Beat Disability-By Embracing It

A discussion which haapened on the face book page : http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/group.php?gid=5776371763&ref=ts

Hello all.........something that I am starting to realise is the difference in the way that disabled people seem to be perceived here in the UK (west in general) and Pakistan.

In the UK disabled people are fairly well incorporated into mainstream society (though there is always room for improvement). There are facilities allowing them to use public transport, attend shopping malls etc, and are provided with financial aid and the like. This allows them to get on with daily living. As a result smiling happy faces eliminates the' pity factor'. And ultimately, pity is (in my opinion at least) a fairly redundant, non-productive emotion.

However, correct me if I am wrong, but it appears that disabled people in Pakistan are perceived in a totally different manner. Disabled people seem to be hidden away somewhat (i am not referring to those who are poverty stricken and hence make a living from it). Lack of public resources means that the disabled rely haevily on those closest to them. Depression creeps up, and pity kicks in.............

Ultimately, what matters in all this, is how do our perceptions of the disabled, affect the disabled? Your views please!

Farheen Effandi-Chaudari

I agree .... even at Uni we had a lot of disabled students and our university had some of the best facilities for disabled students...this is in the UK
No one saw these people as being different in anyway...they moved around, went out and did all the things everyone else did.

However in Uni in Pak i dont recall seeing even one person with a minor disability...

Giving disabled people the power to be independent is very very important, no one likes depending on someone else for anything and that includes the disabled as well...we need to make it easier for them to have as normal a life as possibl

Very true.
Accessibility would be the key. A ramp would cost Pak rupees 5000. If the archetects and lawyers decide to address this problem and make it a point to add ramps along with stairs.... the issue would be addressed.

Kamran Sadiq

Indeed we treat them with "pity". This should change. This needs a huge attitudinal change from within the society. We need to create shools and job opportunities for the disabled.

Morgan Bell

Hi everyone,

Here in Australia, the cultural attitude is similar to Britain's, increasingly resteraunts, cinems, public transport, schools and shops are making them accessible to those in wheelchairs, but as Kamran said, a lot of people feel pity. I try to take it upon myself to prove that even though I have a disability, that doesn't make me useless, it is a gift, not a burden. Every now and then you find someone who tries to exploit your limitations to their advantage, but they are rare.

Morgan Bell

People definaety feel sorry for people in a wheelchair, because, no matter what country they reside in, disability means a lack of freedom that able-bodied people enjoy.Many years ago, a friend whose sister had a disability was telling me what she was like (she died a few years before, unfortunately) and in the course of the conversation he did not use the word "disability", instead he said "alternate ability". Now, with my own physical disability, I know what he meant. Disabled people get through life as wel\ with less tangible ability than able-bodied people. This requires more invisible qualities than most "normal" people possess or need in their existence. Because a wheelchair is a highly visible challenge to overcome, people feel feel sorry for those in wheelchairs, more than they would pity someone with a learning diability.

In Australia, I think the most pity I get from carers, family and the general public is because I can't join in most sports, and am not attractive to the opposite sex (I had that difficulty before I was disabled). I think pity or encouragement, 2 different reactions, comes from the same thought: all humans want to think of themselves as moral, so they think one of these reactions will make that person feel better.

Another thing, as disability isn't a common occurrance in most individual's experience, they might not know what a disabiled person's life is like. Almost everyone fears the unkown.

Beat Disability-By Embracing It

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