Disabling the stereotyping

Recently, during the Smart India Hackathon 2019, an engineering student introduced her project about a programme that could help dyslexic children who face reading and writing difficulties. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was addressing a group of youngsters in IIT Kharagpur via video conferencing, decided to use this as an opportunity to take a dig at the INC President Rahul Gandhi, and asked, “Will this program work for a 50-year-old child too?” While the students laughed at the expense of dyslexic children and adults, many were quick to notice the insensitivity. The PM’s remark has since been receiving flak on social media. But, come to think of it, most of us use demeaning phrases like these for mentally/physically challenged people. What’s worse is all of this is generally done without any intention of actually causing any offense.

Dr Baijesh Ramesh, who is a clinical psychologist in Hyderabad, believes that the PM’s comment was uncalled for and that such remarks belittle the issues that specially abled people face. “Phrases like ‘are you mad/dumb/ lame/blind?’ are very common and have been a part of the local vocabulary for centuries now, and it has only been two decades that people are being made aware of the issue. The stigma attached to mental disability also has a major role to play in the use of such language,” said the doctor.

Disgraced by the PM’s move, he also added, “In this particular case, it was very shameful of PM to use the situation to target another politician."

Anju Khemani, who is the founder of Drama Association of the Deaf and a social activist, feels that a lot needs to be done in this area. “The usage of such offensive words is true in all languages. It’s like branding an individual with a mental disability to be a lesser human being. I think we need to do more than just sensitise people about the issue. We need to completely forbid the use of such language, the same way society forbade the use of the word ‘negro’.”

Swathi Kureti, a psychologist and special educator who works with differently abled children, feels that schools should take up the mantle to educate the next generation about this issue. She expresses, “Kids should be made aware of this issue. Schools must ensure that no student uses words such as mad, crazy, idiot, stupid or dumb. If we teach them while they are still young, there is a high possibility that we will be able to get rid of the issue in the years to come.”