Mysuru: As part of World Disabled Day celebration, the department for the Welfare of Disabled and Senior Citizens conducted various district level sports competitions for the disabled at Chamundi Vihar Stadium here on Tuesday.
More than 700 children including adults, all having some form of disability took part in the various sports competitions including frog race, running race and, throw ball. The events were conducted based on their disability. For the mentally retarded participants, the organisers conducted events like matching the picture. Children from government and private schools and also general public participated in the competition under various age groups. Children with seven disabilities including blindness, deafness, partial blindness, ortho related problems, cerebral palsy, mental retardation and people with slow reflexes took part in the one-day competitions.
Padmavathi of Mythri School, who is totally dedicated towards teaching disabled children since the last 20 years said, “Before coming to competition we have given training to our children. Children feel happy when they come for such competitions; it is also just like an outing for them. Just participating itself in the events is a matter of great pride for these children. When they stand in the line for the competition, there too we pump them up. Even if they fail to win a prize, we still motivate and appreciate them by giving some gifts when they get back to school”. For Padmavathi, these children are everything. Without these children she says she can’t live. One of her children is partially disabled and the other two have completed medicine and engineering respectively.
Srinivas, District Disabled Officer said, “Across the state more than 60,000 people including 14,000 of them from Mysuru district alone suffer from various disabilities. Those having disability from 40 percent to 75 percent will get Rs 500 as pension while those with above 75 percent disability will be given Rs 1200 as pension. There is no age limit to get these pensions. Only thing is that they should provide disability certificate. Nearly 80 percent of the disabled people in the district are getting disability pension”. Earlier the event was inaugurated by Mayor B L Bhyrappa. K Radha, Deputy Director, Department of Women and Child Welfare and Suresh, Assistant Director, Department of Youth Empowerment and Sports were also present.
The cultural events as a run up to World Disabled Day celebration was conducted at Deaf and Dumb School in Tilaknagar on November 26. Over 400 students from 15 different schools participated in the competitions. The prizes for winners in both cultural and sports events will be awarded on the World Disabled Day celebration which will be held at Dasara Exhibition Grounds on December 3.
