Vinod Chandrashekhar Dixit
3rd December is observed as The International day of Persons with Disabilities. The day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Additionally, it also aims to raise awareness of the situations of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic and cultural life.
Disability is one of the most important issues in the contemporary society. In 2006, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was also adopted. It aims at working towards creating equal opportunities for persons with disabilities through the implementation of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development. Disabled people are those people who have mental or physical limitation so they depend on someone to support them in doing their daily life needs and jobs. Although disabled people are a minority and they are normally ignored, they are still a part of the society.
Disability is somehow an obstacle in every disabled person’s life. It is considered as a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses or activities. Modern societies have recognized the problems faced by these individuals and passed laws that ease their interactions. It is not common to find such immense willpower in the general population. Therefore, disability leads to a tough life owing to its emotional demands on its subjects. Each type of disability needs different kind of support and assistance. But the most important thing is the positive attitude and self-confidence. If a disabled person has these two qualities, no disability can stop him from achieving success in life.
According to WHO “More than 1 billion people experience disability, and this figure is predicted to rise, due in part to population ageing and an increase in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases.” Having a disability should not mean being excluded. More than a billion people worldwide have some form of disability, many children. Whether affected by the disease, landmines, or other injuries, children with disabilities in developing countries often find themselves isolated, alone, and with little hope. The statistics show that the proportion of disabled people in the world rose from 10 percent in the seventies of the last century to 15 percent so far. The number of handicapped exceeds a billion people all over the world, occupied about 15 percent of the world’s population. Nevertheless, today, the problem of people with disabilities and their discrimination persists because many biases and prejudices are resilient. In this regard, education is particularly vulnerable to the problem of the integration of students with disabilities into the learning process.
Disability is the complex notion that involves limited opportunities and special needs of people but it does not mean the inferiority of individuals compared to those, who do not have disability. It does not matter whether the individuals is handsome or talented, like Tom Cruise. At the end of the day, he will always be a disabled man. This attitude obscures one’s accomplishments and may even discourage some people from accomplishing anything. It is a shame that people do not care about the capabilities of the disabled persons. For a long time, the disabled people have been labelled as “deviant” or “other.”
It is to be remembered that a man can achieve whatever he wishes to. If he wills, he sets aside all physical, psychological and mental disabilities provided with strong reason, commitment and resolve. Disability can never be an obstacle to success if one stands against it. Let’s ensure divyangjans are able to access health care, education, employment opportunities and participate fully in the society.
(The author is a freelancer and can be reached at [email protected])
