question_answer

Read the passage given below and answer following questions:

In India labels such as 'disability', 'handicap', 'crippled', 'blind' and 'deaf' are used synonymously. Often these terms are hurled at people as insults. In a culture that looks up to bodily 'perfection', all deviations from the 'perfect body' signify abnormality, defect and distortion. Labels such as bechara (poor thing) accentuate the victim status for the disabled person. The roots of such attitudes lie in the cultural conception that views an impaired body as a result of fate. Destiny is seen as the culprit and disabled people are the victims. The common perception views disability an retribution for past Karma (actions) from which there can be no reprieve. The dominant cultural construction in India therefore looks at disability as essentially a characteristic of the individual. The popular images in mythology portray the disabled in an extremely negative fashion.

The very term 'disabled' challenges each of these assumptions. Terms such as 'mentally challenged', visually impaired' and 'physically impaired' came to replace the more trite negative terms such as 'retarded' 'crippled' or 'lame'. The disabled are rendered disabled not because they are biologically disabled but because society renders them so.

(a) Who form the disabled population in our country?

(b) Do you think disabled are rendered disabled not because they are biologically disabled but because society rendered them so? Explain.

 

Answer:

(a) The disabled population in our country includes: The word ?disability?, ?handicap?, "crippled?, ?blind? and ?deaf are synonymous, and normally such words are hurled at people as insults.

(b) (i) The disabled are struggling not because they are physically or mentally challenged but also because society is built in a manner that does not cater to their needs.

(ii) Common features of the public perceptions of disability are:

1. Disability is understood as a biological factor.

2. Whenever a disabled person is confronted with problems, it is taken for granted that the problems originate from his/her impairment.

3. The disabled person is seen as a victim.

4. Disability is supposed to be linked with the disabled individual?s self-perception.

5. The very idea of disability suggests that they are in need of help. They are labelled as ?Bechara?.

(iii) In India, in a culture that looks up to ?bodily perfection?, all deviations from the ?perfect body? signify abnormality, defect and distortion.

(iv) The roots of such attitude lie in the cultural conception that views an impaired body as a result of fate. Destiny is seen as the culprit, and disabled people are the victims. The dominant cultural construction in India, therefore looks at disability as essentially a characteristic of the individual. The popular images in the mythology portray the disabled in an extremely negative fashion.

(v) The very term ?disabled? challenges each of these assumptions. The disabled are rendered disabled not because of their deformity or physical disability but because of society.