Bhubaneswar: A two-day consultative workshop on ‘Nurturing Creative Expressions of Adolescents with Disabilities (AwDs): Pathways to 5T Transformation in Special Schools’ was jointly organised by the Social Security & Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (SSEPD) Department and UNFPA recently.
Addressing the inaugural ceremony, SSEPD Minister Ashok Chandra Panda said majority of AwDs face considerable challenges, when it comes to identifying and nurturing their creative expressions in current special school education settings due to several infrastructural and attitudinal barriers.
Nurturing creative expressions can lead to the development of hobbies, which, with, sustained effort and dedication, can evolve into specific hobbies. These improved skills may eventually become the foundation for a fulfilling career, said the Minister.
The workshop aimed at developing guidelines of identifying, nurturing and integrating creative expressions in the special schools towards achieving larger objectives of 5T transformation of special schools under the SSEPD Department.
Principal Secretary to Government, SSEPD Department Bishnupada Sethi, Special Secretary Dillip K. Ray and State Head of UNFPA, Odisha Nadeem Noor and other participants deliberated on the issue. Representatives of about 90 NGOs managing the special schools were present in workshop.
