Handicapped? No, it’s ‘differently-abled’
The railways have seats reserved for the disabled under the term “Handicappedâ€, as against the \'differently-abled\' label.
CHENNAI: While India has always faced flak for being insensitive to the plight of the disabled, a recent allegation by a Chennai student has brought to fore the government's callous attitude towards the community.
Joel Shelton, a social work student of Loyola College, Chennai has pointed out a huge flaw in the newly launched Southern Railways local trains, through a post on his Facebook and Instagram page. The railways have seats reserved for the disabled under the term “Handicapped”, as against the 'differently-abled' label which is to be used, as per law.
The student also filed a complaint with the authorities at Tiruvallur station and requested the Southern Railways to take necessary action to change the terminology used to address people with disability as “DIFFERENTLY- ABLED” in all the trains operated by the Southern Railways.
This incident further sheds light on the immediate need for sensitisation of the public, when it comes to differently-abled people.