I have been talking to lot of people through awareness meetings. They are from different back grounds and various fields. But the common thing I note is that, most of these people do not know much about mentally challenged and there problems. Another thing is, almost all of them have seen a mentally disabled person. And this is very obvious also since the prevalence rate is so high that, every one must come across these cases. The prevalence rate is between 2.5 to 3.5 percent of general population. What I feel through these meetings is that, most of the people have a basic instinct of helping these less fortunate children. But many of them do not know how to do it, where to go, which organization they should call on. Many of them think mentally challenged are no more than insane. They do not realize that insanity and mental disability are two different things. One thing is surprising that, no one has ever gone out of meeting venue during my talk. They listen so intently that I myself feel surprised. Weather I am talking to school children or senior citizens, college students or school teachers, lady audience or gents audience, in rotary club meeting or factory workers, doctors or nursing staff, house wives or working women, irrespective of type of group, I have always faced audience who keenly listened to me. Not only that, most of the time, even after I finish my talk, audience does not move in there chairs for some time. They get spell bound. After meetings, most of the time, people wait and talk to me. They have been appreciating my communication skill openly after every lecture I have delivered. I personally do not understand, what makes them listen to me, is it my skill or the subject itself? Subject of mental disability in fact is a dry subject, a bit of depressing. The only possibility of this success could be that , whatever I talk I talk from the bottom of my heart. This I know. When I talk, I realize, I get lost in to this subject. Probably, this must be the reason that my heart talk must be directly reaching to the heart of my audience and they must be identifying themselves with me. What ever may be the reason the fact is that, my awareness meetings on this subject of mentally challenged and there problem are always successful. The success can also be measured by the increasing number of our supporters, direct and indirect. It ultimately helps the noble cause of mental disability.
By: Navin Deshpande, Secretary, SSS.
Website: www.sandnya.org email: navindesh@gmail.com
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