GOVERNMENT OF INDIA SHOULD ENCOURAGE SUCH INITIATIVES WHICH TRY TO CHANGE THE PERCEPTION OF MASSES TOWARDS THE DIFFERENTLY-ABLED
A knowledge sharing session was organised at Whistling Woods International,Mumbai in association with Varija Life to sensitise the media and communication students to recognise the abilities of physically and mentally challenged. Under Varija Life, Varija Bajaj has been involved in awareness programmes for persons with disabilities pan India. Be The Change programme by Varija Life focuses on inclusion of physically and mentally challenged in the mainstream society. Ms. Meghna Ghai Puri – Director Whistling Woods International, expressed a strong desire to use film-making as a tool to change the mindsets and bring about a change in the perception towards the differently-abled.
Shama Sikander,a renowned actress shared her own experience with bipolar and expressed greater need for counselling. Geeta Castelino, Head CSR (Welingkar Institute of Management Research) shared her struggles and challenges that she overcame as physically challenged. Paras Sharma from iCALL Psycho-social Helpline at TISS stated that media students should present mental and physical disorders in a film from the perspective of the disabled and not their own. Rabiya Nazki and .Somnath Sen from Whistling Woods International, were extremely excited for such initiatives and further emphasized on how media can a have major role in creating perceptions
Varija Bajaj conducted an exercise to make students realise how each one of them have short comings and disabled but at the same time blessed to have so many other abilities.She further emphasised students to recognise the abilities of the disabled to support them and make them inclusive in the society.
Empowerment of ‘Persons with Disabilities’ is one of the key elements into making a society INCLUSIVE and successful as it taps into all its potentials and brings out the best. The first step towards achieving this is by creating EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES
Under Be The Change Campaign, Varija Life is creating local support chapters in various parts of the country, which can assist differently abled through various activities.
