Awards important; inspire, create role models, give fillip to continue challenging journey of Cerebral Palsy afflicted
Sid Mhatre on his wheelchair in Dadar. PIC/ASHISH RAJE
Well-known inclusivity activist Siddharth Mhatre, afflicted with cerebral palsy (CP) since he was born and using a wheelchair, has won the ‘Empower, Ability, Excellence Award’. This award was for “passionate advocacy towards inclusive workplaces and disability rights and for living independently with courage and dignity”, by the Cerebral Palsy Association of India (CPAI). It was presented on Monday, October 6, which is marked as ‘World Cerebral Palsy Day’.
Manjusha Singh, current secretary of the 57-year-old association, founded by Padma Bhushan recipient late Dr NH Wadia, said the overall aim of the association in a nutshell is, “Assisting persons with different abilities (PDAs) in acquiring pre-vocational skills”.
The warriors
Singh said, “Though we are a 50-plus-year-old NGO, these awards have started only three years ago. This was the third year. Nominees span from across Maharashtra, and our six winners this year are from Mumbai, of which Mhatre is one. We had the event at the Marathi Bhasha Bhavan, Mumbai University, Kalina. While we can have only a few, select recipients, every effort is appreciated and acknowledged.”
Opportunities and equality boost as the new centre is inaugurated
Singh said that for both adults and children, “appreciation is extremely important. Besides the obvious recognition, these people become warriors for others. They are role models for them. They also stand as an inspiration for families. They (families) realise that their child with CP can contribute, participate and even change the world. In short, the world is their oyster, and they need your support to find the pearl inside.”
Long journey
Mhatre has advocated for a more inclusive immediate environment, where he lives at the Dadar Parsi Colony (DPC) as one of several inclusivity initiatives. In 2021, he tapped then corporator A Ghole about making footpaths within the well-known colony more wheelchair accessible. Earlier this year, Mhatre actually showed Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who was on an inspection visit for road concreting, how challenging it was for wheelchair users to access all spaces at DPC.
Mhatre said about the award, “This award is not just about me, it represents the support of my family, doctors and physiotherapist, who helped me achieve what I thought was impossible.” The award does not mean a full stop for Mhatre’s work. He stated, “Mumbai still has a long way to go in terms of accessibility for people with disabilities. Public transport, pedestrian paths, and workplaces could be more inclusive, making it easier for everyone to move around and participate fully in society.”
The milestone
Meanwhile, in yet another step towards CP inclusivity, it was learnt that the SRCC Children’s Hospital at Haji Ali, managed by Narayana Health, inaugurated the Dr PK Mullaferoze Memorial Centre for CP in honour of Mumbai’s first female orthopaedic surgeon, the late Dr Perin Kavasji Mullaferoze, who worked to treat children with cerebral palsy.
This centre hopes to bridge the gap in long-term, multidisciplinary management for children with CP by integrating medical, social and rehabilitative services. Dr Mullaferoze was a pioneering woman orthopaedic surgeon in India and the first of her kind in Mumbai, who devoted her life to serving differently-abled children, notably those with CP and related disabilities.
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