Awareness fair organised on the eve of World Disability Day

On the eve of World Disability Day (3 December), an awareness fair was organised by the students, parents and staff of Umang. The fair was preceded by a flash mob performance by students and also involved them holding plaque cards on rights of disabled and quotes on inclusivity and disability. Hundreds of passersby showed enthusiasm; many stopped, watched, got involved and left with new knowledge and perception.

Deepak Kalra, director, Umang, said that Children are like sponges; they soak up whatever they are immersed in. They have curiosity or better they are born scientists. Every child wants to learn new things, play, be loved and cared for, feel safe and make a friend. Each child has these same exact hopes and desires whether with or without disabilities. She further informed that this World Disability Day, students and staff celebrated this day in the form of an awareness week, reaching out to hundreds of children through Disability Day Awareness Fairs. The staff developed several games based on knowledge related to different disabilities and rights of persons with disabilities. These games were accompanied by posters spreading awareness and knowledge about disability.

She further informed that last week as part of the Awareness Week, Umang organised awareness fairs in a number of other schools. Students of other schools responded to this mela with excitement, warmth, encouragement and open arms. They not only immersed themselves into the games but also spent quality time playing, conversing and developing their own games and new friendships with students. There was great response from all the schools, however some of the best feedback received were from the students who now felt more confident in knowing how to support and encourage persons with disabilities and how to work together as a team.