A Tribute to Inclusivity: A Disabled Persons Perspective

A Heartfelt Appreciation

Today, on the occasion of International Day for Persons with Disabilities, I, Shejal, proudly take a moment to appreciate society for whatever I have gained, and to share positive experiences of my life that give me the pride of living a happy and stable life as a disabled person.

A Different Perspective

People generally think that it is a curse to be born with a disability, but I believe that I am blessed to be born with one. People say that disability is a punishment, but I say it is the Universes gift to me. Disability has brought me where I am today, and it has made me kind and good-natured. It has given me the power to be considerate, and has made me sensible. It has also empowered me to help myself and many others. You might be wondering how, right? Let me answer in this token of appreciation to society.

A World of Kindness

We always talk about an inclusive society, accessibility, resources, opportunities, and awareness, which is the need of the hour. There are situations and times where these things are lacking. Yet, there are still people who come and provide you with such things and opportunities, along with support and a helping hand. When I travel from Thane to Goregaon for my work, it takes 3 hours to reach office and 3 to come back home again. So, there are people who say, “Why do you go so far? Are there no jobs nearby?” On the other hand, there are people who encourage, motivate, and help me along the way. The people walking around will come and ask if I need anything, where I need to go, and so on. Here, people are not always aware of how to approach a person with visual impairment. They may not know that we can move around independently, or they may be half-aware, only knowing that while guiding for directions, they should hold hands. However, some people, thinking that I wont like holding hands, pick up a stick, start walking, and point out steps or obstacles. But they are willing to help if we tell them the correct way to walk with us. They may not know what accessibility is, what I do as a person with a disability, or what my challenges are, but they know that as a human, they should help me and ask if they can help me in any way. People travelling at that time are mostly travelling to offices or colleges or returning home. They are also in a hurry to be on time, and they sometimes miss their trains while helping me. But they still dont think twice before helping, and this is what society has given me. This is what humanity is, and this is something that gives me the confidence to go alone to a new place. Cobblers on the railway station help me by making sounds and to direct me if I happen go to the extreme left or right due to the crowd. People leave their shops to help me cross the roads, get a rickshaw, and so on. Rickshaw drivers, who sometimes dont even know how a person like me travels, ensure that they drop me to the correct place and guide me on how to walk forward to reach my destination. Random people on the streets will always guide me if there are dogs sitting on the way or if there are any obstacles around. Sometimes, there are many people who indirectly motivate me, say something that becomes a quote I carry with me, and help me find happiness in small incidents. So today, I thank all of these people and many more in my everyday life who make my life easy, despite not having proper awareness or not being a part of my family, friend, or professional connections. Thank you all for being by my side and making sure that my journey of life is smooth.

A Journey of Gratitude

I take this opportunity to thank my parents first, as they took the first step to admit me to a sighted school instead of a special school. A special thanks to my father, who was firm in his decision to admit me to a sighted school, and from this, a positive chapter of my life began.

I also take this golden chance to express my heartfelt gratitude to the most important chapter of my life that shaped me and gave me the courage to stand where I am. Any guesses what could be the second chapter? It is none other than my school, Srima Vidyalaya! As a school plays an important role in shaping a child, it truly had an impact on my values, behaviour, and thought process. I was never made to feel that I am a person with visual impairment and that there are limitations to everything. In fact, they motivated me and pushed me to do everything, from participating in sports to academic activities like exhibitions and competitions. They never said no to anything, and were keen to learn and explore how I could become a better person and learn things better. They were the ones who never thought of keeping me from anything just because I was disabled. They wanted me to go ahead and achieve all that I could, and aim for high dreams. If you want something, then nothing can stop you from achieving, as the sky is the limit. Though they were not aware of what accessibility or inclusive education was at that time, I can proudly say that it was the best inclusive environment I could have ever experienced. A big thanks to the trustee and the administration for giving me a chance to showcase myself. A big and special thanks to each and every teacher I crossed paths with, who taught me different subjects, not just academics, but life lessons that I always carry, feeling protected and motivated. A big thanks to all the staff and the supporting staff who understood me, helped me, and supported me always. The things I would like to highlight from this chapter are that I never had to ask people to do things for me; it came automatically from them. I remember my teachers explaining and dictating in detail so that I could also get and learn the stuff at the same time. My science lab teachers always thought about how science practicals could be made accessible for me. My computer teachers explained the keyboard to me. My harmonium teacher taught me harmonium. My drawing teacher always tried to encourage and motivate me to create interest and participate in artwork, and helped me by bringing unique ideas, which I truly love to draw. It is one of my favourite hobbies even today. There are many such experiences to share, but the reason for sharing all these is that these things were very new to all of them. They did not have the experience to train and teach a student with special needs, but they tried their best. Their success can be measured from where I am today. Though not that successful, I am living an independent and respectable life with all the happiness in life, despite being a person with a disability. Many of the people there were meeting a person like me for the first time, but they never reacted and made me or my parents feel embarrassed. They were always ready to do whatever I asked for. They gave me two eyes in the form of a scribe to write my exams, including the board exams, and to perform my best in academics. They always portrayed me as an inspiration to other students, and continue to do so even today, even though I finished school long ago. This is the proudest feeling for a student- to be remembered even after coming a long way.

A special thanks to my loving friends who always have faith in me, who always trust my abilities even more than myself. They always describe things to me, whether in class, labs, or when we are out for outings. They are the biggest source of moral support to me, and I am really honoured to have you all. So, a very big and special thank you for making me a bold person and for having me with you all. Thank you so much for entering my life and filling it with the beautiful colors of life. A special thanks to one of my best friends Smriti, who has always been with me whenever I needed her. She never hesitates to introduce me to her friends and family. In fact, she introduces me even more happily than any other friend, and encourages them to ask me about my journey, learn and stay happy as they have everything. She is the one who learnt diagrams in Braille for me so that she could help me in Geometry during 10th std. A special thank you to one more best friend Shruti who always shares everything with me. We have such a close bond that we can understand each other just by voice, and we dont even have to tell each other what happened. She also learned Braille, not for me, but because she wanted to learn and was very keen in exploring such things.

A big thanks to the college from where I graduated, KG Joshi College of Arts and NG Bedekar College of Commerce, for helping and supporting me in my 5-year college life. I thank all the teachers for explaining things in such a way that I could understand. A special thank you to the Economics teacher who even helped me learn diagrams along with my 12th board exam scribe by taking extra classes.

I would also like to thank different organizations like NAB, XRCVC, TTI, and many others for helping me learn and develop skills that helped me get better opportunities and made me independent. I would also like to thank all my scribes throughout my academic career for helping me write exams efficiently by becoming my eyes, for taking out time selflessly, and for making me comfortable during exams. A special thanks to Apoorva who never became a scribe for the sake of becoming one or just as a responsibility, she did it because she loved it and maintained a friendly relation.

Last but not least, I would like to thank BarrierBreak, my office, which gave me an opportunity to earn my livelihood. I am proud to work with them as they are committed to making things accessible for all. All the people there are very supportive and helpful, which makes work life easy. They listen, understand the challenges, and try their best to help.

I also have friends who have similar positive experiences from their social life and would like to thank society for the same. So, let us read their experiences.

Mr. Subham had an opportunity to meet an HR of a company at the Delhi Metro station while traveling to the office. They started interacting with each other, and the HR started asking about how he, being a person with visual impairment, operates a mobile phone, then asked about Excel and related stuff. He then asked about a job and took all the details. As Mr. Subham was working with NAB Delhi, the HR went there, interacted with the trainers, saw students performing, and asked about internet navigation and Excel. The HR was made aware of web accessibility by one of the senior trainers there. The best part of that incident was that the HR took the resumes of all the students of the current batch. So, this is an example of how people, even without the knowledge of assistive technology or specific disabilities, take the initiative to learn and offer help in the best way they can.

Mr. Rathinath shared his experience of moving to Bangalore for a job. Initially, he struggled to adjust to the new place, especially as his accommodation was far from the office. However, his office owner offered their guest room immediately. The colleagues at the workplace are also incredibly kind and helpful, always ready to assist whenever needed.

Mr. Prince shared that while pursuing his education, he encountered many people who were unaware of or unfamiliar with the concept of disability. Initially, these individuals often doubted his capabilities and sought to verify his abilities firsthand. Once they witnessed his potential, their perspectives shifted, and they became more receptive to supporting him. He further recounted that upon entering college, he faced similar skepticism from his peers. However, through perseverance and consistent effort, he gradually overcame these initial reservations. As people observed his abilities and realized that his limitations were primarily visual, they began to engage with him and offer their support. Mr. Prince emphasized the importance of self-presentation for individuals with disabilities. He highlighted that not all people with disabilities are the same, and it is up to each individual to project a positive and capable image of themselves.

Ms. Shweta mentioned receiving motivation from her doctors to continue her studies despite losing her vision. While the doctors may not have known how, they encouraged the person to find a way to continue her education. The persons college friends were always there to help her navigate the campus. She also shared that she got an opportunity to write an exam on her own using a laptop. These stories highlight the power of human kindness and the willingness of people to go the extra mile to support others. As a person with a disability, I am proud to be a part of such an amazing society.

A Final Message

In conclusion, I would like to encourage all people with disabilities to take the initiative, help themselves, and take the first step forward. Remember, there are people ready to help and support you on your journey. The most important thing is to accept yourself for who you are. As the saying goes, Accept yourself the way you are, and the world will recognize you. I also urge you all not to be dependent and ask for favours, but ask for opportunities. I appeal to everyone to view people with disabilities not as objects of pity or sympathy, but as valuable members of society. Lets strive to create opportunities for them in an inclusive manner, enabling them to contribute to the world.

By Shejal Rathod