शनिवार, 3 दिसंबर 2016

Disabled Persons in Indian context

Today, 3 Dec, is International Day of Disabled Persons.

According to 2001 census, we are having a huge population of disabled in our country. The number is 1,028,610,328 as in 2001. This number accounts for a total of 2.1 % of our total population, means out of every 100 people, 2 are disabled ones.
This may seem odd but we have failed as a society and a nation to respect them and facilitate them with better living conditions. Our town planning or infra or even building architecture is not as disabled friendly as it should be. Our public toilets are just a joke on the name of the facility. Only a disabled person can feel the pain while dealing with such infrastructural shortcomings.
This I am talking about basic needs only. If we talk about societal luxuries, they are starved for it. If a person with wheel chair wants to watch a movie in a multiplex, there are no proper arrangements. He / She must sit very next to the screen and just be the center of attraction of public which often leads to mocking.
If we talk of employment, they are even more starved there. Their total population vs working population ratio is an indicator that how bad we are as a society. This day is to remind us that they are no less than us. They might not have some organ / body part we have but we also do not have their point of view, their imagination, creativity and a lot of unexplored potentials.
Lets make a better society for future. Lets share love and respect, not sympathy. They do not sympathy. All they need is to get and appreciation for what they are.
Thank you for reading.