Going to a night-club, for unwinding oneself or meeting new people comes very naturally to most of us but it is not an easy task for people with disabilities. They are often excluded from such spaces either due to lack of required infrastructure and sadly, even because of the lack of an accommodating attitude on part of the people who organise and attend such events. The good news is that Inclov team is back in Delhi with yet another edition of Social Spaces to change the status quo.
Inclov (Inclusive Love) a matchmaking app launched in January 2016 caters specifically to the disabled and people with health disorders though it is not restricted to them as about 40 % of the registered users are people without any health condition. While Inclov is an online forum for finding romantic as well as casual companionships, Social Spaces launched in June 2016, is an offline platform, where people who have been acquainted through Inclov or otherwise have an opportunity to meet in person.
A different experience
Having organised about 20 such get-togethers across India, the one in Delhi this time was different. In collaboration with The Lalit, Inclov hosted the first ever nightlife meet up for people with disabilities recently at Kitty Su. Guests had a great time dancing to the tunes and beats of DJ Aamish, who is wheelchair bound and DJ Zydec and split into laughter with stand-up comedian Krishnendu Paul tickling their funny bone.
Having reached out to 10,000 people, the event saw a good number attending it with some coming all the way from Rajasthan. For many partying at a nightclub was an entirely new experience says Kalyani Khona, the co-founder of Inclov. She believes Inclov always pushes its members to try new things and creating a space where they can do so without any inhibitions.
Aware of the fact that people with disabilities like others are initially hesitant on meeting new people, Inclov made sure that its staff was there who could be easily approached by guests to help them take the first step.
Shankar Srinivasan, co-founder of Inclov thanked the hotel for supporting this initiative. “It is the only nightclub that is 100 percent wheelchair accessible and provides an inclusive environment.”
Ramps, accessible washrooms, volunteers and sign language interpreters took care of any kind of hindrances.
Making a valid observation on the need for an inclusive society, Kalyani said just being born with an impairment did not make them disabled. “It is the society and lack of infrastructure that makes them disabled.”
