2. Discussion of Findings - Class, Ethnicity and Gender Vis-à-Vis Disability

Class and Disability

9 Interviewees said that the class that they belonged to made a difference in terms of how they were treated as persons with disabilities though one interviewee did say that persons belonging to the poor classes are treated much worse than people with disabilities, and that was without respect and with discrimination. For example, one Interviewee reported,

Between a poor person and a disabled person, it is the latter who has to face lot of discrimination. They might have money and they might have education but that term disabled remains firmly in the minds of the people in society as something negative. They are treated as different.

Whereas the others all reported that the richer class persons with disabilities are treated much better, for example, one Interviewee said,

I am thinking that those who have money will be treated quite respectfully but the poor would not be treated too well and even I would not be treated with respect.

Ethnicity and Disability

9 Interviewees expressed that Caste has a role to play in their experience of being discriminated against, in addition to the discrimination experienced on the basis of disability. Here mention must be made that though the interviewees do come from different cultural backgrounds, when the question of ethnicity was posed to them, they understood it in the perspective of Caste³, which plays a predominant role in the Indian society. In fact, one of the Interviewees said that

Note #3

Though the people in Andhra Pradesh are divided into different ethnic groups, the presence of Caste supersedes every other cultural difference. The Caste or VARNA System had been introduced into the Indian society more than 3000 years ago by a man named Manu. The System was developed, at least at face value, to demarcate the roles and responsibilities as well as professions for the citizens of the society. So, it was decided that those who follow the quest for knowledge and spread the same were marked as Brahmins, those who take up the responsibilities of ruling the land and protection and administration of the same were marked as Kshatriyas. Those who were involved in trade and commerce of goods produced and mercantile business were called Vysyas.. Those who were involved in agriculture and production of different food grains as well as were involved in working as servants to the above three caste groups were marked as Sudras. This group of citizens were also involved in several artisanal professions like weaving, pottery, carpentry, washing, toddy tapping, etc.

Now, those who were not yet ‘civilised’ then, those who were outside the purview of the City State, were called “Chandalas” and were cast off. They were as such deemed untouchable, as their main source of income and food was the removal of garbage and carcasses of livestock, as well as tanning and making of footwear. After Indian Independence, these communities were recognised as being the most marginalised and vulnerable by the founders of the Indian State and so the ethnic communities belonging to this caste were deemed as Scheduled Castes as were the different indigenous communities which were brought together under Scheduled Tribes. Today the Scheduled Caste communities call themselves Dalits, for a much more acceptable term than the word ‘Untouchables’. Though the Founding Father of the Indian Constitution, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was himself a Dalit, the living conditions of the Scheduled Castes and even the Scheduled Tribes to this day continues to be that of being “Untouchables”, though the successive governments ruling the country and state have claimed to have brought greater development and improvement in the lives of the Dalits. (Source: Wikipedia)

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Most of my disabled friends are either from the Scheduled Class or Scheduled Tribe families.

One of the Interviewees also mentioned that irrespective of caste or religion, people with disabilities are treated differently, just because of their disability and said,

See, people belonging to the same caste and race and religion will help each other out but when it comes to the disabled, no one will cooperate with them. This is also hundred percent truth. If I were to compare my conditions in life with them, I know for sure that my condition is much worse and they are in a much better position.

Gender and Disability

27 Interviewees, both male and female, reported that they were treated much worse than women without disabilities and some of them said they had to face the double discrimination of being women as well as being women with disabilities. Of these 2 Interviewees said that they were treated worse than women or women with disabilities, though they were men, because of their disability, like the Interviewee who said,

If we were to compare the lives of women and disabled people in society, I must say they are treated much better than I am in society.

Women with Disabilities on the other hand reported

They will say, he was so broad minded to have married a disabled girl but she is so proud and high handed that she divorced from him. That is the reason why I do not tell everyone about my personal problems, because I do not know how they will react toward me. I am still stuck in this marriage perforce.

People who are much older than me and who are also fathers of children say they will marry me. The other men also say quite insulting things like we must bed this cripple, we should rape her. They try to deceive me saying hey lame duck, why don’t you come with me, I will take you to work. On the one hand, they say why don’t you find a good person and marry him and at the same time they say let us enjoy a night together. This is especially the case with the male relatives of my family, my cousins and others who speak with me like this

I think in fact I am treated much more cheaply by society than women. I have seen over and over again, when it comes to love or marriage regarding disabled persons, the average reaction of people in society is, why does this disabled woman need love and lovers? Is it necessary for this woman to marry now? The idea is that when non-disabled women themselves are having so many problems how can disabled women think of marriage. My disability itself is a disqualification for me to fall in love with someone, as I am less than human. The attitude of society toward disabled women is very indecent and cheap, that has been my experience and what I have seen.

The male co-workers, taking the opportunity of the bosses’ absence, come and sit next to the girls and want to know all kinds of personal and intimate details about us, knowing that we cannot move easily from our chairs and walk away like non-disabled women can.

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