Celebrating Neurodiversity: World Down Syndrome & World Autism Day

World Down Syndrome Day is observed on March 21, while World Autism Day is observed on April 02 every year to disseminate awareness about these two conditions and to promote the rights and inclusion of people living with these conditions. The Department of Education, Loreto College celebrated both these days together on April 11, 2023 in collaboration with the institute of Mentaid. The event was orchestrated to encourage students to embrace neurodiversity, to promote understanding and acceptance of neurodivergent people, and to celebrate their achievements and talents without adopting an attitude of sympathy.
The programme commenced with a prayer dance performance by Soumili and Souraja, both students of the Education department. The Principal of Loreto College, Sr. Dr. Christine Coutinho, emphasised the vitality of neuro-disability day in her opening address. Dr. Ranjita Dawn, Head of the Department of Education, briefed the audience on how a policy of inclusiveness can be incorporated in our daily lives, by eliminating sympathy towards individuals affected by Down Syndrome and adopting an empathetic attitude in order to achieve a sense of team spirit. Mrs Lona Kundu, founder-chairperson and Director of Mentaid, also spoke about how her vision was to bring forth talent to work together so that the world could be a better place to live in.
A detailed audio-visual presentation by Rinku Kumari and Prithvi Roy highlighted the success stories of individuals with Down Syndrome and Autism who are thriving in their respective lives. The children of Mentaid then exhibited their talents through a series of remarkable performances. Subrosonkho Nondo captivated the audience with a solo song, while Shalini Karmakar put up a mesmerizing dance performance. A tabla performance by Soumik Samadar was followed by a recitation by Ankit Mondal and a combo performance by Sayok Das. Later, a fashion show was conducted by the students of Loreto College along with the students of Mentaid, much to the delight of the audience. Towards the end of the programme, the students of Loreto College dedicated a series of songs to Mentaid, and the event concluded with a collective singing of the Mentaid anthem.