Awareness march sheds light on people living with multiple sclerosis

More than three hundred people showed up at the Besant Nagar beach on a Sunday morning to raise awareness on multiple sclerosis. The awareness walk was organised to sensitise the public about the condition and amplify the issues and the accommodations made by the government for persons with this disability. 

Multiple sclerosis is a neurological disability caused due to lesions in the brain and spinal cord leading to different issues in the functions of one or multiple organs of the body. It is commonly known as crippler of the young adult and can occur to any person mostly during his / her young age. 

Shanmuganathan, an electrical engineer with multiple sclerosis, said that close to 350 people participated in the walk between J5 police station and the Velainkani Church. “The families of persons with sclerosis, college students, social activists and other volunteers participated in the walk. The idea behind the walk was to create awareness about the condition, which was done by Ann Gonsalvez, Chairperson, MSSI. In addition, I also work towards creating awareness on the condition by conducting talks,” he said. 

Speaking to DT Next, Smitha Sadasivan, a member of the Disability Rights Alliance, said that the idea behind the walk was to throw light on the changes made in the Act for persons with multiple sclerosis. “With respect to the steps taken by the government, multiple sclerosis has been added in the list of disabilities mentioned in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. 

However, this inclusion should not be just for namesake. The persons with multiple sclerosis should get the benefits, as mentioned in the act. In addition, the medical board guidelines for persons with multiple sclerosis are inappropriate and it should be reviewed in consultation with disability rights units,” said the activist.