SOCIAL STIGMA DUE TO PHYSICAL DISABLITY

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According to majoritarian society, “normal” is a standard which is pre-conceptional.  Lack of expertise and recognition concerning the reasons of disabilities and their ensuing traits are the key issues for stigma to humans with disabilities. Misconception and blind belief are other problems exist in our society as disability is regularly blamed on: misdeeds of ancestors, misdeeds of parents, misdeeds of the individual with disabilities, supernatural forces along with demons/spirits, and witchcraft/ punishment/ destiny from God. As an end result, human with disabilities shall not be looked at as supply of shame, which has extreme effects for a way they may be treated. Another reason for stigma in society is due to the ‘breadwinner concept’ as the person with disability is totally useless and cannot look after their family and this misconception gradually tends to increase the stigma.

People with disabilities had been stigmatized in the course of history. In many cultures, incapacity has been related to curses, disease, dependence and helplessness. Disability stigma can play out in some of ways, including:

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Social Avoidance – People with disabilities can be disregarded from social activities and they discover that buddies emerge as extra remote when they increase an incapacity.

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Stereotyping – People with disabilities can be presumed to be helpless, not able to take care of themselves, or unable to make their very own decisions.

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Discrimination – People with disabilities can be denied jobs, housing, or different possibilities because of fake assumptions or stereotypes approximately disabilities.

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Condescension – People with disabilities can be coddled or over-included because of perceptions in their helplessness.

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Blaming – People are being blamed for his or her incapacity or accused of the usage of their incapacity to benefit unfair benefits.

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Internalization – People with disabilities can also additionally themselves undertake poor ideals approximately their incapacity and experience ashamed or embarrassed approximately it.

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For a case study, we had contacted with one of the beneficiaries of prajaahita foundation and he had shared a story of a child who was suffering from muscular dystrophia visiting a pet shop nearby. During the time he had put his hands inside an aquarium and the owner of the pet shop restricted him in a rude way. The boy did not understand what the man meant and he did the same once again and the shop owner scolded him and told him to leave the place immediately. The beneficiary also added that the owner did not scold anyone else who were doing the same thing he did.  This may have occurred due to his fear that the child may damage his aquarium but for that child it remained as a stigma.             

He added, these days, the person with disability should be given a space in society. Doctors and other staffs of most of the hospitals and PHCs do not give them any consideration as they are disabled but when it’s in case of NIMHANS, every doctors are different. The show adequate concern and caring. He adds that this should happen everywhere because avoiding them from frontline is something which causes that stigma.

Intentionally or not, we also ignore a person with disability due to busy schedule or because of improper awareness so those moments and actions stigmatize them.

The list of stigmas and remedies to overcome that affects people due to their intellectual disability, locomotive disability, sensory disability are as follows:

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• Concealment – If possible, a few individuals can also choose to hide their incapacity in public if you want to limit stigma. As a result, they become reluctant to apply assistive gadgets, along with mobility gadgets or listening to aids, or to tell others their diagnosis

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• Disability Pride –Some persons express satisfaction and a wonderful identification on their incapacity as a manner to counteract stigma. These people can also additionally want to sign up for agencies of human beings who proportionate their incapacity, in which it's not stigmatized.

 

Social Integration – Stigma is social in nature and can intrude with social integration. For example, a man or woman with a mobility impairment can also additionally prefer a wheelchair instead of a walker if the wheelchair could permit her or him to access exhibitions or own circle of relatives or sports without fatigue.

 

Need for Respect –Building a collaborative partnership with the affected persons, constructed on considering and respecting their communications.