Their demand has been the same – all public facilities should be made differently abled-friendly, and the Government should invest in ensuring a barrier-free environment. Representatives from various associations working for people with disabilities have time and again knocked the doors of the Government for making barrier-free environment a reality for them, both in the public and private space.
Though there are other demands such as ensuring the implementation of the three per cent reservation quota for jobs, providing free pattas, proper issue of ID cards, and that schemes and privileges reached them, the prominent demand, however, remains the one for a barrier-free environment. This is because they feel “inferior” when having to board buses, using public rest rooms and other common areas that are not differently abled-friendly.
These grievances came into focus when the United Nations selected ‘Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all’ as the theme for 2012 for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3.
But that theme did not bring in much improvement to their lives, say the differently-abled, leave alone make inclusive living possible for them. “The ridicule by the public, discourteous treatment meted out by drivers and conductors of public transport, their reluctance to ensure a seat and issue a concession ticket, the reluctance of licence issuing authority to issue licences, and schools and colleges not willing to admit differently-abled due to lack of differently abled-friendly infrastructure still continue,” says Surya Nagappan, managing trustee of UDIS Forum, which works for the differently-abled.
In this context, it is significant that this year’s theme is also on the same lines as last year’s – ‘Break barriers, open doors for an inclusive society and development for all’.
Mr. Nagappan says that just by coming out with similar themes will in no way help the cause. “Unless we get representation in the Government, our demands will not get noticed and people will not be aware of our needs and rights. This is the only way to ensure that we get our rights,” he adds.
The basic grouse is that being differently-abled itself is a stigma that denies them the recognition as human beings. They believe that they are made to feel ashamed of their disability.
The differently-abled believe that the theme did not have any relevance to them if people were not aware of it. There was a need to popularise the Day for those with disabilities and its theme so that the public became empathetic in their behaviour towards them.
