‘Disabled children a part of our society’

NEW DELHI - Children with special needs should be integrated with the society and should not be discriminated against, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit said here Saturday.

Such children need special care and enormous support. They are different and can perform much better than any of us, Dikshit said at an event here.

Children with autistic and mental disabilities participated in the 10th ‘Special Athletics 2010′, an annual athletic meet at Bharti College in west Delhi.

“We need more institutions, associations and corporate support to integrate these children in every walk of society, the chief minister added.

Organised by IT firm CMC Limited, Special Olympic Bharat, Aashirwad Special Education School and the Indian Medical Association, over 21 schools for children with learning diasbilities participated in the meet.

Such forums are required by corporate firms to encourage and help develop staff sensitivity towards specially-abled children so that they can take initiatives and help them integrate into the mainstream, CMC’s chief financial officer J.K. Gupta said.

Nearly 600 children took part in athletic events and various other competitions.