Social Obstacles Faced by Differently-Abled People

Written by Gurnur Kaur

Edited by Himanshi Shivani

In today's time when even physically healthy people face discrimination on the basis of race, caste, gender, etcetera than what can we expect from society to treat differently-abled? Have you ever thought about it?

One in every 10 children is born with a mental, physical, or sensory disability. Nearly 4 to 6% of total population in India is physically challenged. These people are usually deprived of regular day-to-day activities and facilities which are available for an average healthy physically active person. Keeping society aside sometimes even their own family in which they are born, do not accept them and take them as a socio-economic burden. These disheartened people are unable to realize the impact they are actually bringing in the lives of these god gifted children due to the social boycott.

Looking closely at the lives of these special people we might get confronted with many undeniable facts like their low-end marital life, denial of property rights even after being related to family members by blood, implications on their sexuality, discrepancies in state welfare programs and many more things that we can't even think of. Some of them are not even given the privilege to attend schools. Their lower employment rates and limited awareness among the public are prime factors upfronting the scenario of how the nearly inconsiderate amount of negligence is given to these people by our so-called judgemental society. The impact of them being considered dependent can be devastating for many of them. These social attitudes and pseudo-stigma is actually the reason that pulls these gifted creatures away from innumerable opportunities.

Now it's the time when this should end. We humans should stop marginalizing the disability sector and provide them with the dignified lives they actually deserve. Removing the attitudinal barriers that are existing since forever will provide them with new life undoubtedly. Their acceptance and existence will never be a question afterward. They just need our optimal support and nothing else. Can't we provide them this minimal push?