Editorial
Dealing with the disabled
Their potential must be realised
It is a worrying piece of news, transpiring from a discussion meeting held in the city, that over five percent of our population lives with some kind of disability.
The disabled are less fortunate than normal humans in that they start with a sort of disadvantage. And their plight is multiplied by the harsh truth that our society is still not sensitive enough to their needs. These people are still looked upon as some kind of a burden which actually they need not be. Society at large needs to create the facilities that the disabled require to live an almost normal life.
In the developed world, the disabled are getting all the facilities to realise their full potential. The first thing that has to be recognised universally is that disability can be overcome by providing due assistance to the men and women struggling to survive in a hostile setting. Having sympathy for the disabled is not enough, we must have faith in their ability.
It is a matter of great regret that only four percent of the disabled children have access to education, while the rest are doomed to a life of perpetual passivity and no promise. Neglecting these children would only mean that they would not be able to render any service to society.
A change in attitude is necessary to handle the issue more effectively. Disability is a stark reality which cannot be ignored. It is rather inhuman to look upon the disabled as a liability. They are humans like us and would like to lead a decent life as much as we do.
The participants in the discussion meeting have very rightly demanded recognition of the disabled in the national development policy and also budgetary allocations for them. We must not only admit but also insist on the fact that the disabled need special care, particularly in the early years of their lives. And only a broad social consensus and commitment to their cause can enable them to avoid being pushed out of the mainstream of life.
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