Youth embrace the special cause

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Volunteer Kirti Pandey, 24, is a special educator and spends most of her time teaching children with special needs

Many feel strongly for a cause, but only a few devote time and work closely with people with special needs. However, many city-based young professionals are making time for people suffering from autism and say it gives them mental peace to work for the cause.

Shalu Sharma, 21, a graduate from Chaudhary Charan Singh University, left all other career options and opted for being a special educator with Manovikas Charitable society. “It is so much easier to deal with normal people, but our mind never veers toward people who need special care. The day I realised this, I decided to devote my time to these people,” says Shalu, who took training in special education and sign language.
“People with special needs stay in their own world and it is difficult to pull them out of the shell. I wanted to help such people to the best of my ability and took special training for teaching differently-abled people,” says Shalu.
Shubhangi Vajpayee, an MBA in finance, makes sure to take out time from her schedule to work for the cause of autistics. “They need more attention and care. I noticed that most families disown their own children if they are born differently. And there is a large-scale discrimination that differently-abled people face in life. Being the youth of today, it was unacceptable to me. I decided to raise funds for institutions that take care of children with special needs,” says Shubhangi, who goes out of her way to get sponsorship for such institutions while she is out for her own work.
Rishi Buttan, 24, an MCA graduate, left his job at HCL to work closely with people with special needs. His own condition (he suffers from cerebral palsy) prompted him to work for the cause.
“I know how it feels when people look down on you because you have limited capabilities. I wanted to prove them wrong and set myself as an example for people to see that there is nothing that we can’t do. By doing this, we are motivating youngsters to think differently and make it a progressive society,” says Rishi, who has special plans for World Autism Day today.
“I am making testimonials of people I have come across, listing their life and improvements. Hope this will set an example for others,” he says.
A housewife, Babita opted to spend time at special schools rather than take up a job. “It gives me immense personal satisfaction to work for this cause. I had a choice to take up a job, as I am a graduate in Hotel Management, but I opted otherwise. There are many causes people associate with, but it is a whole different thing to work with differently-abled people. It teaches you patience and makes you strong. Now that I have spent enough time with these people, I feel I should work harder to get them acceptance,” ends Babita.