Mumbai:
Mumbai came together this week to felicitate people with cerebral palsy from across India. In a function hosted by ADAPT - Able Disabled All People Together (formerly the Spastics Society of India) - individuals with cerebral palsy were rewarded for their resilience and achievement.
Seventeen million people around the world have cerebral palsy and another 350 million people are closely connected to either a child or adult who has this condition. India could have anywhere between three to five million people with cerebral palsy. Yet, they largely remained marginalised, hidden and are taken for granted for simple things like accessibility, education and employment.
Trophies and certificates were handed out in six different categories to six amazing achievers. Dheepakh P from Chennai won an award for excellence in Academics while Kedar Indurkar from Nagpur won the award for Excellence in Entrepreneurship. The award for Excellence in Activism was bagged by Dharmishtha Choksi from Bhuj while the award for Excellence in Arts went to Ramakrishnan N from Mumbai. Siddhartha GJ from Chennai took home an award for Excellence in Corporate Employment and Mayank Goel from Kanpur won the award for Excellence in Independent Living.
Speaking at the event, Siddharth GJ said, "What is normal? Tell me. Normal means being yourself right? Therefore, if I go by that definition I think all of us are normal." Filmmaker Nagesh Kukunoor who was the Master of Ceremonies for the evening said, "Every visit to an ADAPT centre or an ADAPT event is like a shot of adrenalin for me because I leave completely energised gaining strength from the courage of the parents, the volunteers and not to mention the people we are talking about today."
The award function also saw a panel discussions entitled 'Dialogue and Dignity' to focus on the lives of those with Cerebral Palsy in India. It also included inclusive performances of children with and without disabilities.
The theme at the award ceremony though was introspection. But the important thing, according to all the awardees, was inclusion. Dr Mithu Alur, the Founder and Chairperson of ADAPT said, "We are now moving on to inclusive education which is world over the current orthodoxy. And you will be pleased to know that nearly a hundred children have been put out."