NEW !!! 60 Seconds to Fame! Note on our theme “Celebrate inclusion, celebrate life!” We all know that we have but one life to live and need to maximise on living this life to the fullest – as productively and as enjoyably as possible. No matter who we are or where we live or what we choose to do with our lives, we all need to be appreciated and we need the opportunities to be made available to us follow our dreams. Every human being seeks this... including people with disabilities. A disability – which may be a physical or intellectual or psychological limitation – should not be the reason for holding back anyone from what s/he wants to do. We need to constantly think of including disabilities in everything we do... after all, any of us can acquire a disability too, any time in our lives. Therefore, an inclusive society is one that does not think of disabled people as "them" and the non-disabled as "us". An inclusive society firmly believes that people with disabilities are an integral part of the same society as people without disabilities... wherein we all live, enjoying the same benefits equally available for one and all. Inclusion is also about attitudes. To support an attitude and thinking that people are people first and that disability is only one aspect of a whole person and is not something to define who a person is. For example, as someone said, “I want to be known as an engineer and I also happen to be deaf. Not as a deaf engineer.’ Just think... if there was no exclusion at all... how beautifully we would all celebrate inclusion! Be it education or employment or adventure or fun, we need to have our good times together... as friends, as colleagues, or as spouse. Sadly however, the bitter truth is that people with disabilities have been the most marginalised of all people in our country. There are barriers everywhere... practically every public place, every school, every college/university, shopping mall, library, place of worship, park, office... in short, at every turn of life. The barriers can be physical, attitudinal or psychological. Once these barriers are removed, we can then celebrate inclusive society where every man, woman and child is respected and appreciated. The challenge for you as participants of this competition is to bring out creatively your thoughts on making inclusion in the truest sense happen, leading to a productive togetherness in all spheres of life... with no pity, no sympathy, no charity – just equality and consideration for limitations – each one offering help as a matter of right and friendship. Therefore, “Celebrate inclusion, celebrate life!” is about this... Unleash your creativity to bring about change. Challenge stereotypes, overcome prejudices, break down barriers, bring on your enlightened thinking, create inclusion and create an equitable society. Such that people with and without disabilities can live life as equals, work together through sharing, caring and doing things together. Together, we can be the change we want to see. By celebrating inclusion, we celebrate life itself.
Posted on: Wed, 17 Jul 2013 04:14:39 +0000
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