Execution

Prologue: There is no such thing called disability, it’s just the unavailability of resources and opportunities. This was the thought behind the event, ‘May I help you?’ executed on the world disability day (1st, 2nd, 3rd Dec. 2009) Aim:The event 'May i help you?' was done for the ‘National Association for the Blind’ (NAB) and aimed at changing the perception that blind are disabled people who need help. Insight:Blind are not disabled but ‘differently abled’. They just need special resources. Target audiences are us who think that blindness is a disability and blind people need help in their daily activities. NAB trains blind people in different activities suited to their 'differently abled' status. The activity, 'May I Help You?' achieved the desired objective of NAB to make a point that we should not sympathize with a blind but empathize. Strategy: To put ‘normal people’ in a helpless situation, and make them realize that there is no such thing called disability; it’s just the unavailability of resources. Execution:To this end, restaurant menu cards were selected as the key medium, since there was relevance to a wide range of people. The inability of a customer to order an item from the menu, since he/she could not read it - formed the crux of the communication. We replaced the regular menu cards with ones printed in Braille(Communication Vehicle). The initial shock and discomfort among diners was followed by a pleasant surprise, when a blind volunteer reached there for rescue, saying ‘May I help you?’ He/she read out the Braille menu and even took their order in braille, establishing that they are not disabled, just ‘differently abled’. and need special resources and opportunities. Activity was executed from 1st to 3rd Dec 2009 (the world disability day), at Copper Chimney restaurant (5 outlets,Mumbai).Regular menus were replaced with Braille menus,and blind volunteers stood by to help,as the diners discovered their new disability. It was ended with a message: “There is no difference. Just like we can’t read your script you can’t read ours. Is this a disability? What if, all books are printed in Braille? We think it’s more of the availability of resources and opportunities. On the world disability day this is the point we just wanted to make through this small effort. Hope, now you will not sympathize with a blind but empathize. Thanks for bearing with us. Have a nice lunch.” The event was endorsed by popular bollywood actors 'Suniel shetty' and 'Naser Khan' (visually challenged) Results: The activity effectively changed perception of people from sympathy to empathy towards the blind. • NAB got 15 employment offers for their visually challenged members • 542 people who visited the restaurants signed on as volunteer members of NAB • The program received immense PR in the press and Television media, valued at approximately 150,000 USD. The program boosted the morale of the blind volunteers. For the first time, they could confidently ask a sighted person –“May I help you?