'KolkataTalks-Let's make a difference!' event promotes inclusion, accessibility of persons with disability
Kolkata, Mar 5 (IBNS): The U.S. Consulate General Kolkata in association with Assam-based non-profit organization Shishu Sarothi Centre for Rehabilitation and Training for Multiple Disability organized a TED Talk-styled event, titled “KolkataTalks-- Let’s make a difference!” at the American Center here on Friday.
The event was aimed to raise awareness about inclusive education and accessibility for persons with disabilities in general.
Students, teachers and heads of educational institutions, government and NGO representatives, advocates of human rights, media and youth attended the program.
The goal of “KolkataTalks - Let’s make a difference!” is to use awareness building to diminish the socio-cultural constraints of persons with disabilities and improve accessibility in public spaces in east and north-east India.
The event will be followed by alumni-led follow-on workshops for high-school students in Kolkata, Guwahati, Shillong, Patna and Ranchi, over the next six months.
At the conclusion of the event, the audience was encouraged to take a pledge to promoting inclusivity in their communities.
Arman Ali, the Executive Director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) and former Executive Director of Shishu Sarothi Centre for Rehabilitation and Training for Multiple Disability, was the event’s keynote speaker.
"Accessibility is the bedrock of any disability inclusion effort. Any intervention without keeping in mind the accessibility needs of all disabilities is a joke," Ali said.
Speaking at the event, Jay Treloar, Deputy Director of American Center in Kolkata, said, “The United States believes in equal opportunities and access for all people. Globally, persons living with disabilities are subjected to neglect and exclusion. They face a wide range of barriers–from physical to social–which impede their inclusion into society. It is, therefore, vital to raise awareness about these issues and work to alleviate those barriers.”
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