Quiz to augment self-esteem among disabled

The auditorium was filled with the sound of high-fives and applause from children of 22 special and inclusive schools in the city, taking part in the first edition of the quiz conceptualised by Seva-in-Action, a Bengaluru-based NGO, that has been conducting Quizabled for children in Bengaluru for four years now.

“People shower such kids with extra attention while having low expectations from them, a kind of discrimination that affects the children. A kid never forgets that rush of adrenaline on getting an answer right. The quizzing culture forces children to grab opportunities and be proactive, the opposite of what they’re used to,” said LV Jayashree, director of SPASTN. Children from classes 6 to 12 as well as few persons with intellectual disability aged up to 22 participated in it.

From the 122 participants, 36 are selected for the final round. R Saranya (16), a Class 10 student who emerged as one of the three winners said, “I read a lot of books to win this competition. I had to win it. I want a lot more opportunities like this because I will win them all.” An avid science and math student, she dreams of becoming a robotics engineer.

Besides quizzing kids on current affairs, history, science, business, sports and entertainment, Quizabled is engineered to enrich life skills, nurture competitive spirit, and build social traits in children with sensory disability, intellectual disability and autism, and cerebral palsy. For instance, the children who have visual impairment were played songs that they must identify and the ones with intellectual disability were quizzed on fruits, vegetables and cartoons.

Quizabled is funded by Larsen and Toubro Infotech as a part of its CSR initiative. “It is not just a one-day affair. The children are trained once a week for two months so they get accustomed to quizzing culture,” said Jayashree.