The world moves ahead in a positive direction, once we take steps to accommodate the needs of every section of society.
We all have a purpose in life. The circumstances and surrounding, in which we are born into, define how we approach life. Our family, our school, our society, and the media that we are exposed to, among other things, contribute to framing our goals and life ahead. Each one of us wants to feel valued in life. We want to be loved, give love and contribute to society. These are some of the common traits of being human.
Each of us might have differences in our abilities, but the end goal of most of us is the same. Our approach might be different as each one has their own way of going about things. Regular things like how a person speaks, writes, walks, celebrates etc. might be different, but all of us are proceeding towards making our abilities count for the greater good of the society. You might have come across family members, friends, or people in your neighbourhood, who are different from you, but don’t undermine their capabilities. Empower them, and assist them in whatever way required. Some small steps in that direction are mentioned here for you to embrace in your daily life.
1. Be respectful
Address people with disabilities by their name and use appropriate language. Don’t make assumptions about their abilities, and avoid labels and stereotypes.
Every person around us needs to be heard. Voicing one’s opinions and having a receptive audience, which takes action on the same, is always a welcome society. This enables a person to open up more, and engage. The way one addresses a person, the tonality and the phrasing of the words in a sentence is important in our daily life. These changes in our language can lead to acceptance or utter rejection of our requests. Indian languages is rich in its vocabulary to accommodate our needs to address someone appropriately, so one must make use of it as required.
Similarly, some minute changes in how a person addresses a PwD does a world of difference. We should be mindful and refrain from using terms like handicapped, wheelchair-bound, dumb or referring to them by their disability. It is always a good practice to use a person-first language. The first identity of a person is the first name and not where the person is from/ who the person is, or what is the person’s designation.
The way the public refers to a PwD has a profound impact on the view they hold of themselves. Reinforcing a negative word while referring to them, on repeated occasions, creates a pessimistic atmosphere for them. For example to say a person is ‘mental’ or ‘crazy’ or ‘psycho’ is inappropriate, use terms like a person with mental illness or a person with down syndrome. These may seem very innocuous at first, but such verbal changes help boost a PwD’s confidence.
2. Listen
Pay attention to what people with disabilities have to say, and take their opinions and thoughts seriously.
We have been taught, right from our childhood, to be attentive to what the other person has to say. Listening to what a person has to say, rather than hearing is a good practice, which must be universally adopted. The reason this has been emphasized is so that we don’t miss some crucial points in the conversation, and be dismissive in nature. We should listen attentively to what a PwD has to say, and give importance to their opinions, just like every person around us.
Apart from the term used to refer to PwDs, the language has to be positive rather than sympathetic in nature. Do not ignore a PwD in a conversation, especially when one is talking about things related to them. Ignoring the presence of a PwD, also means not talking eye-to-eye to them, or talking to the caretaker and treating the PwD as a non-entity. These attitudes demean their presence or make them feel invisible. Keep them involved in the conversations and treat them as an equal.
We, humans, can gauge the requirement of our fellow beings in certain circumstances. Some people might be hesitant to ask for help, but it might be obvious to us that a helping hand from our end can assist, what they are trying to achieve. It might be an elderly person from your own family, who needs some groceries to be fetched from a nearby store or an injured person, who needs a glass of water. Help extended in such small activities can make it a better place for everyone.
So, it’s better to be around, when you are needed to make life easier. A small assistance like to push the wheelchair, or open a door, or a video description of a post shared can makes things easy for a PwD. The effort for you for such activities might seem minimal, but for a PwD it’s a big relief.
3. Offer assistance
Offer help when needed, but be mindful of the individual’s independence. It is important to ask how they would like to be assisted instead of just assuming what they need.
No one is perfect. We need assistance from others to reach our goals. A society that works together makes it easier to achieve our tasks. At the same time, respect the individual’s independence in asking for help, and making a choice.
For example, always ask a PwD their requirements before proceeding to lend a helping hand. An example is when fetching eateries for them at a buffet. Don’t just fill the plate and bring it to their table. Let them know the eateries at the counters, and tell them the variety of dishes present, and ask how much serving they would require on their plate. These small attitudinal changes, which are otherwise dismissed, makes a PwD feel important.
4. Be inclusive
Make sure that your environments, events, and activities are accessible to people with disabilities.
Our time, to a large extent, is, now, spend in online activities. Hence, it is very important that the medium used for interaction takes into consideration all the possible consumers.
A PwD with a low vision or blind would require certain changes incorporated into the website or mobile application to engage in a productive manner. Web-based experiences like appropriate contrast between the font colour and the background, and also a feature to readily adjust the size of the text for convenience of the user can make things easier to comprehend and navigate.
There are also Text-to-speech conversion assistive technologies for people who are visually impaired. The reading speed can be controlled according to the comprehension speed of the user. It is always better to use direct and easily comprehensible language so that the listener/ reader understands the gist of the message, despite not understanding all the words and structures in it. Make the digital world accessible for all. These intricate additions/ changes have to be incorporated at the design stage, itself, of a website.
Inaccessibility means exclusion. So, it is very important that web-based experiences are designed keeping in mind all forms of vision enhancement features. An improperly designed website can lose a potential customer or fail to serve its purpose of sharing some knowledge piece. If a visually impaired person would find it difficult to understand the content on a website, the person would move on. An example is a person with low vision preferred a particular site for purchases because the interface was comfortable for him. This is a case of loss of a potential customer. Such real-life examples are a nudge to the companies to take action.
Social media, for example, can be a really useful communication tool for disabled people. They can interact with other like-minded people and form communities to exchange valuable notes. The social media one chooses to engage in largely depends on the above mentioned factors. Like non-disabled people, a good user experience in navigating a social media is what determines its success. Steps in this direction are taken by the big companies in the technology sector. A universal design concept, incorporating the convenience features for PwDs, should be a norm whenever an online application/ website is built.
Recently I had entered a lift, where I had a colleague who was speech and hearing impaired. He tried to introduce himself in sign language. I was completely lost in understanding what he meant as I didn’t understand much of what he expressed through his actions. He had to type his name on the mobile screen and show it to me for me to get the name. He was being cordial and wishing me a good day. I understand it’s too much to ask everyone to learn sign languages. But there are some basic signs which can make life easy for our hearing impaired community. Sign Language are a gateway for them to communicate with the outside world, Otherwise the world is on mute for them. This is the reason why some of the news channels or public announcements are accompanied by sign-language interpretation. Wherever possible have a sign language interpreter so that this community doesn’t feel left out.
There are some basic design infrastructural changes in our constructions which can make a difference. These concepts should be incorporated in the design stage itself, so that retrofitting and make-shift solutions are not required going ahead.
Locomotor disability, neurological or dwarfism of any kind can lead to difficulty in daily movements. Universal design in our infrastructures and assistance provided wherever required can ease the lifestyle for such PwDs. Some basic inclusions like a ramp along with the construction of stairs can make things easy for a PwD to climb up on their own. Also, a ramp is helpful if a person is on the wheelchair. The dignity of a PwD is compromised if she/he has to be manually lifted from the wheelchair to any platform. Hence a permanent or a makeshift ramp installation is mandatory in such locations. In case there is a need for manual intervention/ assistance which involves physical touch, it is always mandatory to ask the PwD before proceeding. Being treated as a luggage to be transported is a strict NO. A help is welcome, but only if asked beforehand. Unnecessary assistance must be avoided. Permissions should be taken before proceeding with any assistance.
According to construction norms, a handrail is mandatory in any stair construction. It’s possible, as has been in my case, that a PwD requires a support to hold onto while traversing the stairs. In my case I had lost balance and didn’t find a handrail to hold onto when the need arose. This led to me falling down the stairs. An assistance like a handrail is a mandatory addition and helpful to a blind person, an old person, or a person with a locomotor disability due to muscular or a neurological problem.
Also, the handrails should be fixed strongly in place and not shaky in nature, otherwise the purpose of installing one is defeated. Assistance in the form of a wheelchair accessible car or a lift at certain locations should be made available for ease. These requirements should be pre-planned if there is a PwD visiting the place.
Some locations are very dimly lit. It might seem okay to your naked eye, but for some PwDs it might be equivalent to total darkness. There are norms of lighting to be followed at certain corridors or restrooms, so that no untoward incident occurs.
5. Educate yourself
Learn about different types of disabilities, including the physical, sensory, and intellectual varieties. This will help you better understand the experiences of people with disabilities and be more empathetic towards them.
A disability may seem similar to a person from the outside, but there might be small variations, which would have missed a non-disabled person’s notice. Hence it’s important to educate oneself about the different types of disabilities. A better understanding of the variations would lead us to be more empathetic in an appropriate manner.
For example not all people with the disability Cerebral palsy have intellectual disability. Even among a person with the same disability, there are subtle variations. Hence, it is always better to ask, and not make assumptions.
There are many chronic neurological conditions, which look similar to the naked eye like Parkinson’s disease, Autism spectrum disorder, and Multiple Sclerosis, among others. Also, conditions like mental illness, specific learning disabilities and speech and language disabilities are sometimes clubbed together, which is not correct. The extent of the conditions and the usage of the faculty might be affected in a different fashion, or to a different degree. One has to be educated to better understand the experiences of such people. This would enable us to be more empathetic.
6. Advocate for equal opportunities
Support initiatives and policies that promote equality and accessibility for people with disabilities.
Equity in opportunities is very important for a more equal society. A PwD might require an additional assistance in achieving her/ his goals. As a society it is important to provide opportunities for them to excel in activities with tools, and other assistive devices wherever applicable. Sometimes policy changes are required to give then a push like some reservations in educational institutes or employment. Such affirmative actions help in making the society more equitable. Such positive steps are a win-win for everyone involved, since it boosts the morale and increases the productivity of the institution/ country, as a whole. Starting with the recruitment/ presence of PwDs in customer facing office establishments like banks can achieve the multiple goals of greater presence among the common public, promoting the genuine abilities of a PwD, on merit, and equal opportunity.
7. Be patient
People with disabilities may need additional time to complete tasks or communicate their thoughts. Be patient and understanding in these situations.
Patience is the key to success. A PwD might take time to express or reach a goal, but there might be genuine reasons which are holding them back. Don’t judge all of them by the same yardstick. Each of us require help in some form in some activities, around us. Not all of us are gifted in the same fashion. Listen to the concerns of a PwD, and if required and possible, make adjustments to accommodate their needs so that they can excel. Sometimes there are genuine gems of wisdom in their contribution, all one needs to give them is a patient listening ear. Give concessions wherever possible in time taken to reach a place, or complete a task. Such interventions makes them a contributing and productive member of a successful society.
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Remember, every person with a disability is unique and has individual needs and preferences. It is important to always treat people with disabilities with dignity and respect, and to be open and willing to learn from them.