IIDSC 2022, 15th to 18th of Sep’22 – 3 Days of Fun and Learning
DAY 2 - Conference
IIDSC 2022 was all about self-advocates. We wanted them to be showcased and their talents to be highlighted. But for us to do that it is important to ensure that they are healthy, both physically and mentally. Day 2 began with the keynote address by our self-advocate, the confident Dinal Jain. Dinal stands for everything that a person can ask for . She is smart, cool and grounded. She believes in herself and her biggest strength is her ability to face her fears head-on and conquer it. Her keynote spoke about the importance of Health and how she maintained it thereby reaching the peak of success was applauded hugely by the audience. Her attitude and poise are worth emulating for everyone.
This was followed by the Medical Panel discussion where all the specialists – from Genetics to Mental Health – discussed the issues faced by persons with Down syndrome. Parents were asked to ask their doubts and it was clarified by the doctors immediately. It is not always that a group of experienced professional can answer doubts related specifically to Down syndrome. These doctors included:
Genetics – Dr. Pradeep | ENT – Specialist from Raipur | Vision – Dr. Prithie Singh Rekhi | Pediatrics – Dr. Prakash Vemgal | Endocrinologist – Dr. Jayashree Gopal
Dentist – Dr. Nidhi Gupta | Orthopedic – Dr. R.Sankar | Mental Health – Dr. N. Rangarajan
Not only did the doctors address issues related to children in the panel discussions, they also had a one-on-one with parents and children who had registered for the same. Parents met up with the doctors who saw their children and guided parents on how to handle the issues the children faced.
The next topic was Insurance and UDID. This topic was well taken by Mr. Aditya Tiwari who spoke from his experiences and how he was able to break barriers when it came to this crucial segment.
Legal issues are quite common when it comes to any person especially when it is a person with disability. Parents have their own fears and concerns. This was addressed by our expert, Mr. Jitendra Solanki. Mr. Solanki has been one of our biggest guides when it comes to legal issues and this time too he did not disappoint parents as he handheld them through the various modalities.
This time, there was a panel discussion session by self-advocates! Moderated by Rekha maa and Unnati Surana, this session was a testimonial to the confidence and maturity that our self-advocates have. They proved their mettle as they answered questions with ease and spoke about themselves with elan.
A very important aspect of a child’s growth is the role of a father. This usually goes unnoticed in the daily challenges faced by the family. At IIDSC 2022, this was also addressed and fathers spoke about their feelings and the way they handle the situation from their end. Emotional, as it was, it was a peek into the deepest fears of a father. A session that fathers felt was sorely needed and which helped them bond with one another!
Masti-bhari Shaam, Self-advocates ke naam
The evening was all about Self-advocates. The Art Mela was a grand spectacle of art and craft work by self-advocates. Many of the art-work was sold on the spot and it was a joyous moment for parents as they saw hope in the future of their children.
It was time to showcase their talents and we had every one from a chef to a dancer to a keyboard player to a yoga master – the talents unlimited were showcased on the stage as the audience watched in rapt attention. It was a first for many parents and seeing the talents on stage was an eye-opener for most of them. It was indeed a grand spectacle.
The Mr. And Ms. India with Down syndrome was organized for the first time by DSFI in association with Happiness is Khushi. Ms. Tejal Shah ensured that this event was held as professionally as possible. Each child who came on stage was at their beautiful and talented best and they rocked the stage. Ultimately, the judges of the evening – Dr. Prithie Singh Rekhi, Ms. Pooja Sharma and Mrs Meenakshi tuteja were at a loss as to whom they could declare the winner. Given an option, they would have liked to crown every child and adult there a winner of the event.
