The third of December is celebrated as world disability day around the world. Today's morning paper reserved an article in a corner of the Bangalore times asking - " How disable friendly is Bengaluru ?". The major coverage was given to some topic about a film star.
My question is somewhat different. Are we ready to for an inclusive environment in our society ? From what we see around us the answer seems to be no. If anyone has traveled outside India you will notice the disable friendly environment present there. Every hotel, parking lot, school, college, public building, toilets are have railings and ramps to help people with disabilities. I remember that even in a small place where you may only have two toilets, one will be disable friendly. In India the story is of complete apathy. The railings, ramps, toilets the infrastructure are completely missing.
Apart from the complete lack of infrastructure there is the huge social stigma which the child and the family have to face in India. The stares, the whispers, the gossips going around add to the misery of parents who already are have to deal with fate, medical expenses and what not. It's more often the close relatives who will whisper behind your back that your child is mad or dumb. For my niece who is autistic I have often heard the comments. Why don't you send her to a deaf and dumb school. Send her to play with other children she will become smarter. What they don't know or understand is that she is already smart, maybe smarter than the other kids. Only she behaves or responds differently.
In school I see autistic children who have been kept at home for more than 8 years. Parents try to hide them from society and in turn harm the child by not providing a earlier intervention or treatment. There are parents who are themselves apathetic to their child and have left them with the house help. When I go around malls, temples, parks I hardly see any differently abled children around. Is it because their number is insignificant ? Or is it because parents are forced to keep them inside just to avoid complaints and stares from society.
Schools are coming up at every nook and corner of Bangalore. Education is now the next biggest business. How come we don't see any disabled children in these high profile schools ? Is is right to segregate a part of the society and send them to special schools and institutions. Is it ok for them to be kept locked in their homes just because they seem to think, behave or look different ? There are developed countries around the world like Denmark were special children are being integrated with the other children under the same school. This can be achieved by having special educators, shadow teachers and some laws and policies implemented at the center which will restrict schools from not accepting special children.
What the special children and their families need is a empathy and not sympathy. By building a inclusive environment at educational institutions we are can make the future generation sensitive to the needs of others. Exclusion is unjust and it creates divides and more apathy.
Here are few things that we can do as individuals:
1) Try acknowledging the presence of the child with a hello
2) Invite them over for your child's birthday
3) Invite them over for play dates
Make them feel loved and treat them as equals. In today's world of hurry bury. Lets not forget to be humans first.
My question is somewhat different. Are we ready to for an inclusive environment in our society ? From what we see around us the answer seems to be no. If anyone has traveled outside India you will notice the disable friendly environment present there. Every hotel, parking lot, school, college, public building, toilets are have railings and ramps to help people with disabilities. I remember that even in a small place where you may only have two toilets, one will be disable friendly. In India the story is of complete apathy. The railings, ramps, toilets the infrastructure are completely missing.
Apart from the complete lack of infrastructure there is the huge social stigma which the child and the family have to face in India. The stares, the whispers, the gossips going around add to the misery of parents who already are have to deal with fate, medical expenses and what not. It's more often the close relatives who will whisper behind your back that your child is mad or dumb. For my niece who is autistic I have often heard the comments. Why don't you send her to a deaf and dumb school. Send her to play with other children she will become smarter. What they don't know or understand is that she is already smart, maybe smarter than the other kids. Only she behaves or responds differently.
In school I see autistic children who have been kept at home for more than 8 years. Parents try to hide them from society and in turn harm the child by not providing a earlier intervention or treatment. There are parents who are themselves apathetic to their child and have left them with the house help. When I go around malls, temples, parks I hardly see any differently abled children around. Is it because their number is insignificant ? Or is it because parents are forced to keep them inside just to avoid complaints and stares from society.
Schools are coming up at every nook and corner of Bangalore. Education is now the next biggest business. How come we don't see any disabled children in these high profile schools ? Is is right to segregate a part of the society and send them to special schools and institutions. Is it ok for them to be kept locked in their homes just because they seem to think, behave or look different ? There are developed countries around the world like Denmark were special children are being integrated with the other children under the same school. This can be achieved by having special educators, shadow teachers and some laws and policies implemented at the center which will restrict schools from not accepting special children.
What the special children and their families need is a empathy and not sympathy. By building a inclusive environment at educational institutions we are can make the future generation sensitive to the needs of others. Exclusion is unjust and it creates divides and more apathy.
Here are few things that we can do as individuals:
1) Try acknowledging the presence of the child with a hello
2) Invite them over for your child's birthday
3) Invite them over for play dates
Make them feel loved and treat them as equals. In today's world of hurry bury. Lets not forget to be humans first.
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