Walk to spread awareness on needs of intellectually-disabled in Chennai

CHENNAI: On Friday morning, a group of 400 persons wearing white t-shirts walked on paved pathways, a few pushing people in wheelchairs, carrying banners that said ‘Walk For A Wish’. 

Laughter and chatter filled the air as they held their walkathon. Later, people stood in groups on a lawn in DLF IT Park at Ramapuram here and shared a cup of coffee.

The walkathon was held by the real estate company CBRE and NGO Vidya Sagar to spread awareness on people with intellectual disabilities, and the need to create inclusive environments for the same in a commercial space.

“Intellectual disability is actually incorrect. You cannot categorise people as having intellectual disabilities, as that affects the way you see their capacity to work or function. I believe in the evolving capacity of people with disability, but that can only happen with the right teaching, awareness, and intervention,” said Radha Ramesh, director of Vidya Sagar.

The 2011 Census data said that around 2.7 crore of the country’s population has some sort of disability, with around six per cent of the same having a form of mental retardation. The eight-year-old data also stated that the highest number of people with disability were between the ages of 10 and 29 years and would now be new members of Indian workforce.

Most companies have been trying to make their offices more accessible ever since the Rights of Persons with Disability Act was passed in 2016. This has included the addition of ramps, accessible elevators and larger corridors.

Radha Ramesh feels that most companies have done well to make their spaces accessible and inclusive. Another important factor is attitudinal accessibility, which Ramesh feels can only be surmounted through constant awareness rallies and conversation.

The third edition of the walkathon was held in the city following its success in other cities such as Gurgaon, and is now the company’s flagship philanthropic initiative.

“We have two individuals with us who have such disabilities. It is only after speaking with them did I learn that we need to stop thinking about this as a disability. We need to look at them as someone with special needs, who are just maybe wired differently. We can figure out something that will help them excel and feel a part of the group,” said Rajat Gupta, managing director, advisory and transaction services, CBRE.