Live blind cooking session & Kids Fungama among action-packed events planned for Big Bazaar shoppers this World Disability Day

Its World Disability Day on 3 December and Big Bazaar has many exciting events planned at stores for shoppers as part of the #SabkeLiye initiative. Read on to find out more about these events and how you can become a part of them.

This World Disability Day, Big Bazaar takes accessible shopping experience #Sabkeliye to another level. From a blind cooking show to kids’ activities, there are events people across different age groups and disability types at select stores.
On 3 December, Cook Along, India’s first live digital cooking class on Big Bazaar Food YouTube channel, will present Cooking without Looking, featuring blind chef Mamta Tambe. The aim is to celebrate people who are pursuing their passion for good food despite challenges. The show is from 5 to 6 PM and can be watched on Facebook and Big Bazaar’s YouTube channel. Hosting the show is Korak Roy, well-known RJ from Radio Mirchi. “This is the first time I am doing a live show and I am very excited”, says Mamta, who plans to make a vegetable pulao and many other dishes. “I want to show the public that blind and low vision people are the same as everyone else”. She hopes to encourage parents to teach their visually impaired kids to cook. “Families should see and understand that cooking is a life skill and a means to independence”.

Mohammed Asif Iqbal, Associate Director, Pricewaterhouse Cooper India, agrees. “Such initiatives are important needed to raise awareness among the visually impaired community in India. Cooking is a liberating experience and makes one feel a sense of independence. Also, it will make the outside world aware that there are alternative ways of doing things”. Don’t miss out on the experience to learn some useful tips from Mamta. If you have questions to ask, you can comment while the show is on and she will answer them for you! Make sure you don’t miss the show, set yourself a reminder with this link. That’s not all that Big Bazaar has planned. For young shoppers there’s Kids Fungama in collaboration with leading toy maker Mattel during Quiet Hour at select stores. This is a period dedicated every Tuesday at select stores for children with autism and intellectual disabilities and their families. For a list of the stores where the event will be held, click here. Among the activities planned during this hour is a Mattel Colouring Activity. Children will be given crayons and sketch pens to colour pre-printed Barbie & Thomas colouring sheets. To add some excitement, the activity will be timed. There’s also a Mattel Mega Block Activity where children can make various structures using mega blocks that will be provided. A BB Champ will be present to help the kids during these activities and keep track of time. Young shoppers will also get a chance to interact with Pranav Bakhshi, India’s first male model on the autism spectrum, during the Quiet Hour at the Vasant Kunj store.
Merry Barua, Founder, Forum for Autism, says such events help build greater awareness. “I think the biggest thing it is doing is enable interaction with people with disabilities. The growing sensitisation among the Big Bazaar team members is great and we know that one of the biggest reasons for stigmatisation is lack of exposure. Such initiatives are helping in a big way to contribute to awareness-building”.

With Sabkeliye and Quiet Hour, we want to give the power of shopping to all, including people with disabilities so that they are confident  to venture outside their comfort zone. – Pawan Sharda, Head – Digital, Future Group

And there’s a surprise planned later this week. In keeping with its larger mission statement to make not just shopping but the world an inclusive place, Big Bazaar has announced the Able Hands initiative. People without disabilities can sign up to assist disabled shoppers as shopping volunteers between 12 to 5 PM on 7 December. This could perhaps be looked at as the biggest social experiment conducted by any corporate on the volunteering spirit among Indians. In the World Giving Index for 2019, India ranks low when it comes to the spirit of charity and events like these could be a way to foster a greater spirit of giving.

Don’t miss these events:

• Cooking Without Looking, click this link. Set yourself a reminder, here.
• Kids Fungama, click here.
• Sign up for Able Hands on this link.

Watch in Sign Language