BENGALURU: On Sunday, Bengaluru witnessed a glow-in-the-dark party like never before. What’s so new about a glow in the dark party, you ask? It’s inclusivity, says Shankar Srinivasan, co-founder of IncLov, a matchmaking platform for people with disabilities.
“We started the idea of inclusive night life meet ups in June last year. For most people, clubbing or attending a party is just another thing they do, no second thoughts given. But for a person with a disability, such things can be inaccessible. In a country that has so many people with disabilities, it’s sad that we don’t see them in many social circles,” says Shankar.
Tribhuvan Sarkar, a working professional with a locomotive disability, was one of the attendants at the party. He also attended the first nightlife party that took place last year. When asked about his experience, he says, “I was slightly anxious about the party last year. It was the first time I was attending a night time event and was concerned about my commute. But I’m glad I attended it and was surprised at the turn out! I definitely felt more confident this time and was excited to meet new people.”
This isn’t the first after hours meet up Bengaluru has witnessed, but it’s the first with a glow in the dark theme. The reason behind this theme? “No particular reason. It’s not an uncommon theme for most, so this is an attempt at helping people with disabilities enjoy what others do,” he says.
But what does it take to make a public space inclusive and accessible to everyone? Shankar tells us: “We have ramps at the entry and exit points for wheelchairs of all sizes, and we also ensure that there are ramps leading to the washrooms. We also make sure that the washrooms have rods and handles so that our guests can access the facility more freely.”
Sign language interpreter Kavya Srinivasan was also present at the party, where she tried her best to interpret conversation and music, for people with hearing impairments.
“Sometimes I use sign language to interpret the lyrics, sometimes I use my body language and elements of dance to interpret the genre of music playing,” she says.
Verbal cues were also used. The music was more tempo and bass heavy, and waves in the form of an equaliser aided people with hearing impairments in getting an idea of the kind of music playing.
Besides all this, the hotel and event staff also received special training. “We trained everyone on what it takes to deal with someone who is differently abled. Everyone on the team knew basic sign language and were fully sensitised so as to not treat anyone differently,” says Shankar.