6. Discussion of Findings - Intersectional Analysis
The following is a detailed analysis of the results obtained for each of the Human Rights principles of Autonomy, Dignity, Inclusion, Equality, Discrimination and Respect for Difference across the attributes of Sex, Age, Housing, Type of Disability, Region and Education. The tables enable us to analyze the similarities and differences among various groups of Persons with Disabilities in relation to their experiences of Human Rights violations as these took place in the contexts of Family, Society and Government. The first Human Right Principle to be analyzed is Autonomy.
Autonomy
(a) Autonomy by Age
| Experience | Aged 18 to 25 | Aged 26 to 40 | Aged 41 to 55 | Aged 56 to 70 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C%4 | |
| Self-Determination | 34.21% | 65% | 52.63% | 62.5% | 7.89% | 37.5% | 5.26% | 40% |
| Lack of Autonomy | 25.93% | 35% | 44.44% | 37.5% | 18.52% | 62.5% | 11.11% | 60% |
- Note #4
- R% - Row percentage of the number of Interviewees per Issue. C% - Column Percentage of the Number of Interviewees per issue given that the distribution of Interviewees is uneven across groups, both row and column percentages are presented to allow a more accurate analysis of the data
- Return
In this sample, experiences of self-determination were reported in larger numbers than experiences of lack of autonomy. Since the large majority of respondents in this study were in the age groups 18-25 and 26-40, not surprisingly this study found a higher percentage of interviewees with greater decision making powers, Self-Determination and Autonomy in these groups than among those who were 41 to 70 years. Regarding access to decision making powers one person said that:
I lost the use of my legs when I was three years old and then when I gradually developed blindness, many people in my circle refused to accept me or to even look at me. That was when my grandfather took me and left me to fend for myself in a hostel, in fact more or less got rid of me there. From that day when I was pushed into the hostel, I took inspiration from each and every instance of exclusion and moved forward in life.
(b) Autonomy by Disability
| Experience | Mobility Disability | Sensory Disability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| Self-Determination | 73.68% | 60.87% | 26.32% | 52.63% |
| Lack of Autonomy | 66.67% | 39.13% | 33.33% | 47.37% |
As can be seen from this table, in this study persons with Sensory Disabilities were found to be less able to exercise decision making when compared to mobility impaired persons. In fact 60.8% of Persons with Mobility Disabilities reported experiences of self-determination whereas only 47% of People with Sensory Disabilities did. For example one respondent shared:
Well, problems are that I cannot do any sort of work, simple or complicated. I do not have eye sight. All that I am waiting for is my death, which I will embrace willingly. I cannot explain my misery to anyone. It is difficult for me to move about, I cannot get drinking or any other water from outside, I cannot cook for myself, it is with great difficulty that I can bathe and get the clothes to wear, it is a bigger problem for me to go out to defecate, every little thing is a problem. There is no one to look after me if I were to fall ill. If I have to defecate, I have to wait for one of the children around to come so that I can hold on to them and go and complete my work. I cannot tell any of the adults as I feel too shy and ashamed, which is also why I do not ask any of the outsiders for help.
(c) Autonomy by Education
| Experience | School | Undergraduation | Graduation or higher | Uneducated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| Self-Determination | 47.37% | 62.07% | 7.89% | 60% | 28.95% | 78.57% | 15.79% | 35.29% |
| Lack of Autonomy | 40.74% | 37.93% | 7.41% | 40% | 11.11% | 21.43% | 40.74% | 64.71% |
The ability to exercise self-determination appears somehow related to level of education. Indeed, it has been found in this study that only the Uneducated Persons with Disabilities reported that they lack Autonomy more often than they experience decision making powers,
I wanted to go to school but my elder brothers would go to work and so there was no one left to take care of me, so I dropped out of school when I was 5 years old. I am even now quite interested to study.
I really felt miserable and I thought why should I live anymore, everything is a problem, it is a problem to go anywhere, to continue my education and I really am very tired of my life.
Whereas, others who are educated, even if only till the School level, claim greater Autonomy:
I wanted to prove that I was as good as everyone else and that I could do anything as well or even better than others so I learnt music, the Tabla (a percussion instrument), embroidery, tailoring and even driving and I was able to get really good rank in all these subjects.
Look, if the visual impaired people like me get educated then they will be able to gain an identity or recognition in society, also they would know and begin to understand the way society functions and thinks.
(d) Autonomy by Region
| Experience | Urban Region | Semi-urban Region | Rural Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| Self-Determination | 31.58% | 75% | 31.58% | 66.67% | 36.84% | 45.16% |
| Lack of Autonomy | 14.81% | 25% | 22.22% | 33.33% | 62.96% | 54.84% |
Geographic location is also important to understand participants’ experiences of access to autonomy as a human right principle - Persons with Disabilities in the Rural areas expressed they had only minimal autonomy whereas persons living in semi-Urban or Towns said that they had lesser or only moderate levels of decision making powers. Persons with Disabilities living in the Urban areas expressed they had greater or maximum levels of Self-Determination of all the three regions of the state in the Study. Some of the reasons for these differences in regions as cited by the Interviewees were lack of sources of information, lack of access to higher education and institutional support.
I spoke with my Guru, here in the tribal region, about my problems but he said my problem was too far gone and he would not be able to give any medication for it.
The persons living in Rural areas who have had access to education and information on the other hand felt more empowered, like this Interviewee who said:
My respect is something I gain through the proper use of my tongue, my knowledge which I have gained through my education, that is how I get respect in society. Someone or the other in the village keeps coming to me to fill up some application or requisition or the other, to submit to some government office or the other, almost every day of the week.
(e) Autonomy by Sex
| Experience | Male | Female | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| Self-Determination | 71.05% | 65.85% | 28.95% | 45.83% |
| Lack of Autonomy | 51.85% | 34.15% | 48.15% | 54.17% |
Women with Disabilities have far lesser Autonomy regarding their lives when compared with Men with Disabilities in this Study, as can be seen from the table.
Nothing I say or do ever works in my house. Even if I were to say anything strongly, my mother-in-law says, you are a daughter-in-law whom we bought with our money, so you have to do what I ask you to. So, you see, I do not have any decision making powers in my house.
At the same time some Interviewees did report that they were able to take decisions. Regarding Self-Determination one Interviewee said:
I am a woman but now I think I have the strength and will to live, like a man.
(f) Autonomy by Type of Housing
| Experience | Thatched Roof Housing | Tiled Roof Housing | Concrete Roof Housing | Rented Housing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| Self-Determination | 21.05% | 50% | 26.32% | 55.56% | 15.79% | 66.67% | 36.84% | 63.64% |
| Lack of Autonomy | 29.63% | 50% | 29.63% | 44.44% | 11.11% | 33.33% | 29.63% | 36.36% |
Persons with Disabilities who live in thatched roof, and tiled roof houses in the villages (which are found to a certain extent in Semi-Urban areas) said that they had lesser powers of decision making when compared to those who live in concrete roof and rented houses in the Semi-Urban and Urban areas. Type of housing can be taken as an indicator of class and economic power and therefore not surprisingly it appears related to ability to exercise some form of autonomy in personal life.
The levels of Self-Determination of a person living in Urban areas on the other hand can easily be gauged, for example from what this Interviewee said:
I am finding out the problems of others and telling them about my problems and how I overcame them, and give whatever advice I can. Now I have certain value and recognition in society. I feel really proud and happy about this. People tell me that even though you are disabled, a man needs lot of patience to accomplish some work and you have that kind of patience in large amounts. They also tell me that I have the strength of will to accomplish any work that I undertake.
Discrimination
(a) Discrimination by Age
| Experience | Aged 18 to 25 | Aged 26 to 40 | Aged 41 to 55 | Aged 56 to 70 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| DISCFAM5 | 24.53% | 15.29% | 50.94% | 23.48% | 16.98% | 18.75% | 7.55% | 30.77% |
| DISCSCHO | 65.22% | 17.65% | 30.43% | 6.09% | 4.35% | 2.08% | 0% | 0% |
| DISCWK | 33.33% | 11.76% | 40% | 10.43% | 26.67% | 16.67% | 0% | 0% |
| DISCSOC | 32.81% | 24.71% | 46.88% | 26.09% | 15.63% | 20.83% | 4.69% | 23.08% |
| DISCGVT | 28.81% | 20% | 44.07% | 22.61% | 22.03% | 27.08% | 5.08% | 23.08% |
| POVERTY | 28.13% | 10.59 | 40.63% | 11.3% | 21.88% | 14.58% | 9.38% | 23.08% |
- Note #5
- The detailed description of each of the row names have already been given in the earlier section under Human Rights Principles - Discrimination
- Return
Age groups vary largely in size in the sample. Therefore, one needs to look instead to column percentages to understand how age groups differed regarding their experiences of discrimination. According to the table above we can conclude, among other things, that:
- For the youngest in the sample (those aged 18-40) discrimination by society seems to be the most common form of discrimination, whereas the oldest (those 56-70) encounter greatest discrimination within the family.
- Discrimination perpetrated by the government officials and other authorities is an important form of discrimination for all age groups, particularly for those aged 41-55 years old
(b) Discrimination by Type of Disability
| Experience | Mobility Disability | Sensory Disability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| DISCFAM | 81.13% | 21.08% | 18.87% | 17.54% |
| DISCSCHO | 86.96% | 9.8% | 13.04% | 5.26% |
| DISCWK | 73.33% | 10.78% | 26.67% | 14.04% |
| DISCSOC | 75% | 23.53% | 25% | 28.07% |
| DISCGVT | 76.27% | 22.06% | 23.73% | 24.56% |
| POVERTY | 81.25% | 12.75% | 18.75% | 10.53% |
The number of Interviewees with mobility disabilities (87) far outnumber the Interviewees with sensory disabilities (26). So, the column percentages were taken into account to understand what were the most common forms of discrimination faced by persons with Mobility and Sensory Disabilities within their own groups. The percentages clearly show that though the number of Interviewees vary greatly in number for the two categories, both the groups have said that they faced the highest forms of discrimination in society, then through the government and then family.
When I applied for a job either in the private or in government offices, and when I went to enquire as to how the application is moving forward, when I spoke to the officers there, they would tell me I cannot speak, I am dumb, you cannot do this job, so please go away.
Most of the time, the doctors would drive us out of their rooms because they would not understand our signs. I would not understand what to do and suffer all the more, my ailment on one side and this misunderstanding of our attempts to communicate with the doctor on the other.
So, society will only consider those who can see as humans and does not even think I am human. But I say, everyone can see the light but how many can see darkness and live with it?
(c) Discrimination by Education
| Experience | School | Undergraduation | Graduation or Higher | Uneducated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| DISCFAM | 41.51% | 17.89% | 3.77% | 9.52% | 5.66% | 7.14% | 49.06% | 34.67% |
| DISCSCHO | 47.83% | 8.94% | 21.74% | 23.81% | 21.74% | 11.9% | 8.7% | 2.67% |
| DISCWK | 40% | 9.76% | 3.33% | 4.76% | 26.67% | 19.05% | 30% | 12% |
| DISCSOC | 51.56% | 26.83% | 9.38% | 28.57% | 15.63% | 23.81% | 23.44% | 20% |
| DISCGVT | 50.85% | 24.39% | 8.47% | 23.81% | 18.64% | 26.19% | 22.03% | 17.33% |
| POVERTY | 46.88% | 12.2% | 6.25% | 9.52% | 15.63% | 11.9% | 31.25% | 13.33% |
All persons with disabilities reported that they faced the most discrimination from society and government, with only minimal differences in percentages. The uneducated persons with disabilities (34.67%) and persons with disabilities who have completed just their schooling reported facing (17.89) discrimination from their family. The point of interest here is that undergraduate persons with disabilities were the only ones to report discrimination at School in high percentage whereas the Graduate persons with Disabilities included discrimination at workplace in high percentages.
I had to face many problems when I was at school here. Initially, the administration of the school refused to join me in their school, and they stated very clearly that they cannot join a disabled child in their school, that it would not look good for their school … after that also, once I joined school, they would say all kinds of hurting things to me, making sure that I would feel hurt. They would not treat me in the same way that they treated the other non-disabled children.
If I were to go to school, even the teachers there were highly negligent towards me. In fact, initially the school teachers did not like the idea of my joining the school at all and resisted it … all the other children in the school would look down upon me and tease me a lot … When the people around me would look at me and laugh and taunt at me continuously, I could do nothing else but drop out of school.
(d) Discrimination by Region
| Experience | Urban Region | Semi-urban Region | Rural Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| DISCFAM | 16.98% | 14.29% | 16.98% | 13.04% | 66.04% | 27.13% |
| DISCSCHO | 4.35% | 1.59% | 39.13% | 13.04% | 56.52% | 10.08% |
| DISCWK | 30% | 14.29% | 20% | 8.7% | 50% | 11.63% |
| DISCSOC | 23.44% | 23.81% | 31.25% | 28.99% | 45.31% | 22.48% |
| DISCGVT | 28.81% | 26.98% | 30.51% | 26.09% | 40.68% | 18.6% |
| POVERTY | 37.5% | 19.05% | 21.88% | 10.14% | 40.63% | 10.08% |
As the table above shows, the most common forms of discrimination reported by interviewees in urban and semi-urban regions are discrimination by society and through government officials and other authorities whereas interviewees in the rural region reported higher incidence of discrimination within the Family.
(e) Discrimination by Sex
| Experience | Male | Female | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| DISCFAM | 41.51% | 14.97% | 58.49% | 27.19% |
| DISCSCHO | 47.83% | 7.48% | 52.17% | 10.53% |
| DISCWK | 56.67% | 11.56% | 43.33% | 11.4% |
| DISCSOC | 57.81% | 25.17% | 42.19% | 23.68% |
| DISCGVT | 64.41% | 25.85% | 35.59% | 18.42% |
| POVERTY | 68.75% | 14.97% | 31.25% | 8.77% |
This study found a gender pattern in experiences of discrimination. Women with Disabilities reported facing more discrimination from their family members and in society perhaps because they are discriminated twice over, due to patriarchy and dependence. Men with Disabilities on the other hand report facing highest forms of discrimination from the government and society.
(f) Discrimination by Type of Housing
| Experience | Thatched Roof Housing | Tiled Roof Housing | Concrete Roof Housing | Rented Housing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| DISCFAM | 32.08% | 27.87% | 33.96% | 22.5% | 7.55% | 11.11% | 26.42% | 16.67% |
| DISCSCHO | 17.39% | 6.56% | 52.17% | 15% | 13.04% | 8.33% | 17.39% | 4.76% |
| DISCWK | 26.67% | 13.11% | 30% | 11.25% | 13.33% | 11.11% | 30% | 10.71% |
| DISCSOC | 20.31% | 21.31% | 31.25% | 25% | 15.63% | 27.78% | 32.81% | 25% |
| DISCGVT | 20.34% | 19.67% | 22.03% | 16.25% | 18.64% | 30.56% | 38.98% | 27.38% |
| POVERTY | 21.88% | 11.48% | 25% | 10% | 12.5% | 11.11% | 40.63% | 15.46% |
As described in the table above, type of housing has some relation to the kinds of discrimination experienced. People living in thatched roof housing as well as people living in tiled roof housing reported facing greater discrimination in the family than in any other context of life. Conversely, those living in concrete roof and rented housing (who supposedly are those with higher income and greater economic power) reported greater incidence of experiences of discrimination in their relationship with the government and other official authorities as well as in society.
Equality-Inequality
(a) Equality-Inequality by Age
| Experience | Aged 18 to 25 | Aged 26 to 40 | Aged 41 to 55 | Aged 56 to 70 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| EQFAM | 30% | 12.5% | 40% | 14.29% | 30% | 25% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQFAM | 38.46% | 20.83% | 46.15% | 21.43% | 7.69% | 8.33% | 7.69% | 50% |
| EQSCHO | 50% | 4.17% | 50% | 3.57% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQSCHO | 66.67% | 16.67% | 33.33% | 7.14% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| EQWK | 0% | 0% | 50% | 3.57% | 50% | 8.33% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQWK | 15.14% | 16.67% | 28.57% | 7.14% | 14.29% | 8.33% | 0% | 0% |
| EQSOC | 25% | 8.33% | 50% | 14.29% | 25% | 16.67% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQSOC | 30.77% | 16.67% | 46.15% | 21.43% | 15.38% | 16.67% | 7.69% | 50% |
| EQGVT | 0% | 0% | 100% | 3.57% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQGVT | 25% | 4.17% | 25% | 3.57% | 50% | 16.67% | 0% | 0% |
Across almost all age groups and all the sites considered (family, society , government,..) experiences of inequality outnumbered experiences of equality (the only exception being those 41-55 years old who reported equal proportion of inequality and equality experiences in their relations with the government). It is also interesting to note that the family is the most often site of inequality for most of the respondents, a finding that runs counter traditional ideas of families as “heavens” of protection and well-being for their members, as the following excerpt illustrates:
Even if I were to take any decisions, neither my son nor his wife take any notice of it nor do they give any value to it. If they feel like, they listen but they refuse to listen to me sometimes. I don’t think they give my words any value at all.
Following the family, unequal treatment in society is also a frequent experience for a large number of persons with disabilities interviewed for this study, as the next quotes express:
People do look down upon me, they ridicule and humiliate me because I cannot walk and have to crawl on my arms. They think less of me because I cannot do the kind of work that they can, in fact I cannot do anything for myself. This is also something I feel miserable about.
(b) Equality-Inequality by Disability
| Experience | Mobility Disability | Sensory Disability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| EQFAM | 90% | 16.07% | 10% | 10% |
| INEQFAM | 84.62% | 19.64% | 15.38% | 20% |
| EQSCHO | 50% | 1.79% | 50% | 10% |
| INEQSCHO | 83.33% | 8.93% | 16.67% | 10% |
| EQWK | 100% | 3.57% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQWK | 71.43% | 8.93% | 28.57% | 20% |
| EQSOC | 100% | 14.29% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQSOC | 84.62% | 19.64% | 15.38% | 20% |
| EQGVT | 0% | 0% | 100% | 10% |
| INEQGVT | 100% | 7.14% | 0% | 0% |
Persons with mobility impairments reported experiencing less equality in family as well as in society/community in equal percentages. The Interviewees with sensorial impairments on the other hand reported incidences of inequality in family, at work and in society. One interesting fact to be noticed is that persons with mobility impairments also reported experiences of equality in family and society, although the percentages of the latter two is much lesser than that found for experiences of inequality
(c) Equality-Inequality by Level of Education
| Experience | School | Undergraduation | Graduation or Higher | Uneducated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| EQFAM | 50% | 17.86% | 10% | 11.11% | 10% | 11.11% | 30% | 15% |
| INEQFAM | 15.38% | 7.14% | 23.08% | 33.33% | 7.69% | 11.11% | 53.85% | 35% |
| EQSCHO | 50% | 3.57% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 11.11% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQSCHO | 66.67% | 14.29% | 33.33% | 22.22% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| EQWK | 0% | 0% | 50% | 11.11% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 5% |
| INEQWK | 57.14% | 14.29% | 0% | 0% | 28.57% | 22.22% | 14.29% | 5% |
| EQSOC | 62.5% | 17.86% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 37.5% | 15% |
| INEQSOC | 46.15% | 21.43% | 7.69% | 11.11% | 23.08% | 33.33% | 23.08% | 15% |
| EQGVT | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 11.11% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQGVT | 25% | 3.57% | 25% | 11.11% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 10% |
As the table shows, the least educated one is, the more likely it will be for that person to experience inequality in the context of the family. Conversely, those with more years of education (graduation and more) are more prone to report inequality in the context of their relationship in society at large and work.
(d) Equality-Inequality by Region
| Experience | Urban Region | Semi-urban Region | Rural Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| EQFAM | 10% | 20% | 0% | 0% | 90% | 17.65% |
| INEQFAM | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 25.49% |
| EQSCHO | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 3.92% |
| INEQSCHO | 0% | 0% | 33.33% | 20% | 66.67% | 7.84% |
| EQWK | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 3.92% |
| INEQWK | 14.29% | 20% | 28.57% | 20% | 57.14% | 7.84% |
| EQSOC | 0% | 0% | 12.5% | 10% | 87.5% | 13.73% |
| INEQSOC | 23.08% | 60% | 30.77% | 40% | 46.15% | 11.76% |
| EQGVT | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 1.96% |
| INEQGVT | 0% | 0% | 25% | 10% | 75% | 5.88% |
Column percentages were taken into account for analyzing this table, as the difference in number between the three regions is too varied. But what does emerge is that Interviewees from the Semi-Urban and Urban regions say they experienced inequality the most in society, followed by at their respective workplaces. When it comes to the Rural region, the Interviewees report incidents of greatest inequality at their homes, in family. At the same time, persons with disabilities from both Rural and Urban regions have also said that family was an arena where they were treated more as equals, though the percentage of these persons is very small.
One woman from the Rural area said,
Well, there is this boy from the neighboring village who declared his love for me … but my parents do not like the boy and so do not agree to our marriage…it makes me feel ever so depressed that our love did not work out but I do not speak about any of this with my parents, I suffer alone, within myself.
And a middle aged man from the Rural region expressed,
There are some of my relatives in this village also, if they come to visit, they make it a point to come and meet me and speak with me.
(e) Equality-Inequality by Sex
| Experience | Male | Female | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| EQFAM | 80% | 19.51% | 20% | 8% |
| INEQFAM | 46.15% | 14.63% | 53.85% | 28% |
| EQSCHO | 50% | 2.44% | 50% | 4% |
| INEQSCHO | 33.33% | 4.88% | 66.67% | 16% |
| EQWK | 100% | 4.88% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQWK | 42.86% | 7.32% | 57.14% | 16% |
| EQSOC | 87.5% | 17.07% | 12.5% | 4% |
| INEQSOC | 69.23% | 21.95% | 30.77% | 16% |
| EQGVT | 0% | 0% | 100% | 4% |
| INEQGVT | 75% | 7.32% | 25% | 4% |
Gender appears to have an effect on experiences of inequality/equality reported by respondents. Men with disabilities have expressed that they faced experiences of Inequality the most in society. But when it comes to the women with disabilities, it is the family members who treat them in the most unequal terms. Another interesting point is that the percentages where women with disabilities have said that they found equality in any sphere is only in single digits, whereas men with disabilities have reported being treated with equality in family (more than inequality, in fact) and society. One woman for example shared the following:
My husband would in fact come home during the evenings and beat me up black and blue saying, I do not have any use for you anymore, you are a cripple, get out of my house and go back to where you came from, to your mother, and he would kick me all over saying this.
Another woman reported the problems she had to face with eating properly like this,
I have stopped eating thrice a day and eat only one meal in a day, because I do not feel like eating what with my in-laws always shouting and yelling at me for some small thing or the other.
(f) Equality-Inequality by Housing
| Experience | Thatched Roof Housing | Tiled Roof Housing | Concrete Roof Housing | Rented Housing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| EQFAM | 60% | 20.69% | 40% | 18.18% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQFAM | 46.15% | 20.69% | 48.15% | 27.27% | 0% | 0% | 7.69% | 10% |
| EQSCHO | 0% | 0% | 100% | 9.09% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQSCHO | 16.67% | 3.45% | 50% | 13.64% | 33.33% | 40% | 0% | 0% |
| EQWK | 50% | 3.45% | 50% | 4.55% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQWK | 14.29% | 3.45% | 42.86% | 13.64% | 0% | 0% | 42.86% | 30% |
| EQSOC | 75% | 20.69% | 12.5% | 4.55% | 0% | 0% | 12.5% | 10% |
| INEQSOC | 38.46% | 17.24% | 7.69% | 4.55% | 23.08% | 60% | 30.77% | 40% |
| EQGVT | 0% | 0% | 100% | 4.55% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| INEQGVT | 75% | 10.34% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 25% | 10% |
Persons with Disabilities interviewed living in thatched and tiled roof houses, mostly found in Rural areas, said they faced inequality the most in family and society, though the persons living in thatched roof houses reported equality and inequality in equal percentages. Interviewees living in concrete roofed own houses expressed that they faced inequality in society and at school and persons living in rented houses said they were treated unequally in both society and at work.
Dignity – Positive and Negative
Persons with Disabilities may have reported experiencing situations of both positive and negative dignity due to their greater association with their family and society they live in and much lesser association with school, workplace or government offices, as can be seen in the following tables.
(a) Positive and Negative Dignity by Age
| Experience | Aged 18 to 25 | Aged 26 to 40 | Aged 41 to 55 | Aged 56 to 70 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| POSDIGFAM | 29.41% | 17.65% | 47.06% | 22.43% | 13.73% | 29.17% | 9.8% | 38.46% |
| NEGDIGFAM | 33.33% | 18.82% | 47.92% | 21.5% | 10.42% | 20.83% | 8.33% | 30.77% |
| POSDIGCHO | 60% | 3.53% | 40% | 1.87% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| NEGDIGSCHO | 85.71% | 7.06% | 14.29% | 0.93% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| POSDIGWK | 50% | 2.35% | 50% | 1.87% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| NEGDIGWK | 50% | 4.71% | 50% | 3.74% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| POSDIGSOC | 29.17% | 8.24% | 45.83% | 10.28% | 20.83% | 20.83% | 4.17% | 7.69 |
| NEGDIGSOC | 40.58% | 32.94% | 44.93% | 28.97% | 10.14% | 29.17% | 4.35% | 23.08% |
| POSDIGGVT | 33.33% | 1.18% | 66.67% | 1.87% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| NEGDIGGVT | 30% | 3.53% | 70% | 6.54% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Persons with disabilities aged 18 to 55 years old have all expressed that the most humiliation they face due to their disability is from society. What should also be taken into consideration is that the number of Interviewees in the 18 to 25 years old group reported experiences of dignity or the lack of it from their family members in very similar numbers. As this young woman from a Minority community expressed,
I stopped going out because people would say, look at these people, they are still carrying a grown up in their arms, and others would stare at me, that is why I decided to remain at home.
Or as another woman with disability who has crossed her middle age mentioned,
We are not even given the minimum respect and what is worse, the others do not even have a good opinion of us, they think all disabled are uniformly bad people.
One person in his early 30s expressed how his wife treated him with respect and dignity, in the face of strong opposition from both her family and the community around because he had a disability, this way,
To date we have not had to face any problems at all, as our love has sustained us through the last 5 years and both of us know and understand each other very well. My wife has never faced a problem because I am disabled or due to my disability.
Speaking about the kind of support he got from the others in his community a 50-year old man said,
I really think if the people in the village were not there to support me, I would have been dead a long time ago because every time there is a harvest of some cereal or the other from their fields, they never forget to give me some part of their grain.
(b) Positive and Negative Dignity by Disability
| Experience | Mobility Disability | Sensory Disability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| POSDIGFAM | 78.43% | 22.22% | 21.57% | 22.45% |
| NEGDIGFAM | 85.42% | 22.78% | 14.58% | 14.29% |
| POSDIGCHO | 80% | 2.22% | 20% | 2.04% |
| NEGDIGSCHO | 85.71% | 3.33% | 14.29% | 2.04% |
| POSDIGWK | 50% | 1.11% | 50% | 4.08% |
| NEGDIGWK | 75% | 3.33% | 25% | 4.08% |
| POSDIGSOC | 79.17% | 10.56% | 20.83% | 10.2% |
| NEGDIGSOC | 75.36% | 28.89% | 29.64% | 34.69% |
| POSDIGGVT | 66.67% | 1.11% | 33.33% | 2.04% |
| NEGDIGGVT | 80% | 4.44% | 20% | 4.08% |
In high percentages, persons with both sensory as well as mobility impairments have reported that they are not at all treated with dignity in society. Persons with sensory impairments have expressed though, that their dignity is respected and valued in their own family. When it comes to persons with mobility impairments interviewed and their relationships within the family, the percentage of persons reporting a sense of dignity and those who report the lack of it is almost similar, with the latter showing a slightly higher percentage.
One person with speech and hearing impairment reported, he was treated with great disrespect by the others in society, in several ways and forms:
It is not in once place, it is everywhere, the exclusion and humiliation because I am disabled, I am speech and hearing impaired ... I can see it in their expressions when they see me, the way the others see me itself shows.
And,
No one cares or bothers about me, they all get away from me saying we have to keep moving our hands this way and that to speak with him, it is so irritating and boring.
Another interviewee who was speech and hearing impaired as well said
We would feel so depressed looking at those people laughing at us and think it is because we do not know how to speak like them that they are mocking at us like this and that is why we are having to face all these problems.
A woman who was visually challenged told of how people did not scruple to react to her disability right on her face:
When the others see me in the train, some of them comment, oh, the poor thing, she cannot see at all, she does not have the use of both the eyes but when I hear a comment like that I feel really bad. But I also feel, it is really not fair on their part to show up a lack in me like that, so overtly.
One person who was 57 years old has reported that he was able to get as much dignity in the society from others as much as he got from his family members thus:
I have found encouragement and support from both my family members as well as the community right from my childhood. I never had to face problems like someone telling me as I do not have the use of my legs, I should not go to school or study.
(c) Positive and Negative Dignity by Level of Education
| Experience | School | Undergraduation | Graduation or Higher | Uneducated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| POSDIGFAM | 33.33% | 18.48% | 9.8% | 23.81% | 25.49% | 26.53% | 31.37% | 23.88% |
| NEGDIGFAM | 43.75% | 22.83% | 6.25% | 14.29% | 10.42% | 10.2% | 39.58% | 28.36% |
| POSDIGCHO | 60% | 3.26% | 20% | 4.76% | 20% | 2.04% | 0% | 0% |
| NEGDIGSCHO | 42.86% | 3.26% | 42.86% | 14.29% | 14.29% | 2.04% | 0% | 0% |
| POSDIGWK | 25% | 1.09% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 4.08% | 25% | 1.49% |
| NEGDIGWK | 37.5% | 3.26% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 8.16% | 12.5% | 1.49% |
| POSDIGSOC | 29.17% | 7.61% | 8.33% | 9.52% | 25% | 12.24% | 37.5% | 13.43% |
| NEGDIGSOC | 46.38% | 34.78% | 7.25% | 23.81% | 15.94% | 22.45% | 30.43% | 31.44% |
| POSDIGGVT | 0% | 0% | 33.33% | 4.76% | 66.67% | 4.08% | 0% | 0% |
| NEGDIGGVT | 50% | 5.43% | 10% | 4.76% | 40% | 8.16% | 0% | 0% |
As reported in the interviews, for persons with disabilities who have completed schooling and those who are uneducated, society was the main source of injury and violation of their dignity. At the same time both the Undergraduates and Graduates with disabilities interviewed expressed that their dignity was protected and valued by their family members. The point to note here is that though some of the Interviewees also expressed that they got recognition and dignity in their family, the percentage is much less than for the lack in the same as well as in society.
One Interviewee from the Rural area, who was 19 years old and had just completed his 10th Class, or Schooling, and did not have the use of both his arms reported how his dignity was hurt by the others in the community he lived in:
The people in my village say, why was this boy born, it would have been better if he were dead, he does not have the use of both his arms, he is of no use for anything, he was born unnecessarily, he is such a big burden on his parents, wonder what sin this cripple has committed in which birth of his that he was born like this, these are only some of the things they say.
(d) Positive and Negative Dignity by Region
| Experience | Urban Region | Semi-urban Region | Rural Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| POSDIGFAM | 21.57% | 18.97% | 15.69% | 16.67% | 62.75% | 26.02% |
| NEGDIGFAM | 16.67% | 13.79% | 22.92% | 22.92% | 60.42% | 23.58% |
| POSDIGCHO | 20% | 1.72% | 40% | 4.17% | 40% | 1.63 |
| NEGDIGSCHO | 14.29% | 1.72% | 14.29% | 2.08% | 71.43% | 4.07% |
| POSDIGWK | 25% | 1.72% | 25% | 2.08% | 50% | 1.63% |
| NEGDIGWK | 50% | 6.9% | 25% | 4.17% | 25% | 1.63% |
| POSDIGSOC | 37.5% | 15.52% | 4.17% | 2.08% | 58.33% | 11.38% |
| NEGDIGSOC | 30.43% | 36.21% | 24.64% | 35.42% | 44.93% | 25.2Z% |
| POSDIGGVT | 0% | 0% | 33.33% | 2.08% | 66.67% | 1.63% |
| NEGDIGGVT | 20% | 3.45% | 40% | 8.33% | 40% | 3.25% |
Persons with disabilities from all the three regions have reported facing indignity in society very often. Persons with disabilities living both in Rural and Urban areas have stated that they are treated well and given dignity in their own family more often than not, while for all groups their relationships with the government and other public authorities, although not very frequent, are in most cases associated with erosion of a sense of personal dignity.
One Interviewee who was 25 years old and was a short person living in the Rural area shared how he had to face insults from the others in his community thus:
The people in the village keep teasing and taunting me, they call me shorty, say that I am not useful for anything, that I will not be useful for my wife also.
(e) Positive and Negative Dignity by Sex
| Experience | Male | Female | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| POSDIGFAM | 52.94% | 21.6% | 47.6% | 23.08% |
| NEGDIGFAM | 41.67% | 16% | 58.33% | 26.92% |
| POSDIGCHO | 100% | 4% | 0% | 0% |
| NEGDIGSCHO | 57.14% | 3.2% | 42.86% | 2.88% |
| POSDIGWK | 50% | 1.6% | 50% | 1.92% |
| NEGDIGWK | 87.5% | 5.6% | 12.5% | 0.96% |
| POSDIGSOC | 66.67% | 12.8% | 33.33% | 7.69% |
| NEGDIGSOC | 56.52% | 31.2% | 43.48% | 28.85% |
| POSDIGGVT | 33.33% | 0.8% | 66.67% | 1.92% |
| NEGDIGGVT | 40% | 3.2% | 60% | 5.77% |
Men and women with disabilities both have reported lack of dignity in society. When it comes to family, the difference can be easily seen - whereas women with disabilities have reported lack of dignity and value from their family members (though a slightly lesser number have also said that they are given recognition and value in their family) men with disabilities have reported being given value and recognition by their families.
A 23 year old woman with disabilities from the rural area said that
The people in my village look at me very strangely, as if I were some freak, and say look at this cripple, who will marry her, she does not know to do any work.
Another woman in her 30s from the rural area talked about the kind of insults she had to bear from her husband because she had a disability thus:
If I were to say something to my husband he says horrible things like I will fuck your father, I will fuck your mother, for which I respond, you first fuck me, then you can fuck any number of dead people for which the response from him is to come with his wife and beat me up ever so badly.
(f) Positive and Negative Dignity by Type of Housing
| Experience | Thatched Roof Housing | Tiled Roof Housing | Concrete Roof Housing | Rented Housing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| POSDIGFAM | 27.45% | 25.93% | 39.22% | 25.32% | 15.69% | 29.63% | 17.65% | 13.04% |
| NEGDIGFAM | 25% | 22.22% | 37.5% | 22.78% | 4.17% | 7.41% | 33.33% | 23.19% |
| POSDIGCHO | 0% | 0% | 60% | 3.8% | 40% | 7.41% | 0% | 0% |
| NEGDIGSCHO | 0% | 0% | 71.43% | 6.33% | 14.29% | 3.7% | 14.29% | 1.45% |
| POSDIGWK | 0% | 0% | 50% | 2.53% | 25% | 3.7% | 25% | 1.45% |
| NEGDIGWK | 1.25% | 1.85% | 25% | 2.53% | 12.5% | 3.7% | 50% | 5.8% |
| POSDIGSOC | 41.67% | 18.52% | 29.17% | 8.86% | 12.5% | 11.11% | 16.67% | 5.8% |
| NEGDIGSOC | 21.74% | 27.78% | 26.09% | 22.78% | 10.14% | 25.93% | 42.03% | 42.03% |
| POSDIGGVT | 0% | 0% | 66.67% | 2.53% | 0% | 0% | 33.33% | 1.45% |
| NEGDIGGVT | 20% | 3.7% | 20% | 2.53% | 20% | 7.41% | 40% | 5.8% |
Persons with disabilities from all the 4 groups have reported that they faced disrespect and insults from society. At the same time, except for persons living in rented houses (who report more percentage of lack of dignity than respect from their family members), persons with disabilities from the other 3 groups have reported that their dignity has not been violated within their families.
A 29 year old man living in the urban area in a rented house expressed the humiliation he has to face thus:
I also think, as people like me have to crawl quite near to the ground, they must think we are like dogs or something.
Another woman with disabilities in her 50s living in the urban area but in a rented house expressed her humiliation thus:
I really do not mind calling a physically disabled person as a cripple or a visual impaired person as blind but it does not just stop with name calling but there is a certain sarcasm in the way they say it, they make fun, look down upon, that is what I have a problem with, to keep me away, exclude me from society because I am disabled, that is what I have a problem with.
At the same time a 36 year old man from the rural area living in a thatched roof house expressed the following:
I and my wife get along very well and are happy together. I fell in love with her and got married to her, she belongs to a different caste than mine and of course her village is also a different one but we live together very happily.
Inclusion – Exclusion
(a) Inclusion-Exclusion by Age
| Experience | Aged 18 to 25 | Aged 26 to 40 | Aged 41 to 55 | Aged 56 to 70 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| INCPHYS | 0% | 0% | 50% | 1.2% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 10% |
| EXCPHYS | 40% | 22.64% | 46.67% | 16.87% | 10% | 17.65% | 3.33% | 10% |
| INCCOM | 25% | 13.21% | 57.14% | 19.28% | 7.14% | 11.76% | 10.71% | 30% |
| EXCCOM | 26.67% | 22.64% | 57.78% | 31.33% | 11.11% | 29.41% | 4.44% | 20% |
| INCEDU | 50% | 9.43% | 50% | 6.02% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| EXCEDU | 57.14% | 15.09% | 28.57% | 4.82% | 7.14% | 5.88% | 7.14% | 10% |
| INCWK | 0% | 0% | 100% | 1.2% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| EXCWK | 42.86% | 11.32% | 50% | 8.43% | 7.14% | 5.88% | 0% | 0% |
| INCGVT | 14.29% | 1.89% | 42.86% | 3.61% | 28.57% | 11.76% | 14.29% | 10% |
| EXCGVT | 22.22% | 3.77% | 55.56% | 6.02% | 22.22% | 11.76% | 0% | 0% |
| INCRELIG | 0% | 0% | 50% | 1.2% | 50% | 5.88% | 0% | 0% |
| EXCRELIG | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 10% |
Except for persons belonging to the 56 to 70 years age group all three other groups have reported that they were being segregated from communicating with the others, much more than being included, because they had a disability. In general, experiences of exclusion outnumbered those of inclusion across all areas considered and all the age groups, albeit with different distribution for each of them: exclusion in the context of education is more important among those aged 18-25, exclusion in the workplace is reported more often by those 18-40 years old, and exclusion in rapports with the government was more frequently described by those 41-55 years old.
One person with disability who is 23 years old and from the semi-urban area and has completed his 10th class studies reported
You cannot play with us, you cannot work with us, that is what the ‘normal, good’ people think so they do not make friends with people like me.
Another 31 year old woman with disabilities who has completed her post-graduation also expressed her inability to communicate with others due to which she felt she was being excluded mainly due to her disability,
I have already come to realize that my opinions do not carry any sort of value in society through my experiences.
(b) Inclusion-Exclusion by Disability
| Experience | Mobility Disability | Sensory Disability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| INCPHYS | 0% | 0% | 100% | 4.55% |
| EXCPHYS | 76.67% | 19.33% | 23.33% | 15.91% |
| INCCOM | 78.57% | 18.49% | 21.43% | 13.64% |
| EXCCOM | 71.11% | 26.89% | 28.89% | 29.55% |
| INCEDU | 70% | 5.88% | 30% | 6.82% |
| EXCEDU | 78.57% | 9.24% | 21.43% | 6.82% |
| INCWK | 100% | 0.84% | 0% | 0% |
| EXCWK | 64.29% | 7.56% | 35.71% | 11.36% |
| INCGVT | 71.43% | 4.2% | 28.57% | 4.55% |
| EXCGVT | 77.78% | 5.88% | 22.22% | 4.55% |
| INCRELIG | 50% | 0.84% | 50% | 2.27% |
| EXCRELIG | 100% | 0.84% | 0% | 0% |
Persons with mobility and sensory impairments both reported lesser access to communication as well as physical environment. Here it must be noticed that the difference in percentages of inclusion and exclusion in communication was found to be somehow greater for persons with sensory impairments than for persons with mobility disabilities. It is also interesting to note that no report of inclusion in the physical environment was found among people with physical impairments, thus denoting the importance that lack of accessibility has in shaping experiences of exclusion for those with physical impairments in India.
A young man,. 23 years old, from the urban area who has completed his graduation and who is speech and hearing impaired explained his problems in communicating with others as follows:
We have to face this kind of problem at every turn of our life, every day, everywhere, be it in the offices, in the shops, in the very school we are studying, if we were to study in a ‘normal’ school ... this is a common problem for all of us who are speech and hearing impaired. I have to suffer through this all through my life, I know.
A 32 year old woman who moves with the support of crutches living in the semi-rrban area explained the kind of problems she has to face in moving about, the inaccessible physical environment thus,
Other than this, some of the other problems that I have to face is my mobility, I cannot get into the auto rickshaw very easily or into any other public transport vehicle. That is why, I tend to avoid traveling outside as much as possible and only go out when it is absolutely necessary.
(c) Inclusion-Exclusion by Level of Education
| Experience | School | Undergraduation | Graduation or Higher | Uneducated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| INCPHYS | 50% | 1.54% | 50% | 7.69% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| EXCPHYS | 40% | 18.46% | 3.33% | 7.69% | 3.67% | 22% | 20% | 17.14% |
| INCCOM | 39.29% | 16.92% | 3.57% | 7.69% | 17.86% | 10% | 39.29% | 31.43% |
| EXCCOM | 48.89% | 33.85% | 6.67% | 23.08% | 22.22% | 20% | 22.22% | 28.57% |
| INCEDU | 40% | 6.15% | 20% | 15.38% | 40% | 8% | 0% | 0% |
| EXCEDU | 28.57% | 6.15% | 28.57% | 30.77% | 35.71% | 10% | 7.14% | 2.86% |
| INCWK | 100% | 1.54% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| EXCWK | 3.71% | 7.69% | 0% | 0% | 57.14% | 16% | 7.14% | 2.86% |
| INCGVT | 42.86% | 4.62% | 0% | 0% | 28.57% | 4% | 28.57% | 5.79% |
| EXCGVT | 11.11% | 1.54% | 11.11% | 7.69% | 44.44% | 8% | 33.33% | 8.57% |
| INCRELIG | 50% | 1.54% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 2.86% |
| EXCRELIG | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 2% | 0% | 0% |
All groups and particularly that of Persons with Disabilities who have studied below 10th Class at school or lower have reported experiencing exclusion in communication. Interviewees who only completed their Under-graduation have reported the highest percentage of exclusion at their educational institutions and Graduates with disabilities have said that it was in the physical environment that they faced the greatest barriers.
One Interviewee who is 18 years old, from a rural area and who had completed his education till the 5th Class expressed his problems in communicating his problems and views as follows:
I do not think non-disabled persons have this problem, they can meet and speak with any other person that they wanted to. No one excludes them or keeps them away from society like they do me.
A 25 year old woman from a rural area, who had completed her 12th Standard of education expressed the problems she had to face during her education both inside the classroom and outside thus:
I used to feel depressed that it was because I have this lack that they are calling me like this. Also I stand or sit far away when the other children at school are playing games and sports.
A 24 year old person with disability living in the urban area and having completed Bachelor’s Degree in Engineering spoke about his problems in physical environment the following way:
As it is traveling by bus is really difficult as some buses stop at the bus stop but most often the bus drivers do not stop the bus at the stop and so we have to run to catch the bus. Once when I was running like that, I slipped and fell and came under the tires of the bus and I would have been crushed to death except for the presence of mind of the driver who stepped on the breaks real hard.
(d) Inclusion-Exclusion by Region
| Experience | Urban Region | Semi-urban Region | Rural Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| INCPHYS | 50% | 2.5% | 50% | 1.89% | 0% | 0% |
| EXCPHYS | 33.33% | 25% | 40% | 22.64% | 26.67% | 11.43% |
| INCCOM | 25% | 17.5% | 14.29% | 7.55% | 60.71% | 24.29% |
| EXCCOM | 17.78% | 20% | 35.56% | 30.19% | 46.67% | 30% |
| INCEDU | 10% | 2.5% | 40% | 7.55% | 50% | 7.14% |
| EXCEDU | 28.57% | 10% | 28.57% | 7.55% | 42.86% | 8.57% |
| INCWK | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 1.43% |
| EXCWK | 28.57% | 10% | 64.29% | 16.98% | 7.14% | 1.43% |
| INCGVT | 0% | 0% | 28.57% | 3.77% | 71.43% | 7.14% |
| EXCGVT | 33.33% | 7.5% | 11.11% | 1.89% | 55.56% | 7.14% |
| INCRELIG | 50% | 2.5% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 1.43% |
| EXCRELIG | 100% | 2.5% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Persons living in the urban areas reported that they faced barriers in environment the most and then in communication whereas for Interviewees living in Semi-urban region, it was the other way around, in that, they found communicating with others in society due to their disability a greater barrier than the physical environment they lived in. As far as the persons with disabilities living in rural areas were concerned, they reported inability to communicate with others due to their disability as being the most exclusionary.
A 29 year old man from the rrban area told of the problems he had to face every day when he went out on some work or the other thus:
Generally, when I travel by the public transport bus, if the driver allowed me into the bus, the conductor of the bus would not, and if the conductor agreed to let me in, then the driver would refuse entry. This kind of treatment for us because we are disabled, that is all. When I ask those people strongly why I should not be let into the bus, they demand very rudely, is this bus your father’s that we should let you in?
A speech and hearing impaired person from the Semi-urban area who is 25 years old expressed the problems in communication he had with others in society:
The people around me only insult and humiliate me. This cripple is a bad person, they say because I have this disability.
A 40 year old woman with disability from rural area expressed her anguish in not being able to communicate and being excluded thus:
Even my own family members treat me as something less than human so it is not surprising that the others in the village look at me strangely and laugh at me and call me all sorts of names all of which makes me feel humiliated and hurt.
(e) Inclusion-Exclusion by Sex
| Experience | Male | Female | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| INCPHYS | 50% | 1.04% | 50% | 1.49% |
| EXCPHYS | 50% | 15.63% | 50% | 22.39% |
| INCCOM | 46.43% | 13.54% | 53.57% | 22.39% |
| EXCCOM | 62.22% | 29.17% | 37.78% | 25.37% |
| INCEDU | 70% | 7.29% | 30% | 4.48% |
| EXCEDU | 71.43% | 10.42% | 28.57% | 5.97% |
| INCWK | 0% | 0% | 100% | 1.49% |
| EXCWK | 71.43% | 10.42% | 28.57% | 5.97% |
| INCGVT | 85.71% | 6.25% | 14.29% | 1.49% |
| EXCGVT | 55.56% | 5.21% | 44.44% | 5.97% |
| INCRELIG | 50% | 1.04% | 50% | 1.49% |
| EXCRELIG | 0% | 0% | 100% | 1.49% |
Both women and men with disabilities report exclusion in communication and physical environment as the most important forms of exclusion experienced.
One woman with disabilities expressed the problems she faced in both communicating her problems as well as the excluding physical environment around her house and community thus:
No, I did not get any support because I cannot walk, so everyone thinks where she has to go anyway. That is why I remain inside the four walls of my house, confined both physically and mentally.
A 22 year-old man with disabilities from the Semi-urban area reported the inaccessibility and exclusion he had to face as a matter of fact thus:
If I had to go to the hostel from the college, I had to walk on the soil for some distance and that was the problem, and even if I were to make use of the tricycle, because of the mush that was formed due to the constant rains, the wheels of my tricycle would get stuck and I would not be able to move forward at all.
(f) Inclusion-Exclusion by Type of Housing
| Experience | Thatched Roof Housing | Tiled Roof Housing | Concrete Roof Housing | Rented Housing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| INCPHYS | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 3.85% | 50% | 1.59% |
| EXCPHYS | 23.33% | 18.92% | 10% | 8.11% | 23.33% | 26.92% | 43.33% | 20.63% |
| INCCOM | 32.14% | 24.32% | 28.57% | 21.62% | 3.57% | 3.85% | 35.71% | 15.87% |
| EXCCOM | 20% | 24.32% | 46.67% | 32.43% | 13.33% | 23.08% | 40% | 28.57% |
| INCEDU | 10% | 2.7% | 60% | 16.22% | 10% | 3.85% | 20% | 3.17% |
| EXCEDU | 14.29% | 5.41% | 28.57% | 10.81% | 21.43% | 11.54% | 35.71% | 7.94% |
| INCWK | 100% | 2.7% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| EXCWK | 0% | 0% | 7.14% | 2.7% | 21.43% | 11.54% | 71.43% | 15.87% |
| INCGVT | 42.86% | 8.11% | 14.29% | 2.7% | 28.57% | 7.69% | 14.29% | 15.9% |
| EXCGVT | 44.44% | 10.81% | 22.22% | 5.41% | 22.22% | 7.69% | 11.11% | 1.59% |
| INCRELIG | 50% | 2.7% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 50% | 1.59% |
| EXCRELIG | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% | 1.59% |
Persons with disabilities in all four groups of housing considered have reported maximum exclusion in communication. Persons with disabilities living in concrete roofed houses and rented houses, to be found mostly in the Semi-urban and urban regions, said that they also faced barriers in their physical environment. Interestingly, persons with disabilities living in thatched roof and tiled roof houses reported similar proportion of inclusion in communication as exclusion.
One woman with disabilities who was 30 years old and living in concrete roofed house in Semi-urban area expressed how many problems she had to face to get access to even the basic needs,
There was no sand at all near the entrance to the office and it was completely covered with stones and pebbles but as there was no other choice I had to walk on my arms through the stones, though it hurt me quite badly. That is why it hurt me all that much more when the work that I gone to that office for was such a failure.
A middle aged woman with disabilities living in a tiled roof house in the rural area told of the levels to which she felt excluded in communicating her needs or moving around in her community thus:
They look at me as if they have nothing to say to me anymore now that I have become like this…I am being denied and am losing everything.
A 20 year old man with disabilities living in a thatched roof house in the rural area said that he had never faced too many problems in communicating with the others and felt that he was included within his community:
I would share my problems and pain with the people who live next to my house and they would listen to me sympathetically and whenever there was some event in the village, they would come and inform me compulsorily.
Respect for Difference
(a) Respect for Difference by Age
| Experience | Aged 18 to 25 | Aged 26 to 40 | Aged 41 to 55 | Aged 56 to 70 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| BEING RESPECTED | 25.81% | 10.53% | 41.94% | 13.98% | 22.58% | 23.33% | 9.68% | 18.75% |
| BEING LABELLED | 36.25% | 38.16% | 43.75% | 37.63% | 12.5% | 33.33% | 7.5% | 37.5% |
| BEING DISRESPECTED | 36.36% | 36.84% | 41.56% | 34.41% | 14.29% | 36.67% | 7.79% | 37.5% |
| INCIDENCE | 40.74% | 14.47% | 48.15% | 13.98% | 7.41% | 6.67% | 3.7% | 6.25% |
Persons with Disabilities from all four age groups reported that they were either labeled with their disability or were not respected because of their disabilities, and being labeled was the more predominant mode for others in society to isolate persons with disabilities exclusively because they had a disability, as the following excerpts illustrate:
Whereas, back in the town they would call me all kinds of names like hey you cripple, hey you blind bat, come here. They would insult me by giving a name to my disability and calling me with that, even though they knew my given name.
No matter how well my clothes might look, I still have to crawl in the soil and I myself become soiled, so we can never be equal, he who can walk and I. no one looks at or judges the person but the kind of clothes he or she is wearing, that is how society is. That is the reason why I feel insulted.
One of my friends for instance, got a job and he was actually tortured to find himself an assistant for himself, but all those who tortured him so refused to find him an assistant. As I said, each and every disabled person has to face some problem or the other constantly.
(b) Respect for Difference by Disability
| Experience | Mobility Disability | Sensory Disability | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| BEING RESPECTED | 70.97% | 13.58% | 29.03% | 16.98% |
| BEING LABELLED | 77.5% | 38.27% | 22.5% | 33.96% |
| BEING DISRESPECTED | 75.32% | 35.8% | 24.68% | 35.85% |
| INCIDENCE | 74.07% | 12.35% | 25.93% | 13.21% |
Persons with both mobility and sensory impairments reported that they were labeled and shown complete disrespect by others is society because of their disability. A point to be noted here is that though the percentages for being disrespected are almost identical, when it comes to being labeled, it is the group of persons with mobility impairments who report greatest incidence of this form of human rights abuse.
One Interviewee who is 24 years old and is speech and hearing impaired shared the kind of disrespect that she has to face in society due to her disability thus:
They look down upon me, demean me, insult and make fun of me, joking about me behind my back, etc. as I cannot hear, people do all kinds of things and look at me and treat me strangely.
A 20 year old woman with Mobility disability from the uban area spoke of how she is labeled in society just because she had a disability.
Every person has something or he other to say to me when I go onto the roads and none of it is pleasant, they all call me hey you slut, you whore, where are you going, who is going to marry you, you bitch and even worse abuses. I have to endure all this when I go out and I keep thinking why did God have to create me like this.
(c) Respect for Difference by Education
| Experience | School | Undergraduation | Graduation or Higher | Uneducated | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| BEING RESPECTED | 32.26% | 10.99% | 12.9% | 23.53% | 19.35% | 13.33% | 35.48% | 17.74% |
| BEING LABELLED | 45% | 39.56% | 7.5% | 35.29% | 16.25% | 28.89% | 31.25% | 40.32% |
| BEING DISRESPECTED | 46.75% | 39.56% | 6.49% | 29.41% | 19.48% | 33.33% | 27.27% | 33.87% |
| INCIDENCE | 33.33% | 9.89% | 7.41% | 11.76% | 40.74% | 24.44% | 18.52% | 8.06% |
The percentage of persons with disabilities who completed their Schooling who reported being labeled or experiencing other forms of disrespect on the basis of their disability is identical. Interviewees who had completed their Under-Graduation however, reported being labeled for their disability more than being disrespected for the same, and persons who completed their Graduation said they had to face incidents of being shown disrespect by the others more than being labeled. When it comes to the uneducated persons with disabilities, their main concern was that of being labeled, the percentage being far more than being disrespected. In sum, the lesser the education the greater the likelihood that one would be labeled on the basis of a disability
An 18 year old woman with disability who had no formal education and who at the time of the interview was living in a rural area shared the kind of disrespect she has to face every day of her life thus:
They call me shorty, cripple, lame, I feel quite miserable and often cry my heart out listening to those words.
Another 22 year old man with disability who lived in the semi-urban area, had completed his 12th Class and was pursing his Graduation at the time of the interview, reported on how he gets labeled by the others in society with his disability most often, an example of which was as follows:
They said why does a man without the use of his legs needs to come to places like these or need to attend functions like these. They were able to say these things and hurt me so badly because they knew that I was not capable of getting back at them, because I was disabled.
(d) Respect for Difference by Region
| Experience | Urban Region | Semi-urban Region | Rural Region | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| BEING RESPECTED | 29.03% | 14.06% | 6.45% | 3.77% | 64.52% | 20.41% |
| BEING LABELLED | 25% | 31.25% | 26.25% | 39.62% | 48.75% | 39.8% |
| BEING DISRESPECTED | 29.87% | 35.94% | 28.57% | 41.51% | 41.56% | 32.65% |
| INCIDENCE | 44.44% | 18.75% | 29.63% | 15.09% | 25.93% | 7.14% |
Persons with Disabilities living in urban and Semi-urban regions have reported being disrespected more than being labeled, though that was also a crucial violation. When it comes to the rural region on the other hand, it is being labeled for their disability which persons with disabilities report more than being disrespected, although there were incidents cited for this too.
A 24 year old man from the urban area shared about he was humiliated because he had a disability thus:
I approached them, the mother pulled her daughter away from me and told her that she must not come too close to me, that she would also be afflicted with the same problem. I felt horrible listening to her speak like that about me.
Another person from the Semi-urban area, a visually impaired 24 year old woman shared her experience in society,
People speak very cheaply and insultingly about me when I go out in society, especially men pass really hurting comments about me. Added to this, even my family members say all kinds of things and make fun of me.
A 25 year old man with disability from the rural region spoke about how he is forever called by his disability name and how much of a humiliating experience this is for him thus:
If I were to go out somewhere, they call out to me, hey you lame duck, come over here. I think, well, I am lame and a cripple so I guess they are not wrong to call me like that, so let them. But once there were a group of the villagers standing by and they called me like that and began laughing out loud and that is when I felt really bad… Earlier, they would all call me by my given name but now they call me a lame. Everyone calls me like that. First they add the word cripple to my given name and then they call me with both names. I feel quite miserable when they do this kind of name calling.
(e) Respect for Difference by Sex
| Experience | Male | Female | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| BEING RESPECTED | 70.97% | 17.46% | 29.03% | 10.11% |
| BEING LABELLED | 55% | 34.92% | 45% | 40.45% |
| BEING DISRESPECTED | 59.74% | 36.51% | 40.26% | 34.83% |
| INCIDENCE | 51.85% | 11.11% | 48.15% | 14.61% |
As can be seen, both men and women with disabilities reported being respected less often than being labeled but whereas men with disabilities reported more frequently being disrespected, women with disabilities reported more incidents of being called their disability names.
For instance, a 46 year old man with disability from semi-urban area expressed his pain of encountering disrespect at every stage in his life,
Of course, they do make fun of me and call me all kinds of names, right from inside my home, to the auto rickshaw driver, at the bus stand, in the market, if I get into a bus or a train, wherever it might be, I would face the same kind of insults and humiliation.
One Interviewee who is a 20 year old woman with disability, who lives in the urban area and is uneducated shared the extent of abuse and humiliation that she as a woman with a disability has to endure when she went out into society:
Every person has something or the other to say to me when I go onto the roads and none of it is pleasant, they all call me hey you slut, you whore, where are you going, who is going to marry you, you bitch and even worse abuses. I have to endure all this when I go out and I keep thinking why did God have to create me like this.
(f) Respect for Difference by Housing
| Experience | Thatched Roof Housing | Tiled Roof Housing | Concrete Roof Housing | Rented Housing | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | R% | C% | |
| BEING RESPECTED | 38.71% | 25.53% | 32.26% | 15.63% | 12.9% | 12.12% | 16.13% | 7.04% |
| BEING LABELLED | 22.5% | 38.3% | 32.5% | 40.63% | 15% | 36.36% | 30% | 33.8% |
| BEING DISRESPECTED | 19.48% | 31.91% | 27.27% | 32.81% | 15.58% | 36.36% | 37.66% | 40.85% |
| INCIDENCE | 7.41% | 4.26% | 25.93% | 10.94% | 18.52% | 15.15% | 48.15% | 18.31% |
Persons with disabilities living in different kinds of houses all have reported being labeled and disrespected in society due to their disability. But when seen in detail, it becomes apparent that whereas persons with disabilities living in thatched and tiled roof houses said they faced more incidents of being labeled with their disability names than disrespected, persons living in concrete houses reported the same percentages for both. And when it comes to persons with disabilities living in rented houses, they reported more often being disrespected due to their disabilities than being labeled their disability names.
A 24 year old person with disability living in the semi-urban area in a small hutment spoke about the way people around labeled him with his disability and insulted him and his helplessness in stopping them from doing so thus:
They say you cannot walk or go anywhere you cripple, why do we even have to bother to speak with you, there are many ho speak like this with me. I feel very depressed when I hear words like this from them. I also feel what else can I do but listen to these people and bear with it. After all, I cannot speak the same kind of hurting words to them or stop them with physically.
Another person, a 40 year old woman with disabilities living in the rural area in a tiled roof house is resigned to her fate of bearing insults and humiliation for life and says,\
They all call me a cripple, be it young or old alike, all of them call me a cripple, but I think and feel, well I am a cripple and lame so I guess I must listen to them calling me the same.