Amid the coronavirus crisis as social distancing becomes a collective effort to fight the virus, there is a section of the population for whom this just does not work the way it does for you and me. Despite being prone to higher risk of infection, we are breathing out of their lungs (in the current situation, people with special needs are being given limited access to ventilators and other medical resources in order to be able to support others who are critically ill from the virus).
Inclusion is half-truth. With little or no awareness of mental and physical diversity, we as a community are still working towards this ideal.
Did you know that most of us suffer from some form of disability?
Disability is a very vague term to limit to a certain definition. Any kind of bodily hindrance that could keep a person from performing regular activities for a prolonged period can be treated as a disability.
The World Health Organization quotes, “Disability is not only a public health issue, but also a human rights and development issue.” When the factors in a person’s environment do not adapt to the special needs of a disabled person, it is only then that his disability becomes a hindrance.
According to the World Health Organization, about 15% of the world’s population is suffering from some form of disability. Eventually, there is going to be a potential increase in the disability rate due to increase in ageing population and chronic health conditions.
While people with disabilities face same health conditions as the non-disabled, they tend to be more prone to secondary conditions such as pressure sores and urinary tract infections. There are many special services offered to the disabled for them to function normally, however they still face barriers in fully utilizing these services due to gaps in social and physical inclusion.
Issues faced by people with special needs
Lack of empathetic environment and services Disability, can be both physical or mental but in case of the latter, it’s is not very visible for people to acknowledge and act accordingly. With limited awareness of mental disabilities, there is always a social exclusion of this group. This exclusion is more psychological than physical.
Gaps in assistive technology Despite the advancement of assistive technology for people with special needs, the technology fails to promote self-efficiency of the individual. Often these systems that are developed to enable seamless mobility and functioning, require extra support or assistance to utilize them.
Physical barriers There is a lack in integration of systems and devices that are adaptive and rehabilitative to the person, which in return creates a dependency in their lives. This also means that the systems are not being put to the best of their utility to achieve full functionality.
How to work towards inclusion?
1. Create more awareness on less visible disabilities (chronic pain conditions and dysfunctionalities that emerge from disease) or invisible disabilities (mental health conditions).
2. Enhance assistive systems to achieve full functionality of the special needs they cater to. Seamless mobility for individuals with special needs can only be achieved when there are no hindrances in the flow of their day-to-day activities. The sole purpose of assistive technology should be to eliminate the dependency of these individuals on any kind of external help.
3. There should be common platforms digitally and socially based on the concept of “universal design” that accommodate users with or without special needs with the same accessibility.
4. Ensure that these individuals are aware and have access to all policies, services, devices, systems and apps that could improve their quality of living.
Most importantly provide them with a normal environment just like yours, to ensure that they have more independence and control over their own lives.
