A group of students with disabilities were on the stage playing percussion instruments while another group of students without disabilities, joined them and started an impromptu dance.

A pre-Puja carnival at Manovikas Kendra saw a bonhomie between children with and without disabilities that fostered a spirit of inclusion. Children played music, and games and enjoyed sweets and savoury, all in an inclusive environment, on Friday at Manovikas Kendra.

Students from four schools — Mahadevi Birla World Academy, Delhi Public School Ruby Park, Silver Point School and Indus Valley World School — came to participate in the carnival.

Indus Valley World School and Silver Point School students also volunteered at some events. “It is mostly adults who condition children to think in a certain way when it comes to people with disabilities but children take to each other and can interact effortlessly with one another,” said Amita Prasad, trustee, Manovikas Kendra.

“The reality still is that those with special needs are looked as apart from others but joint activities help to reduce those differences,” said Prasad.

Teachers in mainstream schools have had experiences of parents of children without any disability asking them to change the seat of their children if they sit next to a child with special needs.

Parents often forget to invite children with special needs to their child’s birthday party, a teacher said.

While differences might exist in academics participation in non-academic activities like music, drawing or other activities gives them a level playing field, and they are “on a par” with anyone else, said Prasad.

Often adults become “uncomfortable and inhibited” in the company of those with special needs and pass that on to children as well.

Left to themselves, children can make friends easily and inclusion naturally happens, said Prasad. When the Manovikas Kendra orchestra was playing the students of the four mainstream schools started dancing almost spontaneously.

In another instance, a child with special needs struggled to hold her cupcake when another student came to her help. “We were celebrating the season and we saw this as an opportunity to share our joy. We ask and expect others to be inclusive but we must do it ourselves. Hence, we invited the mainstream schools,” said Madhura Lohia, scientist and scientific communicator at Manovikas Kendra.

Lohia said that she sees that mainstream schools are more forthcoming and show interest in visiting Manovikas Kendra to interact with the students there. “The concept of inclusion is catching up more and more,” she said