages and it is a constant shift for every…
Vidya Sagar (Formerly, The Spastics Society of India), a 30 year old non-profit organisation working with  persons  with disabilities , is conducting a 2 Day Expo titled "VaccesS" @ Vidya Sagar, #1, Ranjith Road, Kotturpuram, Chennai - 600…
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