InclusionX arranged its first Volunteer Orientation Programme on December 21, 2015 at EMK Center in Dhaka. The event began in the morning with an introductory speech by Labib Tazwar Rahman, a 17 year old disability rights activist and founder of InclusionX. 

When asked what motivated him to start this organisation, Labib said, "A question I was asked very frequently as a child is: 'Your brother… is he mad?' I never got used to this question. It hurt the same way it did the previous time. I hated the people who were afraid of my brother.  But after all these years, as I look back, I really don't feel any hatred towards kids running away from my brother, who had cerebral palsy (a movement disability). It's not their fault that they weren't brought up in an inclusive society where playing with children with special needs is deemed normal. Since childhood, exposure to people with special needs is crucial and somebody needed to start it. We launched InclusionX to integrate people with special needs into society." 

The objective of this programme was to help the volunteers recognise their crucial role in facilitating the much-needed progress towards a barrier-free, inclusive society and learn about the tasks they will perform in the two upcoming months.

Accompanying Labib's speech was a slideshow presentation highlighting InclusionX's recent endeavours. It showed moments from the art exhibition arranged (in partnership with Blissful Spirits) for children with special needs, and the Viqarunnisa Noon School's Triune Festival.

Next, the guest of honour A.H.M. Noman Khan, Executive Director, Centre for Disability in Development, and winner of the Ramon Magsaysay Award 2010, went up to the podium. He stressed on the importance of breaking the barriers of exclusion that exist for differently-abled individuals. 

"It is organisations like this that change the world. Given the time and support from everyone, most differently-abled people can do everything," he said.

Students from SWID (Society for the Welfare of the Intellectually Disabled), a school and rehabilitation centre, performed on stage, astonishing everyone with their dancing and singing talents.

A video to encourage InclusionX volunteers made by youths from 7 different countries across 4 continents was shown next, after which Labib attempted to clear out some prevalent misconceptions about people with disabilities. "Once we give them a chance we'll see they're not very different from us," he explained.

This preceded an interactive session conducted by Noshin Saiyara, where volunteers divided into groups were provided with some real life situations and were asked to find creative solutions to the problems. The programme concluded around 1:30 pm, after Ali Mashraf gave guidelines to the volunteers regarding the upcoming visits to special schools and the computer training workshops, which will be held at EMK MakerLab, for the special children.

"Children with special needs are discriminated against. One person alone can't make much difference. So, when InclusionX is willing to provide opportunities to directly help these people, I feel that I should participate," explained Shaheer Ahnaf, a 15-year-old volunteer. 

If you wish to volunteer, visit https://www.facebook.com/inclusionx/?fref=ts 

Salma Mohammad Ali fears she is becoming a crazy cat lady and uses writing as a means to grasp on to sanity. Send her your views/hate/love at https://www.facebook.com/salma.ali209