2Success & ABILITY � JULY. - SEP. 2005

EDITORJayshree Raveendran

DEPUTY EDITORGeeta Padmanabhan

ASSOCIATE EDITORPratima Sundararajan

COVER CREDITSAaditya Raja (Ogilvy & Mather)

EXECUTIVE MEMBERSDr. M. ThangaveluMr. C.K. RanganathanMs. Revathy MenonMs. Leela SwamyMs. Valli AnnamalaiDr. Hiramalini SeshadriMr. R. RangasayeeMr. Mohan MenonMs. Jayshree Raveendran

SPECIAL ADVISORSMr. Mani RatnamMr. Manoj Kumar SonthaliaMr. P.H. RaoJustice S. MohanMs. Biju Jaya Devan

REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVESNew Delhi : J.K. Mehta Ph.: 95124-2392685Kokatta : Rina Mukherjee Ph.: 033-24792993

CORRESPONDENTSINDIABANGALORE: Ali Khwaja Ph.: 3330200; NEWDELHI: Vasantha Patri Ph.: 23382652;BHUBANESWAR: Sruti Mohapatra Ph. 2313311/12/13; JAIPUR: Mahesh Arora Ph.: 22608716/22611830; RATLAM: R. Swaminath Ph.: 239762;BHOPAL: Anil Mudgal Ph.: 2589168; KATHUA(J & K): Manbir Sambyal Ph.: 233914

U.S.A.Malathi Rajagopalan, 10247, Fairway Dr.,Ellicott City, MD 21042

Anindya Bhattacharyya, Helen Keller NationalCenter, Sands Point, NY 11050.

PUBLISHERSAbility Foundation

EDITORIAL OFFICE27, Fourth Main Road, Gandhi Nagar, Adyar,Chennai 600 020, India.Phone : 91 44 24452400 Tel/Fax : 91 44 2441 3013.E-mail : abilityindia@vsnl.netWebsite : www.abilityfoundation.org

Published by Jayshree Raveendran on behalf ofAbility Foundation. 12 Fourth Main Road, GandhiNagar, Chennai 20. Ph.: 24452400 and Printed atQuadra Press Ltd, 464/1 Anna Salai, Nandanam,Chennai - 35. Ph: 24330279

Editor: Jayshree Raveendran

All rights reserved. Reproduction without priorwritten permission prohibited.

Volume 10 No.3

4 Blindness – a minor inconvenience, says Joyce Kane, a distinguishedvisitor to Chennai.

6 News and Notes – Did you hear the latest?

10 Three different poets voice their thoughts.

11 It was Showtime, Folks! AbilityFest 2005. A landmark event thatmade cine enthusiasts sit up and take notice. A festival that brought toChennai some of the best films on disability from all over the world.

18 Meera Balachandar captures the spirit of AbilityFest 2005 in lucidpoetry…

19 AbilityFest 2005 included an all-India one-minute competition, whichturned out to be an excellent vehicle to sensitise people on “inclusion”in every sense of the word.

26 Dr. Thara, Director, SCARF, Chennai joins our regular movie criticParesh Palicha in reviewing the Festival movie Devrai.

28 Profile of a three-star hotel in Germany that is disabled-friendly inmore ways than what you think.

29 Honey, that liquid gold has been a panacea for a host of ailments inour medical system. What makes it tick…er… sting?

32 A sweet way to beat germs

33 Independent Living – a possibility or an impossibility in India? AChequered Board of opinions.

43 His wheelchair has not stopped Pradeep Lal from being an activesportsperson.

45 A rib-tickling account of a car rally that Harsha and Prabha Kodadared to participate in.

47 What have handicrafts got to do with weddings except as gifts?Read this breaking-the-mould story about a wedding.

48 Watch out for “Well” wishers! What they say is not always the balmfor “wellness” for someone in bed!

C O N T E N T S

Success & ABILITY, India’s cross-disability magazine enjoys wide circulationboth nationally and internationally, and has a wide readership that includesindustrialists, administrators, Indian and overseas Government and Non-Government organisations, libraries, disabled persons, families and the generalcaring public.

We invite you to take on an advertisement in this pioneering magazine andbecome a part of this caring group. Publicity to your products or programmeswould reap the dual benefits of enjoying a widespread readership and supportinga siginificant cause.

Tariff :Full colour cover page : Quarterly : Rs. 10,000, Annual: Rs. 36,000Two colour inside full page : Quarterly : Rs. 5,000, Annual : Rs. 18,000Full colour centrespread : Quarterly : Rs. 15,000, Annual : Rs. 54,000

For more details, please contact The Circulation Manager, Ability Foundation.

3

Success & ABILITY � JULY - SEP. 2005

FFrom TTh e EEd i t o r ’ s DDes k

Friends,

There are two distinct features in this issue – one about “AbilityFest 2005” and the other about “Independent Living”.

If I were asked to briefly describe the India International Film Festival that we were fortunate enough to have been able toorganise – AbilityFest 2005, as we named it – I would say it paved the way for the art of “Unlearning”! It showed people thatDisability was not sad or gloomy. That Disability embraces Talent, Self-respect, Open-ness, being as Real as anyone else,Courage, Joy, Aptitude, Laughter, Freedom, Intelligence, Willingness, Motivation, Enthusiasm, Sharing, Selflessness, Empathy,Humanity and Tolerance…

It was a Festival when hearts were full and the state of mind that prevailed was that of both tenderness and strength… a kindof paradox that brought with it a sense of realisation – bringing in its wake – a sense of awareness, recognition and insight.Perhaps a paradox where people were exposed to the Real and the Ethereal at the same time… where the flow of the river of lifewas refreshing, stimulating and revealing. Not a swimming against the tide, but a gentle drifting… a kind of surprisedacceptance, where we begin to discover the humanity that Life is.

No judgments, no criticisms, no pity, no discrimination. Just an all-embracing understanding of Life that takes along allabilities, capabilities and inabilities in its stride and cradles us like a parent with a new born child. Life that holds us in ourpain… that sometimes creates the pain so that we may grow, and wraps itself around us in all-encompassing warmth.

Through this, several barriers were broken down, differences resolved and communication established… Right/Wrong orDisabled/Non-disabled was not part of the equation. The 400 odd entries we received to our “60 Seconds to Fame” succeededin making the “unlikeliest-person-of-’em-all” think on the one-ness of people and the collective, comprehensive and commonthread of humanity. This is the kind of gentle awareness that Ability Foundation strives to promote.

The other lead feature of this issue… on Independent Living is something that everyone needs to work towards. The Ability tochoose, is truly a privilege that every one of us has been given. We just need to exercise it. It is one of the more motivating factorsin life and underlines the need to be disciplined and make one’s own choices. So exercise your privilege, please. Make choicesthat will make you, your family and your community better off!

The Ability to choose is an Opportunity and a Responsibility.

Every one of us has the opportunity to improve ourselves. Yet many disabled persons and their families believe that it isimpossible - that they don’t have the opportunity even. Not true at all. Take advantage of the opportunity you have every singleday of your life, to change - because you can!! Make choices! We, none of us want to live our lives in a vacuum. We live them inthe context of our families, our communities, our workplace, and our homes. We have a responsibility to make right choices. Wealso have the right to make mistakes. Which bring to my mind, a few lines that someone sent me, from the “Proverbs forAbundant Living” by Fr. Brian Cavanaugh, excerpts of which I share with you:

In life we are to encourage and build up each other; not to discourage and tear down one another.In life we are to add, not subtract; to multiply, not divide.In life we are to sing a joyful song; not just drone and groan.In life we are to soar on eagles’ wings; not to peck and cluck with our beaks in the dirt like chickens.In life we are to radiate light into unseen places; not permit unknown fears to dim our radiance.In life we are to dare mighty things; not to fear things gravely.In life we are to show up, stand up, step forward and speak up;not to cringe in fear, choosing to sit down, to step back, allowing the voices of silence to speak so loudly.In life we are to be wacky, weird, and wonderful in our own unique God-given way;not to be staid-n-proper lemmings, stuck on life’s treadmill.In life we are to reach, to stretch, and to soar; not to slink in fear, held back by mistrust and doubt.In life we are to realize: “I am a remarkable Somebody!”not listen to other’s jabs: “You’re a Nobody, an Everybody, an Anybody.”

These teach us a lot of lessons… we learn every day of our lives… So pick up your threads… move… start Living. Remember…you’ve got Ability!

Jayshree Raveendran

4

Success & ABILITY � JULY - SEP. 2005

LIFE IS COMMUNICATION

“@#$%^!”Bird chirpsSms to GodDaddy’ trunk callBus conductor’s whistleGuard’s Green signalSign language‘aah!!!’EyesSmileys

Church bellsSquirrel shrieksA pigeon with babyGood old inland letterAnts telling each other thingsTraffic policeman gesturingHubby’s warm embraceGood Vibes/bad vibesOffline messagesNamazBhagvat GitaMessages from MarsDoggie licking meawakeCollectivevibrations intemplePress conference bythe PresidentBored board meetingsMating callsCamouflageHRU?

So many criss crossesPulsationsBut isn’t it whenOne is in touch with oneself thatLife is indeed communication?

MEERA BALACHANDAR

MERRILY TRULY

An exhibition of confidenceAn exhibition of perseveranceA special kind of braveryWith tolerance to a different anatomyChildren of God are they.Skilfully proficient to displayWith insight open, heart openMind footing in the Lord’s heaven,Shaking hands with GodAttested to be adept in every field-God is proud of them merrily, truly.

They play, they dance, they sing,They write, they go by everything.Differently abled, much focusedBeing too salient; with eyes closedMouth and ears shut,With silenced limbs-Enlightened is inner senseCreating a great magnificent prowess.Able and potential withintelligence.A perfect physique thoughunprovidedGraciously gracedby the Lord.

Godis proud

of themmerrily, truly.

Our Gods polyheaded,polyhanded

Balancing meaningfully areunderstood.Extra powers in their extra shapesEmpowering those children in excess.Kumaragurupara, a dumb devotee sangverses.Lord Muruga blessed him withchanges.

Strange may it sound; but true.Support them; they accrueLaurels of success like Helen KellerSudha Chandran and like people manymore.God is proud of them merrily, truly.

In the ocean of this societyDeep at the bottom hidden are plenty

Crying out for mercy,For rescue impaired

by destiny.

Replete withabilities

Despite theirmisshaped

chassis;Not to besegregated

But to beaggregated

With our powers andpotential in unity

To live in perfect harmony.God is proud of us all merrily, truly.

INDIRA

TOMORROW

Bathed in the radiance of the risingsunI walk the pathway to dawn.Imagination adds coloursto the reminiscences,rays of hope shimmer and surround.A golden beam breaks all that’sovercast,Avows, today is endingand tomorrow is just around.

SRUTI MOHAPATRA

5

Success & ABILITY � JULY - SEP. 2005

AbilityFest 2005,India International Disability

Film Festival. Celebrated from

July 7 – 11, 2005. Organised by

Ability Foundation. A saga of

initiatives that culminated with the

concerted efforts and ready

responses of people from all

walks of life.

It’sShowfolkstime

touches; guests browsed the film schedule, flippedthrough the pages of the festival book. The venue wasagog with excitement and expectation.

Inclusion was evident in reality too: groups of hearingimpaired people happily discussing events in signlanguage; visually impaired viewers with escorts; seniorcitizens, parents... but more than all this, it was the waveof youngsters which caught one’s attention. Studentsof visual communication, budding journalists…it hasalways been our intent at Ability Foundation to inducethe younger generation to ideas of Inclusion.

As the hall began to fill up for the inaugural session, onecould watch the visitors looking around hoping to find avacant seat. Wheelchair users happily slid over theramps and made themselves comfortable in their space.

Everyone’s gaze was eagerly directed towards thepodium as the well-known singer Bombay Jayshree’smelodious prayer song filled the air. Suhasini ManiRatnam, actor and activist, took centrestage and Vijayathe sign language interpreter, as always, was there onthe stage interpreting every word into sign language forthe benefit of the hearing impaired. “It is absolutecelebration time and an achievement for all of us,” said

Suhasini as she welcomed the guests.

The chief guests needed nointroduction: the eminent jury thatchose the winners of the 60Seconds to Fame contest – AdoorGopalakrishnan, Jaya Bachchan,

Nandita Das, Mani Ratnam andRajiv Menon – veterans

of the tinsel world!“Their presence has

lent class andauthenticity to thefestival,” saidSuhasini. And ofcourse, flankingthem were C.K.Ranganathan,

TAKING OFF ON AN EXUBERANT START on 7th

July, AbilityFest 2005 began with a bang, with apacked Press Meet at Park Hotel, Chennai, markingthe media’s initiation to the novel concept ofsensitisation to disability through films. Held priorto the inaugural, it brought everyone face to facewith big names: Jaya Bachchan, AdoorGopalakrishnan, Nandita Das, Mani Ratnam andRajiv Menon.

The proceedings were livened up further when themoving spirit behind the Film Festival - actor/filmmaker Revathy - rendered useful insights intothe subject of disability in films. Jaya Bachchan’soff-the-cuff remark to media persons on adjustingin the crowded hall –”The world is crowded. Wemust make room for each other,” spelt out the veryessence of the theme of the Festival - “AnInclusive Society.”

ALL ROADS led to Anand Theatre, Chennai laterthat evening for the inaugural function. FromKashmir to Kanyakumari, people from every walkof life – students, artists, professionals, scholarsor just the man on the road thronged thecinema hall for the curtains to go up onthe unique film festival. A dream cometrue for all of us - truly!

T-shirts sporting the AbilityFest logothat was designed by eminent artistThotta Tharani and colourful,informative posters were everywhere.Volunteers with anxious looks scurriedaround to complete those finishing

Revathy

Left to right : Jayshree Raveendran, Nandita Das,

Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Jaya Bachchan & Rajiv Menon

A bouquet for Suhasini

they were just okay. As a member of the jury, I felt I waslearning a lot about the theme of disability. I had earlierentertained doubts about the abilities and faculties ofdisabled persons. Now, I hope this Film Festival will help usask the right questions and probe into realities,” wasAdoor’s reaction to this Fest.

Anuradha Mohit, special rapporteur, National Human RightsCommission, was vociferous about the cultural rights ofdisabled persons. “This unique film festival seems likedisabled persons are writing their own cultural life. Disabledpersons are themselves catalysts in film making – their lifestories make good themes and they have also made goodfilms. From silent movies to the talkies, cinema has come along way. Accessible films with sign language, closedcaptions and narratives to access non-verbal aspects of filmsare already a reality in the film world in other nations. I hopeIndia will join the band soon,” she said. “Films can conveypowerful messages. Different people perceive realitydifferently. It is how we draw truth from reality to make fictionthat is important,” she added.

As she declared the event open, the curtains went up andwith a majestic boom the AbilityFest logo came on. “I havenever witnessed such a dramatic opening ceremony,”commented Anuradha Mohit.

THE FILM THATFOLLOWED, Jumpingover Puddles Again,documented the travailsof a polio-afflicted littleboy during the days ofthe Austro-Hungarianempire. The positivemessage of thismasterpiece set the

Festival President, Jayshree Raveendran, FestivalChairperson and Revathy, Festival Vice-Chairperson. Sadlymissing was P.K. Nair, Festival Director and chief architect ofAbilityFest 2005 who had met with an accident and wasunable to be present.

THERE WERE NO LENGTHY, boring speeches. Each onehad one or two-liners that were packed with emotion andconveyed so much. “When once somebody asked who myheroes were, my reply was ‘my mother, my grandmother andmy godmother’. But today, I have some other heroes. Theybelong to Ability Foundation. I will always cherish this dayand be there for you whenever you need me,” said JayaBachchan.

Nandita Das had, earlier in the evening, wondered why therewere only a few people for an occasion like this. “But mycynicism changed to optimism when I saw more people filingin. We are not stretching ourselves. There is so much morethat we can do to make our lives more meaningful,” she said.

Suhasini beseeched filmmakers to go beyond the Cs offilmmaking – content, colour, contrast, composition — toinclude Cs of a different kind – courtesy, concern, care,compassion …

Adoor Gopalakrishnan applauded the efforts of AbilityFoundation to mainstreamdisabled persons. “The60 Seconds to Fame competitionwas an excellent idea. The filmswere of very high calibre and theapproach to the subject verygenuine, although technically

Suhasini

Nandita Das

mood and pace for the successive days that followedand prepared the audience on what to expect.

THE ONE-MINUTE FILMS made by filmmakers acrossthe country to compete in the 60 Seconds to Famecompetition proved that there were many thinkingpersons who had already deliberated on the need totackle disability in an enlightened manner. The filmswere a visual delight; they brought whiffs of freshnessand insight on how inclusion can be conceptualised insymbols and narratives.

Although there is no denying the superiority of the fivebest entries awarded, there were several others thatlingered on in people’s minds in terms of the thoughtsevoked while conveying their message. Mention mustbe especially made of B. S Vasan’s Come Along, whichcalled on everyone to take along those who must hop,skip and jump all their lives to keep pace.

P. Srinivasan’s TheRace called for

empathy in ananimatedmode, whileAnirbanChattopadhyay’sPoint ofView was abeautifultake on avisually

impaired photographer. Prem Anand’s Hopetackled the issue of adopting disabled childrenbeautifully.

EACH OF THE FILMS made the audience realise thatdisabled people are no objects of pity. One saw disabledpeople reach out in love, play with friends, enjoy life atits best and perform duties at work as well as any non-disabled person. Inclusion was no favour to be shown;it was something to be accepted as a right.

The full-length feature films as well as the documentariesmade by master filmmakers from around the world werejust as positive in their message, and not surprisingly,delightful. Each was a masterpiece in its own right.

Majid Majidi’s The Colour of Paradise was a film closestto the Indian condition. The poignant depiction of thefather’s realisation of the wrong he had wrought on hismotherless visually impaired, sensitive child wasbeautifully brought out by the filmmaker. The linearnarration of Boy and Girl about the affection between ayoung student and a deaf circus artist left one with awarm, pleasant feeling. The spastic boy in The HouseKeys met his biological father for the first time only as anadolescent and it was the son’s crumpled shoulder thatthe father cried on, for having abandoned him.

The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser which dealt with therehabilitation of a mentally and physically non-fit manwho suddenly surfaced in Germany in the 19th centurywas a study on what right training could achieve.

Cactus revealed how a married woman came to termswith the prospect of losing her sight. If theunconventional Read My Lips stretched the limits towhich the lip-reading abilities of the hearing impairedcould go, the German Kroko was an interesting film onhow juvenile delinquency could give way to purpose inlife. Akira Kurosawa’s study of life in a Tokyo slum anda mentally-retarded slum-boy in Dodeka’den capturedthe innocence of a child against the backdrop of a grimy,morally depraved world.

Paresh Palicha & Samuel Mani

Jaya Bachchan & Anuradha Mohit

Rajiv Menon

Somaratne Dissanayake’s LittleAngel was in a slightly differentgenre. Well-researched on thesubject of mental disturbance inchildren, the film dwelt on howlove could conquer the effectsof trauma wrought on a childin infancy. Satyajit Ray’sdocumentary The Inner Eye

on Binode Bihari Mukherjee andhis life in art following a total loss

of vision showed what could beachieved on the strength of one’sinner vision. Sai Paranjpe’s Sparsh

revolved around the lives ofpeople in a blindschool, and a teacher,played by ShabanaAzmi whose hitherto-

nurtured myths on blindness were shattered when placed inclose proximity with the visually impaired.

Veteran film-maker Tapan Sinha’s Wheelchair spoke of aphysically disabled neurosurgeon who battled heavy oddsfor the values he believed in. Sarasu, a film by Suja on aparaplegic woman confined to a stretcher bed made oneintrospect on what life and living mean.

Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar’s take on schizophrenia— Devrai (the Sacred Grove) — was a brilliant attempt todemystify a difficult subject.

THE INTERACTIVE SESSIONS that took place with thevisiting filmmakers were an invigorating experience thatenlightened cine goers to the perceptions of the former. Itwas heartening to know that Somaratne Dissanayake hadresolved on making a film set against the ’83 anti-Tamil riotsto shame his countrymen with the facts and compel them intoa rapprochement for the common good.

A SURPRISE VISITOR to the Fest was Gregor Kern, theDirector of the Munich Disability Film Festival called “TheWay we Live” .

“Disabled persons are often portrayed as heroescoping with their fate, celebrated if they qualify asscientists or artists in the so-called “normal” world.Conversely, they are depicted as people who cannotmake their own decisions and who need a lot of care.Films qualifying for my festival are those that are notjust good but do not fall into such stereotypes. Theidea is to encourage a view somewhere in betweenthese two,” explained Gregor Kern.

THE RESEARCH WORK that went on Devrai was

another vignette the audience enjoyed being told about byfilmmakers Sumitra Bhave and Sunil Sukhtankar. Bhavecould not help brimming with pride, “When Dr. MohanAgashe was shown the script for his observations, he toldme, ‘I would not change a single word in here’. The approvalof a well-known actor and practising psychiatrist like Dr.Agashe really made me feel very nice about the film, evenbefore I actually made it.” It was also interesting to know thatthe filmmakers had shot in an actual day care centre in Punewith social workers for authenticity, and had a celebratedpsychiatrist Dr. Anand Nadkarni to work on the script.

One of the most heart-warming aspects of the Festival wasthe support it received from all over the world. Ifestablishments like the National Film Archive of India,National Film Development Corporation Ltd., Directorate ofFilm Festivals, Films Division and Film and TelevisionInstitute of India came forward spontaneously andresponded to our request for films, special mention must alsobe made of the foreign embassies and consulates —Australian India Council, the Goethe Institut, Max MuellerBhavan, Chennai, French Embassy in India, the ItalianEmbassy Cultural Centre, and Federation of Film Societies inItaly, Rome, who were cooperation personified.Doordarshan, Chennai telecast the inaugural function live.Briefly speaking, it was beautiful the way people cametogether for a cause.

Gabriele Landwehr & Gregor Kern

Mani Ratnam

A section of the audience

Disabled persons arethemselves catalysts infilm making — theirlife stories make goodthemes and they havealso made good films.

ANURADHA MOHIT

Go beyond theCs of filmmaking -

content, colour,contrast,

composition -to include Cs ofa different kind

- courtesy,concern, care,

compassion.

SUHASINI

Madhi with Gregor Kern

Anil with

Somaratne Dissanayake

C. Venkataramanan

& C.P. Aryan with

Sumitra Bhave

Varun with Sunil Sukhtankar

ON THE EVENING OF July 10, the Ability team hadshifted from silk saris to informal jeans in tune with theat-home atmosphere. However, the excitement waspalpable. The audience in general and the youngsterswho had gathered to cheer their friends waited withbated breath for the results of the 60 Seconds to Famecontest. Anxious looks were directed at the speakerson the stage. The wait perhaps seemed a little too longafter having watched several of the one-minute films.However, the winners were not going to be proclaimedso soon.

Jayshree Raveendran thanked the “wonderful andloyal audience” for being there. “We came together asa family every day, smiled at each other, commented oneach movie… We have laughed, cried and rejoicedwith the movies,” she said emotionally. “People withdisabilities go through a lot of trauma. Movies are apowerful force and this has not only been a greatlearning experience but also served as a clearing in thewoods for sensitive people – a coming together oflike-minded persons,” she added. The owner of Anandtheatre, Karunakaran, promised to make the theatreavailable to Ability Foundation any time they neededit. “It meant a lot to us to have the Festival in amainstream theatre,” said Jayshree.

REVATHY’S DESCRIPTION of the selection processfor the competition left no doubt in the minds of theaudience about the fair and democratic mode in whichit was conducted. The contest was the brainchild ofP. K. Nair and Jayshree Raveendran, she said. To put itin her own words: “Shortlisting was difficult. Many ofthose who had entered, had really not understood thetopic. An ‘Inclusive Society’ is not an ‘IntegratedSociety’. There is no ‘they’ and ‘we’. It is ‘us’. It isnot a single person achieving something but doingthings as a part of the society. Disabled people are notdifferently-abled. They do things differently.”

“There were biographies,animated films, films aboutorganisations…there wereage-old ideas like a blind

man picking upa stoneblocking theway whileothers ignore it;beautiful musicturning to sadstrains whiledepicting adisabled personwaistdownwards.Why do wethink like that?One of thefilms had a

disabled boy swimming alone in a pool. It would havebeen so much more beautiful if he had been swimmingwith friends and enjoying himself.”

“Nevertheless, there were several beautiful films too.These films have taught me so much. We had aninclusive jury as well comprising AdoorGopalakrishnan, Jaya Bachchan, Mani Ratnam,Nandita Das, Rajiv Menon, veterans from the tinselworld, Paresh Palicha, a journalist and Samuel Mani, acomputer professional themselves persons withdisability. Nobody is a loser but we had to pick thewinners!”

BY NOW, THE SUSPENSE had become too much tobear. And then it happened. The announcements didcome, with due fanfare. The collective response wasawesome. The winning films were screened one afterthe other – the Jury Commendation Award-winning films,“Vision” and “Can You?”, the third prize winning untitledfilm by Sreebala K. Menon from Kerala, that portrayedcamaraderie and understanding among children. “With ALittle Help From My Friends”, the second prize winner wasby Nakul Sawhney from Delhi, and finally the first prize

winninganimatedfilm,“Becky”was byMadhi andThiagarajanKumararajaofChennai.

There wasthunderous

applause as the winners came up on stage to receive theircash awards: Rs. 1 Lakh for the first prize, Rs. 75,000 for thesecond and Rs. 50,000 for the third. Lights flashed andcameras clicked as the winners received their cheques andposed for photographs. It was a time for jubilation andcelebration for each one present – the organisers, the guests,the audience and the participants… Photographers andmedia persons mobbed the winners from all sides… Here wasa scoop for them – a unique, unforgettable first-time storythat would remain etched in the minds of all those present.

The most telling comments came from our driver; he hadwatched some of the movies and was moved enough to wantto discuss the issues brought out in them. Inclusion at itsbest?

MEERA BALACHANDAR

RINA MUKHERJI

PRATIMA SUNDARARAJAN

As a member of the jury,I felt I was learning a lotabout the theme ofdisability. I had earlierentertained doubts aboutthe abilities and facultiesof disabled persons. Now,I hope this film festival willhelp us ask the rightquestions and probe therealities.

ADOOR GOPALAKRISHNAN

An ‘InclusiveSociety’ is not an‘Integrated Society’.There are no ‘they’and ‘we’. It is ‘us’. Itis not a single personachieving somethingbut doing things as apart of the society.Disabled people arenot differently-abled.They do thingsdifferently.

REVATHY

CamerasBonhomieDiscussionsAwards.

Hotel Park…A roomful of journalistsStars…We have reached themThey TOO have joined usHurray!

Anand…Clusters of peopleAnimated conversationsSoundless gestures…Why! This is THEIRfestival!Canes, dark glasses,togethernessThis is THEIR festival!Crutches, wheelchairsActually in a movie hall!!!Isnt it THEIR festival??

The aged, the not so agedOh!So many youngsters…Perhaps it is THEIR festival!Film makers, directors,criticsCould it be THEIR festival?

Cams, cams, camsTripods everywhereFlurry flurry hurry hurrynotes exchangedRoles reversed-before cambehind camInterviewers interviewed….

The AbilityFest LogoZooms inBooms inMajestic, sonorousWhat ARE we going to seenow?

Messages on the notice boardHearts pouring outTestimonies, appreciation…

Programme schedulesflutteringWhat’s next?Shall we see this or that?Here or there?Of course coffeeT shirtsFriends-old and newDiscovering each otherThe ubiquitous VijayaBhaskarMy God! How does she signaway so spontaneously?God’s gift she saysAnd the world thinks so tooAnd thanks God for histhoughtfulness.

60 Seconds to Fameeach second of heartpoundingheart warmingheart tuggingideas, feelings, expressions…and thenresounding applausestanding ovationamazement, wonder…how COULD the youngstercreate this?

PrizesAwardsMementoesMemoriesSatisfactionThe urge to better

My driver saysI sneaked inI watched the moviesI was moved

I see Inclusion…

MEERA BALACHANDAR

The Fest in Verse

GREAT IDEASfor INCLUSION

The all-India one-minute film competition, “60 Seconds

to Fame” that preceded India International Disability

Film Festival - AbilityFest 2005, turned out to be

popular both in terms of reach in sensitising people and

the enthusiasm with which the idea was receieved.

THE ALL-INDIA ONE-MINUTE FILM COMPETITION,60 Seconds to Famethat was part of India International Disability FilmFestival – AbilityFest 2005, turned out to be hugelypopular both in its reach and in the enthusiasm withwhich the idea was received.

“The Festival was conceived as an exercise insensitising society,” said Jayshree Raveendran,Festival Chairperson. “Our aim was to introduceawareness and also maximise on it. A nationalcompetition, it seemed, would serve the purpose to anextent, to induce people at large and sensitise peoplein particular to think on the concept of inclusion. Andexpress this concept creatively and that too in justone minute.”

“A competition means the thrill of winning, somethingintegral to human nature. It would also

mean recognition at anInternational Film Festival. It would be a “creativechasing of the pot of cinematic gold. The words 60seconds were deliberate too. They had theonomatopoeic ticking effect, producing in their sounda sense of urgency. This, no doubt, added to theexcitement.

“Our reward was the response,” continued JayshreeRaveendran. “Entries poured in from all over thecountry – including one from a hill-station which hadno post offices to get the stamps for the mandatoryself-addressed, stamped envelope. I do believe wetook a step in the right direction.”

“Whoopee!” we shouted when the first DVD arrivedwith all conditions met. What we did not expect wasthe monsoon of mails and phone calls. Our inboxoverflowed almost every hour and the phones neverstopped ringing and many were not even gettingthrough! “Where do I get more info?” asked some,

utstanding in ideas. Understanding of the issue was good. Like in any competition,

some were technically superior; some were average; some were repetitive. On the whole

it was not easy to select. What do you give weightage to? For the final selection, I looked for

something interesting, politically correct, thematically on the dot, genuine.

It was a wonderful jury. I was happy to meet them. I have worked with Jaya and Mani Ratnam.

It was a very informal, spontaneous meeting. It was democratic voting. Actually, it was tough

coming down to three. But the final choice was unanimous.

AbilityFest is a great idea. Movies communicate disability issues like nothing else can. Many of

us don’t know what the thinking, talk is. We have been conditioned to be in a certain way.

There is always the fear of the unknown. Festivals like this make us more sensitive. I’m sure

disability film festivals will generate a lot of discussion, action around the subject.

NANDITA DAS

The jubilant winners with Revathy, Jayshree Raveendran & Somaratne Dissanayake

OO

15

Success & ABILITY � JULY - SEP. 2005

having overlooked the web address in the ad. Some justcalled to tell us how much they appreciated the idea. “Acompetition like this is a major step towards spreadingawareness,” they said. “Wish you all the best in yourwonderful work.”

Then, there were those guys who wanted to narrate the storyto us on telephone. “The story goes ………. and am I talkingabout inclusion here?” We told them patiently it was theireffort, their viewpoint, a fresh one that we were looking for.“Can we do it as a group?” “Can we send three entries?”asked others. The majority of the calls, however, had just asimple question: “What exactly is an inclusive society?”

Excitement mounted with the arrival of DVDs. There were 10,20, 50, would we reach 100? 200? And then, we crossed the300 mark and neared 400! When Revathy, actor/director/filmmaker (remember her Mitr and Phir Milenge?) began theshortlisting, the number stood at 400. They came fromeverywhere – Srinagar to Sriperumbuthur! The age-group toohad a similar spread. There were student groups that hadpooled their resources to make a movie as a project for theirmass communication course. There were short filmmakerswho were looking for such a break. There were regular movie-makers with swanky studio facilities for whom making a one-minute movie wouldn’t take more than a few hours. In fact aprominent filmmaker generously offered the prize money (if hewon it) to charity. And there were organisations for whom thefilm would be an opportunity to propagate the philosophyand the conviction they stood by.

Keeping up with the spirit of inclusion, the jury that selectedthe winners, was an inclusive one too. If there was AdoorGopalakrishnan, Jaya Bachchan, Mani Ratnam, Nandita Dasand Rajiv Menon, old hands from the celluloid world, therewere also Paresh Palicha and Samuel Mani, experts in theirown fields and persons with disabilities. Their presenceadded an extra dimension to the selection process as theentries were also viewed from a disabled person’sperspective.

A total of 53 short-listed films lay waiting for the jury’s

perusal. The filmmakers were informed so they could bepresent for the final announcement.

The Participants Speak:

A group of MassCom students from Mumbai University,whose film had been short-listed, spoke to us.

Suchitra Verma: We’re learning filmmaking. We thought we’dventure into filmmaking through participation in thecompetition. This would help me know my potential. I learneda lot. Much more than what I had planned. Compressing mythoughts into one minute wasn’t easy. We shot an hour’slength. Editing was cruel.

Neha, Subhashini, Krithika, Prasad, Shreyas: “When webegan research into the subject, we realised that there was so

much we had to learn. We are not talking aboutdisability alone. There is so much we didn’t know

saw the films as a normal viewer. I react to cinema as a cine-goer. And it was wonderful to

appreciate meaningful cinema. For me it is important to communicate easily, understandably.

Analysis is for thinking people. It comes later. The films we chose were happy films. They were

positive. They were thought-provoking in a positive way. Not condescending or patronising. The awards

went to those films that communicated well. That were straightforward, simple. There are two ways of

talking to people. One is telling them what is wrong, what they should do. The other is saying, “It will be nice

if it is done this way.” This is the best way.

Ours was a unanimous decision. The films did not speak down, did not point. They just spoke – from the

heart. I loved the constitution of the jury. When you share a platform with wonderful people, the affinity

grows.

diploma holder in computer science, Mani, who has

multiple disabilities, runs his own computer firm, “Neutron

Computers”. “I was pleasantly surprised when I was asked

to be a member of the jury. I was in the midst of so many big film

personalities. I was speechless,” was his excited rejoinder. “It was a

great idea to get people from different walks of life to make films on

inclusion. It made them go out and think about disabled people,” he

said.

Mani found the selection process

extremely difficult. According to him,

“There were so many good films. Many

of them had a clean story line and were

technically brilliant. Some, maybe due

to lack of funds, were poor technically.”

AbilityFest was an unforgettable

experience for Mani. An annual feature

like this can create awareness about

disability and eventually a sensitive

society, is what he feels.

JAYA BACHCHAN

II

AA

SAMUEL MANI

about life! We had to have a number of brainstormingsessions with our Head of Department Prof. Ranade,to come to grips with the concept. We also want tothank the gentleman in our movie. He is a naturalactor. We would love to see him in a Bollywood film!We sincerely thank Ability Foundation for thisopportunity. We are really enjoying this FilmFestival.”

For Dinesh Harry and his team of six students fromthe Bharat College of Science and Management,Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, AbilityFest was a learningexperience. “The new generation of media students iskeener on writing scripts and making films on socialissues. Festivals like this will most certainly help usmove on to the right track,” he added.

Said Danille, a MassCom student from GRD College,Coimbatore, “It is not very often that we see disabledpersons and it is hard not to stare at them when wesee them. This Festival has made me think twice aboutthe issue of disability. I am amazed at how perfectlynormal they can be. Just to put it in one sentence, theFestival is totally mind-blowing.”

More Impressions :

Rohini, (actor) : “Until now the silver screen hasportrayed disability in two extreme ways: some moviestry to extract a few tears from the viewers throughmelodramatic portrayal of disability, where the audiences

are expected to sympathise with the

disabled; others, where disability has been ridiculed andused as comic relief. Sensitivity to disabled personshas been missing in our films.

However, the films shown in this Festival are an exampleto the fact that there are other kinds of people and filmstoo - empathising with the disabled. These filmmakershave attempted to sensitise the public. The visual mediais a powerful tool. Filmmakers are opinion makers. Theyhave control over public mindset. I’m sure this will createa considerable impact on the attitude of the publictowards sensitive issues.”

Vikram (IIT student) : “Segregation between the“temporarily” abled and the disabled is visible in manyways, particularly in cities. People need awareness.Ignorance is the true cause of discrimination. It is whatkeeps us away from each other. Fests like this shouldbecome annual features and the public should knowthat there are organisations that strive to mainstreamdisabled people.”

Sandeep (College student) : “Only a minority communityseems to have noticed that there’s a festival going on inthe city. In our society, people are handicapped mentally.They don’t know that persons with disabilities are likeeverybody else. I’m sure this Fest is a major step inattracting the public towards this effort.”

Raunaq, (web designer from Mumbai) : “We are biased.We always think in terms of extending our help ratherthan attempting to understand the disabled and treatthem as equals. We need to change our attitude. Weneed to take the initiative. The educated, the sensitive

and influential people could start this movement.Others will join them eventually and we will livein a society where the barriers between thedisabled and the non-disabled will become non-existent.”

Mr. Sankaraiyer, (veteran actor of yesteryear) :“Films usually ridicule the disabled. Filmmakersdon’t give an opportunity to persons withdisabilities to act. A film festival to highlightand sensitise people on disability issues! Thatis marvellous! I wish the organisation immensesuccess!”

S. P. Muthuraman (Renowned Tamil filmdirector) : “ Moviemakers are usuallyconcerned with monetary profits rather thanuprooting the evil in the society. Pointing outthe evil becomes the secondary aim. As adirector, I do feel guilty. However, is the publicreceptive towards movies that have undertaken

efore coming here, I spoke to a few people. I found that no

one was aware of the subject. Something will be lacking in

these movies, I thought. About 25% of the competition films were

discarded because of lack of awareness. They were patronising –

that the able-bodied should help the disabled. They should have

insisted on being equal and made it

more balanced. The rest were

exceptionally well-made films.

You always watch a movie from your

own perspective. I go for the story and

leave the technical analysis to the

experts. I disagreed with the other

members of the jury on the story

aspect. But in my wildest dreams I did

not think I’d be sitting with such an

esteemed group of people discussing

films.

BB

PARESH PALICHA

17

Success & ABILITY � JULY - SEP. 2005

was pleasantly surprised to see the competition films. So many young filmmakers took

up this subject and tackled it with a lot of involvement, interest. Ability Foundation’s

effort has been well worth it. There is an autobiographical element in this for me. My first

venture was a 50 second film, in 1967 and I had called it Man and his World. It was sent to

Expo 67 in Canada and was one of the top 20 films among 2000 entries. I have not seen it

since. I know how difficult it is to condense your thoughts into 60 seconds effectively. To make

it subtle, interesting and highly focused. That’s the challenge. The choices we made were not on

the basis of technique. What affects one is how well it is said. With consistency. The promises

made in the beginning should be kept. We judged them for the filmmaker’s idea of making it,

not for what was not there. Ability Foundation should do this on a regular basis. It’s a great

way to communicate attitudes.

Twain’s classic “Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. People ask,‘Why not an Indian name?’ Let me ask you… why not anEnglish name? Aren’t we talking about inclusion?”

“The film is a child’s narrative. We believe themeaning has depth and thevisuals carry a lot ofinformation.” How long did ittake to complete? “We saw theposter and decided the style.With only six days (and sixnights), we wrote the script,did the illustration in twodays and animation in oneday. The rest of the timewas spent on editing,voice over, soundeffects and music.”The film has severalspecial features, saidMadhi. “The worddisabled or disability isnot used. The games areprimarily based on mobility. The film does not sympathisewith “Becky” nor does it show her as a ‘super hero’. She iswhat she is. The final line jus include doesn’t have a ‘t’, stilldoes its part completely.”

NakulNakul Sawhney’s sensitivity and imagination won him thecoveted second prize for his film, With a little help from myfriends. The film breaks the conventional perception ofdisability and shows how each one of us has our own shareof abilities and disabilities, be it physical, visual or musical. Ayoungster is a youngster, and a visual impairment cannotprevent her from having her share of fun and frolic withfriends. The film’s playful yet effective treatment of inclusionamong the youth captured the hearts of the jury.

II

ADOOR GOPALAKRISHNAN

to highlight sensitive issues? I directed a movie called “OruManidhanin Kadhai”. It’s an adaptation of Sivashankari’snovel. It was a flop. There was no one to watch the movie inthe theatres. The government bought the movie and telecastit. Sensitising the public is a difficult task. It will take sometime. Sensitising filmgoers and filmmakers on disability willtake more time. But I do hope the day will come at theearliest. It is wonderful that you kick-started it.”

And finally, to the winners :

Becky, an animated film made by Madhi was adjudged thebest. The film asked simply, “Why should Becky be the oddone out?”

The playful “With a little help from my friends” made byNakul Shawney, Anil and their team was chosen for thesecond prize. Sreebala Menon’s film which asked the viewerto “Be a part of the journey from darkness to light” stoodthird.

Varun Narvekar’s film Vision, depicting the strong civic senseof a visually impaired person and Pixelcraft’s film Can You?that questioned the demands made on disabled people forinclusion received special commendation from the jury.

What did the winners have to say?

MadhiThiagarajan Kumararaja and Madhi from the productionhouse The East India Company came to know of the one-minute film contest through a poster stuck in Vidya Sagar.Their first reaction was typical. We’ll get that one lakh, theythought, and if we have time we should be getting all 2.25lakhs. Said Madhi, “My next thought was to make the film onthe lines of Shel Silverstein’s works. These are books ofpoetry for children (appeals to adults as well).” Why thename “Becky”? “I was looking for the name of a popular leadcharacter in a book,” said Madhi. “The first name that struckme was “Becky”. Rebecca Thatcher is the lady lead in Mark

Madhi

Nakul, an upcoming filmmaker from Delhi and hisfriend Anil who is presently doinga Masters in Economics in aChennai college chancedupon the 60 Seconds toFame advertisementtogether. “What wouldyou do if I sang out of

tune? Wouldyou stand

up andwalk out

on me?Lend me your ears and I’ll sing

you a song and I’ll try not tosing out of tune…” Thesepoignant words from an oldBeatles number inspiredthem to come up with thisconcept, according to Anil.And once they werecertain of what they

wanted to convey, they worked on the filmrelentlessly. This was going to be Nakul’s firstventure in film production!

Friends pitched in. The concept took shape at thecafé where the group of friends hangs around. “Weare very glad that the jury liked our film. No twopeople are alike. Pushing away people with disabilityis wrong. Abilities are different. Recognise these in

every individual. Dignity is the bottom line. Wehave to spread the word and the Fest has donejust that,” was Anil’s spontaneous reaction tothe award.

Sreebala“On a lazy Sunday morning I noticed anadvertisement in the right hand side of themain page of “The Hindu”. A boy wasrunning with a camera, alerting allfilmmakers. The competition was named 60Seconds to Fame and the topic was InclusiveSociety. Then something caught myattention. Rs. 2.25lakhs to be won asprize! Wow, this isgood money to bewon for a one-

minute film! The nextmoment I was standing onmy balcony thinking whatshould be the theme of myone-minute film.

An inclusive society! Whatdoes that mean? I hadn’theard the idea before. I checked in the AbilityFoundation’s website. It told me a lot of things aboutequal treatment, the rights of the disabled people. But there was a sentence that made me think for along time. ” In any given society some are dark, someare fair, some fat, some lean, some bright, some slow,some old, some young, some who cannot count well,some who cannot sing, some who cannot dance,some who cannot paint,…and some cannot hear,some cannot see and some cannot walk. So what?”

I cannot sing and dance, nor do I paint. But no one inthe society has told me that I am a disabled personbecause I lack these qualities. But now I believe Ihave disabilities too. An inclusive society acceptsdisability as part of the diversity around. I slowlybegan to understand what an inclusive society was.

I started looking for different themes regardinginclusive society for my film. I am sorry to say Icouldn’t see much. Every morning I watched from thebalcony of my flat hearing-impaired students going totheir vocational higher secondary classes andcommunicating with each other in sign language. Inthe evening when I came back from my office I sawthese boys again waiting for their bus to go home. Nobody took interest in them, as it was a common

The jury with the organisers after selecting the winners

Nakul

Anil

Sreebala

19

Success & ABILITY � JULY - SEP. 2005

sight. I now asked myself: why are they confined to theirgroup with no one talking to them? Do they lack interest inus or is it that we don’t have patience with them?

In one of the days that followed, I came across a photographof a girl reading out lessons to a visually impaired classmateof hers. For the first time I saw a scene from my own citywhich portrayed the idea of inclusive society. I told myselfthat this was going to be the theme of my one-minute film. Icontacted a school for visually impaired people run by theKerala government at Vazuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram.They gave me the needed help to shoot the film. A formerstudent of theirs who now studies in a normal school is thevisually impaired girl in my film. Her name is Lucy. I thankher and the other visually-impaired kids who came to ‘see’my shooting as well as the girls of the Cotton Hill Schoolwho made the idea of inclusive society possible for celluloid.

Winners of the Special Jury Commendation Award:

VarunDisabled people don’t alwaysdwell on their disability. They arealso sensitive to other commonproblems of everyday life was themessage conveyed by VarunNavrekar’s film, “Vision” whichbagged the Special JuryCommendation Award. “We

wanted to break stereotypes and clichés generally associatedwith disabled persons and talk about being together as onesociety,” said Varun. “The visually impaired person in my filmhears the tap dripping and wants to close it himself provingthat he can be a contributing member of society,” he added.

“Vision” was again a firstfilm. Varun had just begunhis career as an assistantdirector and received hisfirst pay packet of Rs.1,500 when the contestwas announced. Hedecided to invest theentire amount in the filmand he has n o regrets.

C. Venkataramanan and C. P. Aryan“This is our first film. It took a week for us to decide on theway we wanted to give the message. We didn’t want tostereotype. We thought our ideas should hit the people. TheFest itself is an attempt to highlight inclusion that shouldbecome the standard of Indian society. We wanted to addour contribution.”

GEETA PADMANABHAN

PRATIMA SUNDARARAJAN

SUMATHI ELLAPPANVarun

C. Venkataramanan & C.P. Aryan

20

Success & ABILITY � JULY - SEP. 2005

Ever been stymied for words whenvisiting the sick? Stuck for soul-

warming expressions when someone youknow has to undergo major surgery?Searching for something appropriate tosay when you visit a post-op patient?Can’t respond to medical crises? Thisstory might help. In discovering whatnot to say.

The background in brief: Husband (Dadhereafter) and I booked passage to visitkids abroad. First hint of the news, sonin Colorado queried long distance, “Haveyou taken composite medical insurance?Without that please don’t step on this

land of high-hospital robbery.”

“What if something is wrong with me andI’m hospitalised?” was dad’s (ill) logicalquestion. “Then postpone the trip,” thereply came instantly. “Complete thetreatment and get clearance from thedoctor before booking the trip.” Well, atleast we weren’t debarred from visiting!

We went for a thorough check uppreliminary to applying for insurancecover. The cardiologist whose signatureis a prerequisite for the insurance scanneddad’s ECG sheet and shook his headslowly. “Something is wrong here. Youmay have to postpone the trip.” Thenturning to me he said, “You must bedisappointed. Why don’t you proceedwith the trip? He can rest here for a while.”I said we would complete the tests andtravel together. We stopped shoppingand started going to the labs. Dad took

the treadmill test but couldn’t clear it. Anangiogram was ordered.

The angiogram showed blocks in all thethree major arteries. By-pass surgery wasfixed for the following week. Son and thedaughter in California were informed bye-mail. The son was the first to call. “Dad,have you arranged for mum to collect

your pension?” was his thoughtfulquestion. “I hadn’t given it thought,” dadconfessed. “I’ll attend to it right away.”

The daughter called almost immediatelyafter. “Dad,” she suggested helpfully,“make sure mum understands all yourfinancial documents. Explain to her allthat you have written down in your diaryabout the investments.” Dad wasunfazed. “I have two educated children,one of them a financial wizard. Surelythey should be able to help.” True,conceded the daughter, “but what if weare not able to follow your handwriting?”

The surgery went off smoothly. I met thesurgeon to find out what exactly wasdone to his innards. “He needed fivecaps,” declared the doctor. “You arelucky to get away paying just two lakhs.Your bill should be for five!” I thought Iheard a chuckle. I tried to look suitablygrateful.

After three days, dad was shifted fromthe ICU to a private room. That eveningthe duty doctor came for a post-opexamination. “How are you?” he askedthe patient. Twisting in pain, he said,“Fine,” almost automatically. “That’sgood,” announced the cheerful medico,“you’re the only patient in the hospitalto say that.”

Visitors began to trickle in. An elderlyaunt was the first to arrive. One look atthe chest, and she piped in, “Thestitching has been done so neatly! It’slike good darning on a piece of torncloth!” “Thank you,” said dad politely.

The next day, feeling better, dad took upa bit of reading. He had a book titled‘Recipes to Reverse Heart Disease’. Thesurgeon came in on his rounds. Dad

proudly displayed his possession. “Youbought a book on food for four hundredbucks? See who benefits from yourproblem!” was his comment.

Two days later daughter called up dad inhis hospital room. “Successful quintupleby-pass!” she cried jubilantly.“Remember David Lettermen of the

late, late show? Well, he’s had a quintupletoo! Now you’ll be able to keep awakewell after ten in the night!” “I’ll try mybest,” dad promised.

Dad was discharged and came homehappily. A couple of days went by.Unfortunately one of the sutures in hisleft ankle got infected. He visited thecardiologist who had referred him to thehospital. “I have a problem,” said dadlimping in. “Oh, don’t worry,” the gooddoctor observed, “from the chest thetrouble has come down to your foot. Nowit just has to go out.”

A few days passed and we had a visitfrom a close friend. He has a heartproblem and is on medication. “I don’tknow why you had to opt for surgery,”he mused darkly. “In ten years’ time it’llcome back. The pain, the blocks, thesurgery — you’ll have to go throughthem all over again.” “I have no wish tolive beyond ten years,” dad sighed.

Dad got well soon and within a month,he was out shopping. A former colleaguecalled. “You know, you’ve been veryunfortunate,” he clicked his tongue.“Why do you say that?” dad asked inamazement. “I have recovered well andin fact feel better than I did beforesurgery!” “You see, you should have hadthis problem when you were in service.You would have enjoyed a lot morefacilities and the expenses would havebeen reimbursed completely.”

Dad made no comment. He says he wasnot sure this suggestion deservedthanks.

GEETA PADMANABHAN

Last Page

Get Well Soon!

21

Success & ABILITY � JULY - SEP. 2005

SUBSCRIBE TO

In many ways the first of its kind in India, Success &

ABILITY, the magazine, with its principal focus on

disability, not only informs and entertains but also interests,

educates and empowers readers.

It connects the worlds of people with and without

disabilities and opens the door to awareness-building,

leading to a more informed and enlightened world - a

world where people look beyond disability, a society

where people are first and foremost people - disabled

or non-disabled, only next.

As our readership grows, we want to reach out to more

and more people who care - industrialists, administrators,

Indian and overseas Government and non-Government

organisations, libraries and the public. We believe you

have a right - and an obligation - to know about the

issues we bring to you in meticulous detail.

Success & ABILITY is also available in a user-friendly

CD format meant for MP3 players.

Each issue of the magazine is a collector's item. The

information it brings is well-researched and contemporary,

and hence invaluable.

When you read the magazine regularly, you express

solidarity to the cause of disabled people. Not only that,

you gain access to information that you might not have

known where to look for. Subscribe Now!

YES! I would like to subscribe to Success & ABILITY Print Version Audio Version

I am enclosing a cheque/DD No._________________ dated_______________

drawn on (specify bank) _____________________________ favouring ABILITY

FOUNDATION for Rs. ____________ (Please add 10% for non-Chennai cheques.)

Name (Mr./Ms.) : _________________________________________________

Address : _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Phone : ______________ Fax : ______________ E-Mail : __________________

I would also like to gift to

Name (Mr./Ms.) : _________________________________________________

Address : _______________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

Phone : ______________ Fax : ______________ E-Mail : __________________

My Particulars ( Please tick)

o Business o Private Service o Self Employed

o Govt. Service o Professional (Specify) o Others (Specify)

Term Rate

2 yrs Rs. 240

3 yrs Rs. 350

5 yrs Rs. 550

Mailing Address :

ABILITY FOUNDATION

28, Second Cross Street,

Gandhi Nagar, Adyar,

Chennai - 600 020