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People with disabilities are more scathed by cultural and societal barriers than by their physical or cognitive limitations.
“It has been said that life has treated me harshly, and sometimes I have complained in my heart because many pleasures of human experience have been withheld from me,” said Hellen Keller.
People with disabilities have been subjugated, and have been stigmatized and marginalized by the so-called abled society and are subjected to preposterous treatments that include social inequality and stratification.
There has been a significantly long and disturbing history of oppression and attitudinal bias against people with disabilities, which continues even today.
Lennard J Davis says the problem is not the person with disabilities; the problem is the way that normalcy is constructed to create the “problem” of the disabled person.
The problems further enhance when the individual with a disability is a woman.
Disabled women are doubly marginalized by this overtly opinionated society. I do feel that the physical and attitudinal obstacles faced by a disabled woman are greater in degree than that faced by a disabled man.
The word ‘freedom’ for a person with disability lies in not addressing them as ‘disabled’ but accommodating differences within our daily lives. Representational image.
The word freedom has multifaceted meanings to every individual. Everyone has their perception of being free.
Some seek physical freedom from a claustrophobic ambience, while others seek freedom from the claustrophobia of toxic people who are always prepared to castigate others with their opinionated slurs, pitying looks, and scathing sarcasm.
A woman with any kind of disability deserves an equal amount of dignity and opportunity as any other human being. However, the repulsive attitude that she receives from society can make her experience a sense of self-revulsion.
As a result, she suspends her life in hateful abeyance. It can push her to the brink of extreme depression and scathes her self-esteem for life, as Fanon says, “The oppressed will always believe the worst about themselves.”
My sister, who is 38-years-old, suffers from a spinal injury, and as a result, has been rendered physically disabled for life since she was 27. Having a word with her, what I perceived was that she seeks freedom from such ‘opinionated’ people who believe disability is an ‘individual anomaly’.
She believes, people with disabilities are more scathed by cultural and societal barriers than by their physical or cognitive limitations. She has been working in a school as an Assistant Teacher for almost 15 years, and she has never let her physical ability act as an impediment in her work.
However, she feels she is still treated with bias when it comes to dividing workload with her other colleagues.
The administration of her school treats her with pity for her ‘condition’, while there are others who doubt her capability as a teacher.
Being viewed through such a prism of prejudice is an assault on her dignity and her dedication towards her profession.
Quoting Stevie Wonder, she says, “It is worth remembering that abled does not mean enabled, disabled does not mean less abled.”
A little clemency and benevolence can help people with special needs walk a long way in the path of life. Let us resolve to inculcate the concept of an inclusive society where people irrespective of their gender and their physical or mental wellbeing will be wholeheartedly accepted by others.
Thus, the word ‘freedom’ for a person with disability lies in not addressing them as ‘disabled’ but accommodating differences within our daily lives.
Image source: Still from trailer of Margarita With A Straw, edited on CanvaPro
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Neena was the sole caregiver of Amma and though one would think that Amma was dependent on her, Neena felt otherwise.
Neena inhaled the aroma that emanated from the pan and took a deep breath. The aroma of cumin interspersed with butter transported her back to the modest kitchen in her native village. She could picture her father standing in the kitchen wearing his white crisp kurta as he made delectable concoctions for his only daughter.
Neena grew up in a home where both her parents worked together in tandem to keep the house up and running. She had a blissful childhood in her modest two-room house. The house was small but every nook and cranny gave her memories of a lifetime. Neena’s young heart imagined that her life would follow the same cheerful course. But how wrong she was!
When she was sixteen, the catastrophic clutches of destiny snatched away her parents. They passed away in a road accident and Neena was devastated. Relatives thronged her now gloomy house and soon it was decided that she should be married off.
Menopause is a reality in women's lives, so Indian workplaces need to gear up and address women's menopausal needs.
Picture this: A seasoned executive at the peak of her career suddenly grapples with hot flashes and sleep disturbances during important meetings. She also battles mood swings and cognitive changes, affecting her productivity and confidence. Eventually, she resigns from her job.
Fiction? Not really. The scenario above is a reality many women face as they navigate menopause while meeting their work responsibilities.
Menopause is the time when a woman stops menstruating. This natural condition marks the end of a woman’s reproductive years. The transition brings unique physical, emotional, and psychological changes for women.
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