Mentaid, in its 40th year, organised an Annual Inclusive Sports Meet on November 25, at the St. Thomas’ Girls’ School, 4 Diamond Harbour Road, Kolkata 700 023. The Annual Inclusive Sports Meet was held to promote the awareness of people with intellectual disabilities and their inclusion in society. The meet started at about 10am in the presence of the Chief Guest Brigadier Debashis Das.
Mentaid, set up in 1986, is the first registered parents’ organisation for the intellectually disabled in West Bengal. It provides a host of services which includes early intervention, special education, therapies, vocational training, self-advocacy training and parents’ training. Mentaid also publishes a newsletter and efficiently networks with other organisations in the state and nationally to ensure the rights of our children.
For Mentaid, the Inclusive Sports Meet always provides a huge opportunity to increase the visibility of people with disabilities. The Inclusive Sports Meet saw the enthusiastic representation of children and youngsters with disabilities along with the participation of students from mainstream schools. Two special schools, Behala Naba Proyas and Nirmal Niketan and the mainstream school, St. Thomas’ Girls’ School participated. A total of 160-200 individuals attended the sports event with 50 students from Mentaid including the Community Service students, parents, family members and staff.
The Sports Meet had various field and track events, such as the March Past and Drill Display which was followed by various athletic events, which provided an opportunity to showcase the sporting spirit as well as the inclusive way pupils, with and without disabilities, can enjoy sporting activities and learn from these experiences. Various events provided an equal opportunity for everyone and ensured that everyone felt included. This collective participation is the key to building confidence, as success is shared and effort is celebrated equally. The activities create invaluable experience, promoting teamwork and understanding among all participants. Ultimately, these shared moments of effort, achievement and fun, are cherished and memorable moments are created to strengthen self-worth.
