Re: [AI] My comments on Divyang on twitter

[Mahendra Galani]

Harish, very well writenn.
thank you very much.

At 05:36 AM 1/1/2016 +, you wrote:

Friends
I have also put it on twitter and you may also choose to offer your 
comments here.

The URL is:
https://twitter.com/hpkotian/status/682616996588998656
The text is:
The newly coined word "Divyang" referring to disabled is welcome 
only to the extent of it being innovative and the thought and 
emotion behind it. However, I would like to present what the 
disabled think about it and why.


For some time we have come across such terms like "differently 
abled", "special persons" etc. Now "divine body" is added to the 
list. If these attributes really mean something, the entire defense 
force should be replaced with persons having all these attributes. 
It makes strategic sense as the demands of the armed personnel 
require all these attributes. The fallacy of these terms gets busted here.


If a person loses the use of organs he does not become divine or 
special. What is required is the support to minimize the effect of 
the disability or find ways to perform a task differently. The word 
disabled rightly clearly gives one a proper idea which organ is 
impacted and to what extent. This is what is required and accepted worldwide.


Why do these terms keep popping up? I think it gives a sense of 
empathy to those using it. However, this is a false sense of empathy 
and in reality it is confused for sympathy. It only gives comfort to 
the person  using it. However, the intent is to give comfort to the 
person to whom it is addressed.
When a disabled person encounters such terminology, the first 
reaction is that the heart sinks, it makes him alarmed and 
apprehensive. He understands, this is a sweet pill before something 
bitter and unpalatable is going to be administered.


What soon follows, his disability is pointed out and why a 
particular service he is supposed to receive in due course cannot be 
given. No attempt is made to look differently and even if the person 
articulates how the disabled can effectively perform the task, His 
plea is summarily disposed and the decision is cast in stone and final.


All these things happens each day to every disabled persons, is 
because we have armed ourselves with convenient myths


It is observed, majority of the disability is acquired and a very 
small percentage of disability is congenital. This means that, 
disability can hit in any stage of one's life. The subject has to 
first accept his disability, understand what he can and cannot do, 
unlearn traditional ways of doing things, learn afresh to perform it 
differently, deal with trauma, fear and a feeling of helplessness. 
The situation gets aggravated when able bodied person create 
artificial barriers because of their lack of understanding of the 
subject, also because they are guided by wrong misconceptions, 
myths,  preconceived notions unwillingness to concede to the 
abilities of the disabled.


On the other hand, able bodied persons consider the disabled 
embodied with supernatural abilities and glorify mundane tasks 
performed by the disabled. This out of proportional attitudes causes 
severe trauma to the disabled persons.


What is truly required, is to have an inclusive environment where 
the needs of the disabled persons are considered adequately when any 
product or infra-structure is designed and executed. This makes it 
easy for the disabled to engage and perform the task all by 
themselves giving them the right sense of dignity and making them 
free from dependence from other persons. We place considerable 
expectations from the Accessible India campaign which the government 
has embarked on.


We seek right attitudes and we encourage movements which gives 
correct information about disability which  are in  proportion. 
Rather, as a part of awareness, we seek to correct the fallacies and 
myths which are prevailing. We seek that only the term disabled is 
used in all legal documents and in all official communique with 
an  emphasis not to use patronizing terms in any official documents.


Regards
Harish Kotian




Caution: The Reserve Bank of India never sends mails, SMSs or makes 
calls asking for personal information such as your bank account 
details, passwords, etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. 
Please do not respond in any manner to such offers, however official 
or attractive they may look.



Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are 
confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or 
entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended 
recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or 
copying of the information contained in this e-mail message and/or 
attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have received this 
email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone and 
immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. 
The recipient should check 

Re: [AI] My comments on Divyang on twitter

[Anirban Mukherjee]

Harishji,

wonderfully put! couldn't have been better explained!

greetings, Anirban Mukherjee

On 1/1/16, Mahendra Galani  wrote:
> Harish, very well writenn.
> thank you very much.
>
> At 05:36 AM 1/1/2016 +, you wrote:
>>Friends
>>I have also put it on twitter and you may also choose to offer your
>>comments here.
>>The URL is:
>>https://twitter.com/hpkotian/status/682616996588998656
>>The text is:
>>The newly coined word "Divyang" referring to disabled is welcome
>>only to the extent of it being innovative and the thought and
>>emotion behind it. However, I would like to present what the
>>disabled think about it and why.
>>
>>For some time we have come across such terms like "differently
>>abled", "special persons" etc. Now "divine body" is added to the
>>list. If these attributes really mean something, the entire defense
>>force should be replaced with persons having all these attributes.
>>It makes strategic sense as the demands of the armed personnel
>>require all these attributes. The fallacy of these terms gets busted here.
>>
>>If a person loses the use of organs he does not become divine or
>>special. What is required is the support to minimize the effect of
>>the disability or find ways to perform a task differently. The word
>>disabled rightly clearly gives one a proper idea which organ is
>>impacted and to what extent. This is what is required and accepted
>> worldwide.
>>
>>Why do these terms keep popping up? I think it gives a sense of
>>empathy to those using it. However, this is a false sense of empathy
>>and in reality it is confused for sympathy. It only gives comfort to
>>the person  using it. However, the intent is to give comfort to the
>>person to whom it is addressed.
>>When a disabled person encounters such terminology, the first
>>reaction is that the heart sinks, it makes him alarmed and
>>apprehensive. He understands, this is a sweet pill before something
>>bitter and unpalatable is going to be administered.
>>
>>What soon follows, his disability is pointed out and why a
>>particular service he is supposed to receive in due course cannot be
>>given. No attempt is made to look differently and even if the person
>>articulates how the disabled can effectively perform the task, His
>>plea is summarily disposed and the decision is cast in stone and final.
>>
>>All these things happens each day to every disabled persons, is
>>because we have armed ourselves with convenient myths
>>
>>It is observed, majority of the disability is acquired and a very
>>small percentage of disability is congenital. This means that,
>>disability can hit in any stage of one's life. The subject has to
>>first accept his disability, understand what he can and cannot do,
>>unlearn traditional ways of doing things, learn afresh to perform it
>>differently, deal with trauma, fear and a feeling of helplessness.
>>The situation gets aggravated when able bodied person create
>>artificial barriers because of their lack of understanding of the
>>subject, also because they are guided by wrong misconceptions,
>>myths,  preconceived notions unwillingness to concede to the
>>abilities of the disabled.
>>
>>On the other hand, able bodied persons consider the disabled
>>embodied with supernatural abilities and glorify mundane tasks
>>performed by the disabled. This out of proportional attitudes causes
>>severe trauma to the disabled persons.
>>
>>What is truly required, is to have an inclusive environment where
>>the needs of the disabled persons are considered adequately when any
>>product or infra-structure is designed and executed. This makes it
>>easy for the disabled to engage and perform the task all by
>>themselves giving them the right sense of dignity and making them
>>free from dependence from other persons. We place considerable
>>expectations from the Accessible India campaign which the government
>>has embarked on.
>>
>>We seek right attitudes and we encourage movements which gives
>>correct information about disability which  are in  proportion.
>>Rather, as a part of awareness, we seek to correct the fallacies and
>>myths which are prevailing. We seek that only the term disabled is
>>used in all legal documents and in all official communique with
>>an  emphasis not to use patronizing terms in any official documents.
>>
>>Regards
>>Harish Kotian
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Caution: The Reserve Bank of India never sends mails, SMSs or makes
>>calls asking for personal information such as your bank account
>>details, passwords, etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone.
>>Please do not respond in any manner to such offers, however official
>>or attractive they may look.
>>
>>
>>Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are
>>confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or
>>entity to whom they are addressed. If you are not the intended
>>recipient, any dissemination, use, review, distribution, printing or
>>copying of the information 

[AI] My comments on Divyang on twitter

[Kotian, H P]

Friends
I have also put it on twitter and you may also choose to offer your comments 
here.
The URL is:
https://twitter.com/hpkotian/status/682616996588998656
The text is:
The newly coined word "Divyang" referring to disabled is welcome only to the 
extent of it being innovative and the thought and emotion behind it. However, I 
would like to present what the disabled think about it and why.

For some time we have come across such terms like "differently abled", "special 
persons" etc. Now "divine body" is added to the list. If these attributes 
really mean something, the entire defense force should be replaced with persons 
having all these attributes. It makes strategic sense as the demands of the 
armed personnel require all these attributes. The fallacy of these terms gets 
busted here.

If a person loses the use of organs he does not become divine or special. What 
is required is the support to minimize the effect of the disability or find 
ways to perform a task differently. The word disabled rightly clearly gives one 
a proper idea which organ is impacted and to what extent. This is what is 
required and accepted worldwide.

Why do these terms keep popping up? I think it gives a sense of empathy to 
those using it. However, this is a false sense of empathy and in reality it is 
confused for sympathy. It only gives comfort to the person  using it. However, 
the intent is to give comfort to the person to whom it is addressed.
When a disabled person encounters such terminology, the first reaction is that 
the heart sinks, it makes him alarmed and apprehensive. He understands, this is 
a sweet pill before something bitter and unpalatable is going to be 
administered.

What soon follows, his disability is pointed out and why a particular service 
he is supposed to receive in due course cannot be given. No attempt is made to 
look differently and even if the person articulates how the disabled can 
effectively perform the task, His plea is summarily disposed and the decision 
is cast in stone and final.

All these things happens each day to every disabled persons, is because we have 
armed ourselves with convenient myths

It is observed, majority of the disability is acquired and a very small 
percentage of disability is congenital. This means that, disability can hit in 
any stage of one's life. The subject has to first accept his disability, 
understand what he can and cannot do, unlearn traditional ways of doing things, 
learn afresh to perform it differently, deal with trauma, fear and a feeling of 
helplessness. The situation gets aggravated when able bodied person create 
artificial barriers because of their lack of understanding of the subject, also 
because they are guided by wrong misconceptions, myths,  preconceived notions 
unwillingness to concede to the abilities of the disabled.

On the other hand, able bodied persons consider the disabled embodied with 
supernatural abilities and glorify mundane tasks performed by the disabled. 
This out of proportional attitudes causes severe trauma to the disabled persons.

What is truly required, is to have an inclusive environment where the needs of 
the disabled persons are considered adequately when any product or 
infra-structure is designed and executed. This makes it easy for the disabled 
to engage and perform the task all by themselves giving them the right sense of 
dignity and making them free from dependence from other persons. We place 
considerable expectations from the Accessible India campaign which the 
government has embarked on.

We seek right attitudes and we encourage movements which gives correct 
information about disability which  are in  proportion. Rather, as a part of 
awareness, we seek to correct the fallacies and myths which are prevailing. We 
seek that only the term disabled is used in all legal documents and in all 
official communique with an  emphasis not to use patronizing terms in any 
official documents.

Regards
Harish Kotian




Caution: The Reserve Bank of India never sends mails, SMSs or makes calls 
asking for personal information such as your bank account details, passwords, 
etc. It never keeps or offers funds to anyone. Please do not respond in any 
manner to such offers, however official or attractive they may look.


Notice: This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and 
intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are 
addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, use, 
review, distribution, printing or copying of the information contained in this 
e-mail message and/or attachments to it are strictly prohibited. If you have 
received this email by error, please notify us by return e-mail or telephone 
and immediately and permanently delete the message and any attachments. The 
recipient should check this email and any attachments for the presence of 
viruses. The Reserve Bank of India accepts no liability for