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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

     

  • "Sexual and Reproductive Health Of Disabled Persons Is A Neglected Area"
    Abha Khetarpal talks about the dismal lack of awareness about the Sexual and Reproductive Health of disabled women and how almost nothing is done to mend it. She is President – Cross the Hurdles, and a Member of the Sexual Harassment Committee, Department of Disability Affairs, Government of India, an author as well as a professional counselor.  What do you think are the principal challenges for women with disabilities as far as sexual and reproductive health is concerned? The challenges…
  • Social Distancing is Heart Breaking for persons with disability
    Social Distancing is Heartbreaking For Us
    Bangalore based journalist, L Subramani, who lost his vision to retinitis pigmentosa as a teenager, writes how he survived the horrors of being alone in a covid-19 isolation ward and facing death of fellow warrior. Room 209 had a single bed and a side bench. It faced up to a busy road where you could hear the constant rumbling of traffic and the wailing ambulance, far too often for my comfort. The hospital was generally silent, except for the violent coughing fit of a fellow covid-19 patient…
  • Building Self-Esteem in Kids through Photography
    Leading photographer and artist Samar Singh Jodha, has been conducting workshops for marginalised and disabled children in Asia and Africa to empower and bring joy to their lives with the help of the camera. Here he talks about his transformative initiative. I have been conducting photography workshop on pro bono basis for underprivileged children in Asia, Africa and Middle East. Over the last several years, the workshops have been going beyond the honing of children’s creativity to help raise…
  • Taking Pictures of Lockdown for Dadu
    Ashu, 23, a nonverbal grandson with autism, bonds with his 83-year-old grandfather miles away during Covid-19 lockdown, through pictures, videos and daily zoom breakfast sessions. Sushmita Kar, Ashu’s mom and Dadu's daughter, gives a heartfelt account. Few months back, the days were so beautiful. There was no fear of people, or anxiety about going anywhere. The sun looked like one in fairy tales unfolding in a golden hue. Like everyone else, our plans and prayers were laid out on the eve of…
  • Forging Friendships On The Spectrum
    Nishant Sriram, is a young man on the autism spectrum and shares his feelings about friendships. His mother, Akila Vaidyanathan reflects on his friendships and relationships over the years.   Till a few years ago it was believed that persons with Autism actually prefer to be alone and do not like or need friendships. However, there is more and more evidence and voices that prove that this is not really true. Persons with Autism have communication and socialization deficits which may…
  • "Go Away Corona So I Can Meet My Friends"
    Brian is a 26 year old man on the autism spectrum who misses his friends during the Covid-19 lockdown.  He uses technology to stay in touch and hopes for a lime juice party. His mother Anita Pradeep shares his experience. From a little child who loved to sit by himself and play with either a Pepsi can or a toy car or a Scooby doo or Ninja turtle figurines, Brian over the years graduated to playing with his brother and cousins and with a little initiation from our side would agree to play…
  • "Be the Best Dad to Your Autistic Child"
    PatientsEngage held a webinar recently on ‘Dads can make a difference to emotional well-being of a special needs family’ with three well-informed and articulate fathers as panellists sharing their experiences, understanding and insights. We bring you some interesting highlights. Fathers with children on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience many challenges of parenting. Though their involvement may be less as compared to mothers, they still need to play an integral and important role in…
  • Nagaland Disability Activist and commissioner on a wheelchar in front of a building and some plants
    My Wheelchair Plays A Very Important Role In My Campaign
    Diethono Nakhro’s life changed after an accident in 2006 which rendered her paralysed neck down. Positive, empathetic and relentless, not only did she pick up the pieces after that, she has brought in sweeping changes for the disabled community in Nagaland, advocating for Disabled Rights and also as the State Commissioner for Persons with Disability, a position she does not wear lightly.  The Accident and Thereafter I’m quite an extrovert and I led a very active lifestyle before my car…
  •  A visually impaired young man in a white shirt working on his computer at a desk in an office
    Technology Gave Me Independence in Many Areas
    On Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Amar Jain, a visually impaired lawyer with one of India’s top law firms, writes on how technology and software has empowered him to become an equal performer and competitor in a challenging profession. I am an advocate and accessibility professional based out of Mumbai. As a corporate lawyer, with over six years’ experience in capital markets and banking and finance respectively, I deal with primary and secondary offerings for raising money through capital…
  • Lockdown Agonies for Adolescents with Special Needs
    Alisha Lalljee, Special Educator and Counselling Psychotherapist, feels teenagers with special needs have been hit hard by the Covid-19 pandemic and lockdown as they struggle with schedule disruptions, discontinuation of therapies and issues of anxiety and sometimes aggression. Young adolescents and teenagers with special needs and disabilities have been affected severely by the Covid-19 lockdown. They are in a frazzled state – aware of coronavirus, though not always fully understanding 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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