Najmul Melath, managing director of Hopeshore Multidisciplinary School for Special Needs, gives a presentation on the topic ‘Inclusive Tourism Through a Neurodiverse Lens’.

Himself the father of a differently abled child, Mr. Melath speaks of how similarly placed parents got together to spearhead an inclusion programme for children and their parents facing social isolation and undue stress. This unpaid community-based approach is an unpaid, informal support extended by neighbours, families, friends and society, at Kadalundy (in Kozhikode district), he points out.

Sivadas A.K., Secretary of Autism Club, Thiruvananthapuram, cites how strong neighbourhood networks, empathy, inclusion and respect matter more than ‘specialised service’. 

On its part, Kerala must introduce an inclusive destination certification scheme, which ought to be highlighted in the respective websites, he says

photo: H. Vibhu