Daily Times

In the year 1992, the United Nations passed a resolution to mark every third of December as International Day of Specially-abled Persons. The very purpose of doing so was to create awareness of the specially-abled people’s pride, rights, and needs. Another purpose was to elevate their stature in the eyes of others at social, political, economic, and cultural fronts. To encourage them to be a part of all these spheres in their lives and play their role aptly at the same time. Moreover, to create better awareness and highlight their issues in the societies were the main motives.

In our society, more than 15 per cent of people fall into this category in some form. A survey revealed that more than 30 million citizens are categorised as special persons. The future of these people looks quite bleak with the current helm of affairs prevalent in our society. These people were given the title of “Special Persons” in the 1980s but in fact, they have not been such, rather a mere laughing stock for many. They are called names, thrown stones at, and considered as third-grade citizens of the country. They face absolute bias and the brutality of the law enforcement agencies as well, the moment they raise their voice and come out to protest against the injustices in our society. They are pushed off their wheelchairs, beaten with canes, and addressed with extremely foul language.

Due to an increase in crimes, bomb blasts, assaults at workplaces and homes, railways and road accidents and natural disasters, there has been a huge increase in the number of people being affected and eventually living with disabilities. The lack of safety protocols and measures in the factories and manufacturing units is also causing this number to increase by the day. Malnutrition during pregnancy, careless behaviours adopted by the mothers during this time, and the lack of trained staff rending the services to the pregnant women, all lead to the specially-abled children being delivered.

The very thought of being useless and a burden on others makes one lose any hope to live the life they otherwise deserve.

Most of the parents of specially-abled children in our country consider them a burden and a stigma.

Moreover, it is a grave problem if it is a girl. After trying a bit at the beginning of the treatment of disabilities, most of the parents succumb to the pressure of this burden, especially if they find out that there is no more cure. Most people are often biased towards treating these children. They are left with the charity organisations, just to get rid of them and they end up begging on the roads. Friends, relatives, and even the parent’s behaviour towards specially-abled people, especially if they were once perfectly healthy, is obnoxious and disgusting in our society. Whereas the fact is that, a person who becomes disabled is not a useless entity. Their hearts and minds work just like others. They have the right to live a normal life just like others. All they need is love and affection to support them in their lives after being handicapped by some disability. However, our society reacts completely opposite to this. A very large number of mortalities occur due to the lack of proper treatment. The government is ready to provide them with even walking sticks, crutches and prostheses. Living in this cruel society is like living the life of the dead and they are treated as third-grade people. Normally, they are not even invited to social gatherings. Even if someone turns up, they are ridiculed and looked down at. In addition, if anyone tries to be a productive part of this society by getting an education and working hard, they are discouraged, belittled, and even deliberately stopped from progressing in life. This kind of behaviour leads them to end up like beggars in society.

There is not even one rehabilitation centre in our country equipped with the latest machinery and modern facilities. A place where they are trained to be more productive for society and lead an honorable and better life. Whatever centres are there, they lack trained staff and modern equipment, which makes the disability of such people more miserable and torturous. Sometimes, all this leads to people losing their lives. In our country, specially-abled people have no social life whatsoever. Instead of being facilitated, respected, and encouraged, they are made to believe they are mentally and physically disadvantaged and useless. This very thought of being useless and a burden on others makes them lose any hope to live the life they otherwise deserve.

Those who work extremely hard to progress in life and be a useful members of society, do not get the jobs allocated for them. Instead, these jobs go to perfectly abled people as part of the bribe and nepotism practices by the Bureaucrats and Politicians of this country. Good educational institutions are not accessible to the specially-abled in this country. These institutes are devoid of the basic facilities for these people and do not offer them the admissions, they rightly deserve. The government and private building structures lack the facilities required and meant for the disabled people in our country. Hotels, parks, restaurants, cinemas, art councils, shopping malls, examination centers, all lack these facilities. Even the trains, buses, and metro buses do not offer the services required by these people. The national and domestic airlines are the same when it comes to providing these facilities. These people are not allowed to travel by themselves even if they are capable of doing so. All the major Airlines in the World allow this but not in our country. The airlines in our country consider them a liability and mistreat them. Even if somehow a specially-abled person is boarded, they are taken off the plan now and then.

Will there be an end to the agony and misery of the specially-abled people living in this country, is my question? Not anyone in our beloved country, including the Masses, Politicians, Lawyers, Intellectuals, Traders, Capitalists, Bureaucracy, The Prime Ministers, and his large contingent of ministers, none of them tried to change the lives of these people in our country. To change the fate of the millions of such people in our country, all it takes is the will and intention to do so with the fear of God in their hearts. There should be laws implemented for the betterment of these people in our country. Whatever laws are there, are not implemented and practiced in our country. The need of the hour is that every Government institution, private organisations, and welfare organizations step forward and fulfill their responsibilities for the betterment of these people with disabilities. The official and private media houses, electronic and print media, all should realise their duties towards creating the awareness of the rights of these people amongst the masses. Parents need to treat these special children just like the other normal children that they have, encourage them and do not confine them inside their houses but help them become respectable citizens of this country. You give respect to them at Home and they will earn the respect outside in the Society. Take a lead from the developed nations and the evolved societies where people with disabilities have many more rights. They are given priority in boarding aircrafts, buses, and trains. An educated society feels honoured to give respect and treat such people with care. There are legislations in favour of such people in terms of jobs, education, and in all the other spheres of life. specially-abled commuters have the priority to board on public transports, in the parking bays, entering and sitting in the cinema halls, shopping centers where they have the special access corridors for them and people feel a sense of fulfillment as well helping such people take part in the social and all the other public gathering events.

I feel crestfallen when I compare my society with the so-called non-Muslim societies of the World. They are on the path of our religion and we are distracted people who have forgotten the path of those that Allah bestowed HIS mercy upon. We as a nation are a mob of people engulfed in materialist approaches in our lives, to be better than others using all the legal and illegal means and sources is a norm in our society. The Nations that cannot give respect to their disabled are morally and intellectually drained and corrupt. It is the time to bring about the change in our attitude towards these people who just are as equal as we all are, living in this land of the God who is the God of all and not just some.

These people are not the Children of a lesser God, they are equal in terms of rights, and in fact, have more rights in cultured societies of the World. Bring about this change by educating the masses about the rights of such people. Implement the laws and impose stricter sanctions on those breaking these laws. Together we can bring about this change in our society; together we will take this country forward with such people being more productive and useful operatives of the society. Think about TODAY!!

The writer is a Lahore-based freelance journalist.