Children with special needs struggle to communicate. The children at the Al Manzil School for special needs in Dubai were trying to reach out to the world through beautiful paintings. Conversations, an exhibition of their paintings, gave them a platform to establish a dialogue with the world while giving an opportunity to the world to communicate back. A simple device enabled people to listen to what the child had to say, and then record their response, thus completing the conversation. An integrated communication approach using different mediums raised awareness. A Facebook app allowed the conversations to continue well beyond the event. As a result, the event raised over 225,000 dirhams. The real reward came in the form of joy and happiness the children felt when they heard those priceless words of encouragement. Conversations is now a permanent platform that will continue to showcase the artistic talents of these children, making them feel EXCEPTIONAL rather than an exception.
