| MUMBAI:
Patrons of the popular upscale restaurant, Copper Chimney, were in for a surprise
on World Disability Day. As they took their seats at their tables, diners were
handed a menu that they couldn't read- a menu entirely in Braille. A differently
abled volunteer from the NAB then helped them decipher the menu so that they could
place their orders.
This unique three-day exercise, organized for the
National Association for the Blind (NAB), at Copper Chimney Restaurants, by Mudra
West, did not focus on the handicaps, rather celebrated the abilities of the differently
abled. The event drove home the message that what hampers the disabled are not
their handicaps, but a shortage of resources and opportunities that can enable
them to do more.
Mrs Aasha Bhatia, Director- NAB, Rehab said, "It
was really like seeing the other side of the coin. A blind person is always thought
of as someone in need of help. But this time, the tables were turned. It definitely
boosted the morale of our differently abled volunteers and we are thinking of
extending the idea to other places also. Kudos to creative team of mudra for coming
up with such a different and effective idea." Adding
to this, Mrs Shikha Nath, Director- Copper Chimney said, "I was a little
apprehensive in the beginning when I heard about the idea. But after meeting our
differently abled volunteers, who were so full of confidence, I was sure that
the event would be a great success. It was bang on and a really satisfying experience."
Actors
Suniel Shetty and Naseer Khan (who played the lead in the movie 'Shadow') were
the celebrity endorsers of this event which was conceptualized by an enthusiastic
team at Mudra West. The team included Pranav Harihar Sharma, Amol Dahanukar and
Vivek Jadhav, who worked under the guidance of KB Vinod, Creative Head- Mudra
West and Bobby Pawar, CCO- Mudra Group.
KB Vinod, Creative Head- Mudra
West concluded by saying, "Mudra has always believed in being an active member
of the larger community. This is just our little bit in helping people understand
that it isn't a "dis-ability" that gets in the way of the differently
abled achieving as much as they can, it's the lack of opportunity and resources.
It's time we became more sensitive about this." | 