“Disability gifts us
certain abilities that are not taught in colleges or universities, no matter
how highly educated we are. We have an uncanny ability of positive thinking, of
comparing our advantages with people who have gone through many more difficulties
and handicaps, thus letting the concentration of psychiatrists and counselors
to be on able-bodied people.”
ABILITY
IN DISABILITY
By
Sai Padma Murthy, Vijayanagaram, India
“You
beg to be treated as a normal person,
At
the same time think that you are God's special creation that deserves
Extra
love and protection
Sometimes
you feel lonely,
Yet
you discover the power of loneliness.....
You
want to feel responsible and accountable,
So
you feel annoyed when people relieve you of your responsibilities
Yet
relaxed that you are free and mentally independent.......”
These lines are about 'physical disability',
a condition that can haunt and consume the lives of people. But I always feel
that disability gifts us certain abilities that are not taught in colleges or
universities, no matter how highly educated we are.
When the world is learning how to confine
itself to four walls, the disabled feel superior because they are masters in
the art of living within confines.
When women are trying desperately to fight
their inner conflicts and turmoil's, a disabled woman feels calm and serene, as
it is a rough path that has been traveled by her many years earlier.
When others fear to take bold decisions due
to a fear of failure, we know that we have traversed this path also a long time
ago.
We are the ones who have figured out how to
adapt a 'let us do it' attitude.
We have an uncanny ability of positive
thinking, of comparing our advantages with people who have gone through many
more difficulties and handicaps, thus letting the concentration of
psychiatrists and counselors to be on able-bodied people.
Our physical condition also releases us from
the societal obligations of marriage and childbearing, provided we learn how to
enjoy the freedom and power of our single status.
Disability lets us dream of anything and
everything under the sun without any limitations. Our dreams can never be
de-glamorized, as our visits to reality are rare.
Sometimes we want to feel 'feminine', be
recognized and loved as a woman. Paradoxically our handicap makes us
genderless, thus commanding people's respect for not how we look, but for what
we are. <b>It gives us the status of a human being, a person whose mental
personality has been assessed and is respected..
The most ironical thing however is that,
though bodily imperfect ourselves, we never forgive or forbear imperfections of
character and behavior in others. This quality I believe enhances the quality
of our relationships, rather than the quantity.
Disability, gives us the will power to
succeed in life - a will power that can't be shattered by a thousand
earthquakes. The fierce desire to prove ourselves is a need with us rather than
a goal. It is actually a life's mission for us.
When people have misconceptions about
identifying beauty with physical attributes, we set an example. We are living
proof of the fact that beauty is nothing but character and inner traits, which
are invisible in able-bodied people and highly visible in disabled persons.
Some may disagree that it is an advantage to
be a disadvantaged, but I
believe
that physical disability is nothing when you have achieved full
control
of your mind, which in turn controls your 'imperfect' body.
So whenever you feel discouraged while doing
an uphill task that doesn't require physical activity, ask yourself only one
question “IS DISABILITY REALLY LIMITING MY ABILITY TO DO THE THINGS I WANT
MOST?”; If the answer is a big "NO" it means you have won
over your ill feelings towards disability and chosen to respond in a positive
manner.
When the world is heading towards optimum use
of brainpower and to reap its manifold advantages, I strongly believe that,
with proper training and exposure to real-time situations, we shall be the
leaders of tomorrow, in management and other allied fields. One of the most
essential characteristics of management is the art of ' getting things done by
others'. We, the disabled are already masters in this art.
Where men like 'Stephen Hawkins' are
worshipped,
Where parents don't feel shattered if they
have a disabled child,
Where brainpower is considered ultimate,
Where handicapped are not neglected
whatever may be the reason,
Where barrier-free environments exist
(physically as well as
emotionally,
Where your opinion counts,
Where you don`t have to live in emotional
onfines....
(Originally
published in http://www.indianwomenonline.com/.
Author Sai Padma, a young woman of current generation, physically disabled, has
M.Com., B.L. degrees and working on her master’s in Accounting. Using her
computer skills she is reaching out to make a difference in the fields of
education and healthcare. You may email comments to saipadma@indiatimes.com.)
