A three-day-long 9th Regional Abilympics Exhibition concluded at the Vocational Rehabilitation Centre for Handicapped (VRCH) at Pokhariput here on Saturday.
About 250 disabled youths of the Eastern Region States of Bihar, Assam, Odisha and West Bengal exhibited 33 vocational skills including those pertaining to computer, carpentry, jewellery, painting, mechanical, tailoring, pottery, block printing, fabrics from Thursday. The event was jointly organised by the VRCH, Ministry of labour and Employment, and the Shanta Memorial Rehabilitation Centre (SMRC).
Bihar received the highest number of medals and Odisha was second and West Bengal third. VRCH Rehabilitation Officer RK Sharma urged the corporate sector to participate in such events in more meaningful ways to nurture the inherent talents of persons with disabilities (PWDs) and offer decent job opportunities to the medal winners of national and international events. The corporate sector should spend 3 per cent of their CSR funds on rehabilitation of PWDs. The winners of the Regional Abilympics will participate in the National Abilympics to be held next year in New Delhi and the national winner will take part in the 9th International Abilympics to be hosted by France in 2015.