Disability. It is a word that has been shushed, glossed over, or misinterpreted. But what is, after all, meant by it? Does it say anything about how society is treating human differences other than being essentially a medical condition?
Unravelling the threads of history, of language, of rights, of stigma, and inclusion.
So, what is Disability?
Disability does not simply imply the use of a white cane or the condition to live in a wheelchair. It is a much wider idea. The WHO defines disability as a broad term indicated by the details of impairment, the lack of activity, as well as restrictions in participating in life. More simply, it implies that one has a physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory condition that does not make some basic actions impossible but makes it more difficult to perform.
Another layer is introduced by the social model of disability: this model states that individuals are disabled not so much by their condition but by the impediments to their quality of life that society puts in their way (such as stairs, prejudice, or inaccessible information). Consider that--it is not the wheelchair that restricts, it is the staircase without a ramp.
Why is the term Handicapped an Offensive Term Anymore?
Words matter. Persons with disabilities have now been termed as being handicapped. However, with time, people began to doubt its origin and connotation.
The origin of some people also classifies it as coming out of the cap-in-hand, which means crippled people hawking on the streets. Although the origin of the word has been a controversial topic, the term now rather sounds outdated and dehumanising with the exclusive view of limitations.
Today, it's more acceptable to use terms such as a person with a disability or a disabled person (regional preference comes into play here). Instead of being about the disability, it is now about the person first, as it is supposed to be.
Divyang: A Language Shift, But Is It Sufficient?
In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi added a new term, Divyang (meaning divine body), which is used in place of the disability term in a more respectful and positive connotation, in 2015. It wanted to alter perception -pity to pride.
Though this was meant to be so, most disability rights activists felt ambivalent. Why?
It is not a solution that calls someone divine when he or she has been experiencing problems day in and day out. A poetic word does not eliminate inaccessible buses, discrimination at work, or the irregular availability of sign language interpreters. It is claimed that it takes much attention to the real problems that disabled people have.
Since Divyang is a sweet term, the discussion should have gone deeper than that into actual rights and action.
Disability Rights: Silence, Struggle, and to Law
The disability rights movement around the world has been a struggle that is all about dignity, equality, and opportunity.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (RPWD), 2016, was an achievement in India. It identified 21 categories of disability, advocated for reservations in employment and education, non-discrimination, and discussed accessibility: transport, education, healthcare, and so on.
On the global stage, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) of 2006 compelled all governments to make sure that persons with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities.
Nevertheless, it has a long way to go. The paper rights do not necessarily mean the real-life rights.
The Stigma That Never Left
Disability is still treated with condescension, pity, or superstition, even in this day and age.
In certain families, there is a child with autism who remains a secret in society. In other cultures, disabled girls are considered a burden to be married off. And mental problems? Whispered yet swept still under the carpet.
The disability is less painful compared to such a stigma. It isolates. It's a shame. It forms a psychological wall.
Representation is also important, not as caricatures on TV, but as physicians, instructors, dancers, athletes, and officials. As disabled individuals flourish in society, the stereotypes begin breaking down.
What is universal design? Why does it matter?
Consider a building where the ramp is not secondary, but primary. A classroom in which materials can be accessed in Braille, audio, and visual formats. A site that anybody (disabled or not) can use with ease.
That is universal design that goods, surroundings, and services can be utilised by anybody without adaptation.
It is good for all. Consider the curb ramp, designed with wheelchairs in mind, but people in strollers and delivery carts use it as well. Universal access does not benefit only some people; it facilitates the lives we all live.
Universal design is not a luxury. Inclusion needs it.
How to make Disabled People Feel Accepted, Instead of Feeling Included
Inclusion goes well beyond ramping and providing reservation quotas. It is a matter of attitude, language, and equal opportunities.
Here is how we all can do better:
1. Talk with, Not Down
Don't talk to a disabled person. Make them speak to you. Respectfully. In the same way you would with another person.
2. Representation Everywhere
Give a boost to the films, books, and media that reflect the portrayal of disability in a true sense. Advocate for having disabled individuals in leadership, media, education, among others.
3. Learn To Be Inclusive
Disability, empathy, and diversity are the concepts that need to be taught to children in schools. When a child is taught that a disabled child should not be “othered,” they will become an adult who accepts people more.
4. Hire Free of Bias
Stereotypes should not be used as a measure to hire workers in workplaces. And they ought to offer comfortable working environments and easy assistance.
5. Hear Them With Your Ears
Disabled people know more about disability than anybody. Let them tell us their experiences; take them as advocacy leaders and don't judge.
Ahead is the Road
The 2011 census reveals that there are more than 2.68 crores (26.8 million) people with disabilities in India alone, and the number is believed to have been underrepresented. Those are millions of lives that need to be seen, heard, and treated the same.
The situation with disabilities is not a tragedy. It is an aspect of being human. It is about time we stop treating it as the problem that needs to be fixed, but rather treat the systems that bring people down.
Language is changing. Legal codes are changing. However, the thinking, treating, and inclusiveness are the real revolution.
And in the end…
The truly inclusive world does not permit, but welcomes, celebrates, and empowers disabled people.
We are waiting too long to get governments to make this shift. I say we be the ramp. We should be the universal design. For once, can we be the cause of someone who does not feel othered, but is seen?
It is not because of my disability. It never has been.