The Uniqueness in Me

 This international day of persons with disabilities, i didn't have to work hard to think of a topic. I came across an article that spoke of the etiquette of interacting with someone who has a disability. The idea excited me so much because I didn't know a lot despite living with a disability all my life. The article took me through situations I was familiar with and suprised me with things I must expect when I meet people. I believe these tiny changes in behaviour can have a positive impact on a disabled person's self respect, self image and confidence. The first is an eye contact and direct address. A lot of times, I've observed how people make their assumptions obvious. I've had visitors who'd see me and ask my mother (in front of me) if i could talk. It comes across as rude even if you don't intend it. The least you can do is make eye contact, smile and say hello. If the individual is struggling to respond then you can turn to the attender/family member.

I'm here today to share a few thoughts about inclusion. It all started with a conversation I had at a party. My friend was very impressed with all my achievements despite Cerebral Palsy. I thanked him and said that none of this would be possible without an extremely supportive family and super-inclusive educators and employers. I've had people who built ramps for me, allowed me to work half a day, work in a fixed day shift and even work from the comfort of my home. As I said this, I was thinking out loud about others like me who are not lucky enough to meet inclusive educators and employers.  Do they all have to lose out on education and employment opportunities just because of their disability? My friend said "It is not that easy. A school, college or an organisation will not create facilities without having people who need them." That's a fair argument. After all, why will any business create a product for which there's no demand?  It makes no sense from a b

 Living with cerebral palsy I always wondered why people never fell in love with me when everyone said I look soooooooooo pretty. Does it happen only in movies?  Only married men seemed to have some interest in me so I couldn't take it any further obviously 🤣 So today I want ask my readers - have you ever been in love with a disabled person?  I've had crushes, but it never seemed to go beyond that. Mom said I never responded properly to those who may have tried to make a romantic move. Maybe... But I could never be sure. So I thought it possibly happens only in movies.  I've been people's inspiration a lot of times.. and honestly, I'm bored of that. Like Aishwarya Rai says "Mein kisi ki khwahish banna chahti hoon"  Since I spoke about inclusion, getting jobs, making infrastructure wheelchair friendly all these years, I thought I'll ask you if you have ever been in love with, dated or married someone with any disability. If yes, I'd love to know yo

 Remember 'the black spot on the white paper' experiment? It is not leaving my mind today. I'm not sure why. I thought hard, but I couldn't decide whether it was because someone refused to see me as a contributor to society and was stuck with the idea of my limitation or because my ability was under valued many times. The spot never really bothered me as a child. Actually, I don't remember when it started bothering me. Maybe ten years ago, when I thought I can outperform the others and make people see me as the person that am, not as the girl on the wheelchair...  I thought I could change things. It seemed to work initially. I thought I'd succeeded. I thought I'd washed of the spot, but it reappeared. This time, even an excellent performance couldn't wash it away. One of my flaws has been that I'm quick to generalize. Usually, my family helps me see the brighter side. This time too, I was hoping my generalization was wrong. Sadly, it wasn't.  I c

Dear Doctor, I hope you’re doing well. We seldom remember to ask about your well being. Thank you for taking up the responsibility of our health during the pandemic. The panic attached to it, made us unmindful of the sacrifices you make to give us a healthier life. I wonder how you endure the sleepless nights caring for strangers and the risk of exposure to constant danger with insufficient protective gear.                                                                         Despite your unconditional service to humanity, our expectations never end. We often forget that our responsibilities are mutual towards each other. Though the change in attitude will take some time, I’d like to start by saying thank you. Thank you for continuing to care for us tirelessly🤗

 I take a walk through unfamiliarity everyday, fearing the unknown. I step ahead carefully to ensure I don't damage anything around. However, I'm always damaging, yet always surprised. Perhaps, that's the only way to learn. But what's the point of this lesson if I'm not coming back to this path again?   I don't remember walking any path twice.  Maybe I did, but I just can't remember anything. I look around in this uncertain journey  Surprisingly, nobody else seemed to be bothered by unfamiliarity like I am. Is it always going to be so uncertain? I don't know..  I just walk on,  looking for some familiarity to hold on to.