(8 Apr)
How many blind, deaf or
low IQ people work in your office? Do you know anyone who's handicapped? No? Do
you wear specs? Have you ever failed an exam? Do you get hurt easily? You got
it... all of us have a level of disability, sometimes visible and difficult to
live with, others not easily noticed.
Those who have come
across disability but aren't familiar with it, feel bad for the disabled person
but don't know what to do. “How do I speak to someone who's blind? What do I
talk about?” If the person is spastic and drooling, there's awkwardness. Should
I help? How? If the person is deaf, it is more than likely that the speech is
also affected. One is so used to seeing it being ridiculed in badly made films,
that one might even feel like giggling. That's about the cruelest thing one
could do. Often, one doesn't have the patience to hear the person through and
tries to guess what the person might want. A need to help translates into an
acute 'poor thing' syndrome. All of this can be avoided if one understands
certain basic good manners.
Let's take the blind
first. If someone who is blind is near you, perhaps needs your help, remember
that s/he can hear and everything must be told to him or her. Give a constant aankhon-dekha
haal commentary, the kind the cricket commentators do on radio. “Watch out
to the left, there's a stool there, take two steps to the right, be careful of
the step in front of you, there's a door on the left. We have here in the room
my mother, your aunt, Prof. Xyz, your friend Mr. Pqr... etc.” That's the only
way to help them. If you say 'follow me', it's meaningless. Don't hesitate to
give details: “Prof's looking nice in his new kurta.. or mother's put lots of
food on the table, you can sit at this end, here's the chair...” and put the
blind person's hand on the chair. The blind person's hand is like an antenna
(the white cane is an extended antenna). If you have to lead the way, guide the
blind person to hold on to your elbow. You don't hold the person, let the
person hold you. Then you lead the way, talking all the time.
Next the deaf. They can
see, so the guidance required is less. With or without hearing aid, they need
to see your lips, so turn and face them when you are talking to them. No need
to talk loudly, no need to make exaggerated mouth movements to get them to
understand. Speak in your normal voice and in a normal way in a language the
person understands. S/he will be able to follow. If the person is speaking and
you can't understand, tell her or him, there may be a different way to
communicate.
If the handicapped
person you are with is not able to walk, ask if the person wants help. Don't
assume what help is needed, because they are used to dealing with situations
and you may be coming in the way. Worse, you may compromise their dignity.
Respect them as you would respect anyone else.
Even moderately spastic
people are looked upon with pity. There's no need for pity. There's a need to
understand their needs, that's all. If a person is on a wheelchair, again, ask
whether the person needs help. If s/he does, s/he'll tell you. There is a
method in handling wheelchairs. If you are going downwards on a ramp, face the
upper side, keep the wheelchair in front of you and move backwards. Less
chances of slipping and no chance of the person on the wheelchair getting
injured. Start moving only after the brakes are off. Consider, also, that a
person on a wheelchair can't reach out, can't stand, so make sure cups, books,
computers are at a convenient height. Oh, one more thing: don't use the
wheelchair as a trolley for your purse or shopping bag. That's rude.
Handicapped people have
the same intelligence and emotions as you or I. They get angry, they laugh,
fall in love, tell jokes, cry, eat, sleep, and form opinions. There are
conditions when the IQ is low or the person has autism: they, too, need to be
dealt with sensitively. If you don't like to be called fat or pimply or busty
or hairy or buckteeth, neither does anyone like to be called retard or
dyslexic. And the levels are so different.
All disabilities exist
in degrees. Anyone who wears specs is visually impaired. Anyone who has injured
a limb or is suffering from an illness is handicapped, albeit temporarily. Many
disabilities can be dealt with deaf people can do a very good job with
computers. The blind can be expert physiotherapists. Some mentally challenged
persons have been trained and employed as primary school teachers' assistants.
People with cerebral palsy have done their PhDs. The productivity depends on
the skills possible and skills taught. Employers must bear that in mind, that
at the end of the day, if the person can deliver what is required, it matters
not whether the person is 'normal' or not.
There are people who
believe (and it's only a belief, unproven!!) that the condition, whatever it
may be, is due to God's will or because of a bad past-life karma. Why should
that stop us from being sensitive and helpful? It helps, though, to know the
causes of disabilities so that they can be prevented in future generations
(marrying amongst close cousins, for example). Genetic counselling and testing
helps. But that's beyond the scope of this article.
For now, I sign off...
comforted in the thought that many queries, some apprehensions regarding the
handicapped have been dealt with.
@@@@@@@
No comments:
Post a Comment