Mumbai fundraiser aims to change attitudes towards disability with humour

Come watch prominent comedians Rahul Subramanian and Atul Khatri at the event #StandUpForInclusion organised by Reservoir. Proceeds from the show will go towards Mumbai-based NGO Aashish Foundation.

The stigma around neuro-diversity and disability is plenty and one way to overcome that is humour. That is exactly what #StandUpForInclusion, the event organised by Reservoir, an organisation that reaches out to families of children with neuro-diverse abilities is aiming to do.

Using humour to change attitudes towards disability

The event will be held in Mumbai today and will feature live performances by prominent comedians Atul Khatri and Rahul Subramanian. Participating along with them is Pratik Jain, a budding comic who is also the show host. Proceeds from the event will go to Mumbai NGO Aashish Foundation, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary.

The aim of the event is to encourage the larger public to regard the neuro-diverse community with care and compassion.

We feel humour is the best way to remove stigma and seriousness that surrounds neurodiversity and disability. We want people to stop being afraid, to talk about this openly and freely in our communities; that’s the first step of acceptance- it’s only different, doesn’t have to be depressing! – Shreya Jain, Founder & CEO, Reservoir

The funds raised will go towards:

• Providing quality therapy services to needy children with disabilities.
• Develop programmes to empower parents of children with intellectual disabilities.
• Initiate a project to provide lifelong care in a residential setup to people with intellectual disabilities.

Through this fundraiser, we want people to join us and help us pioneer and create a beautiful world for people with special needs”, Naresh Alreja, Founding Trustee, Aashish Foundation. “Our mission is to create awareness and acceptance as a foundation for this community.

Over the last 10 years, Aashish Foundation has educated over 2,500 parents, professionals and members of society. “The Jumpstart Occupational Therapy Centers imparts quality therapy to at least 1,500 kids with intellectual difficulties and counselled their families”, adds Saif Bijliwala, Director, Aashish Foundation.

Tickets for the show start at ₹ 350 and can be bought on Book My Show.