Actors Kalki Koechlin, Fatima Shaikh, Bhupendra, filmmaker Shonali Bose, and cast members of the television series called ‘Ziddi Girls’ walked the ramp alongside ADAPT beneficiaries.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
ADAPT (Able Disabled All People Together), an NGO working for disability rights for over five decades, hosted its annual ADAPT Fest on December 2 and 3 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Vaastu Sanghralaya (CSMVS), Kala Ghoda. The event marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and featured an inclusive fashion show and an awards ceremony honouring achievers with disabilities from across India.
The festival began on December 2 with ‘Runway to Empowerment’, an adaptive fashion show presented in collaboration with Nikayi Fashion Studio and its rural embroidery unit Reach. The collections, titled ‘Ek Soot Mein Sab Bandhe’ and ‘Samanvaya’, showcased inclusive designs using Indian textiles and weaves. Actors Kalki Koechlin, Fatima Shaikh, Bhupendra, filmmaker Shonali Bose, and cast members of the television series called ‘Ziddi Girls’ walked the ramp alongside ADAPT beneficiaries.
The event was inaugurated by Maharashtra’s Minister of IT and Cultural Affairs, Aashish Shelar. “We will join hands in creating a blueprint to make Maharashtra accessible through infrastructure and assistive technology,” he said. The evening also featured a musical performance by Israeli pianist Guy Hershberg and Cuban cellist Martin Melendez.
On December 3, ADAPT commemorated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and World Cerebral Palsy Day with an awards ceremony. Achievers from across the country were recognised for their contributions in categories including cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, intellectual disability, visual impairment, and autism. “Despite institutional discrimination, lack of effective policy, entrenched prejudices, and non-existent infrastructure; our winners soared and scaled the heights of success,” the organisers said.
Chief Guest Tukaram Mundhe, Commissioner of the Department of People with Disability, called for collaboration between government and civil society. “Government and social sectors should work together on inclusion. Now is the time to not just work for betterment but empowerment of people with disabilities,” he said.
Founded in 1972 by Dr. Mithu Alur, ADAPT works through education, advocacy, and policy intervention to promote inclusion and accessibility.
Published – December 04, 2025 05:30 pm IST
