Nagaland State’s Commissioner for Persons with Disability, Diethono Nakhro speaks at a programme organised by the ABAM at the Aoyimti Baptist Church, Dimapur on March 10, while a sign language interpreter interprets the proceeding. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | March 10
Social inclusion would imply making the world more inclusive, irrespective of race, standing, gender and class. But then again, the well-being of the differently-abled hardly comes into frame.
Globally, it is estimated that 1 in 5 people live with some kind of disability. As per statistics, 15 percent of the world population lives with disability, which translates into approximately 1 billion people, making it the world’s largest minority.
In India, the 2011 Census tips the figure at 26.8 million disabled people, while the same Census, puts the number in Nagaland at 29,631.
But these are only conservative estimates, maintained Nagaland state’s Commissioner for Persons with Disability, Diethono Nakhro, speaking at a programme organised by the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang (ABAM) at the Aoyimti Baptist Church, Dimapur on March 10. Nakhro’s words implied to the many unaccounted, which calls for greater sensitivity towards the needs of a group of people, who for much of their existence live in the margins of the social scheme of things.
The day’s programme, which had in attendance people with disabilities along with their guardians, was part of a ‘Social Concern’ initiative for the Differently-abled Persons organised by the ABAM in the lead up to its Sesquicentennial commemoration scheduled at the end of this year. ‘Let everything that has breath praise the Lord’ was the programme theme.
The inclusion of a sign language interpreter in the programme set it apart from other programmes that people have come acquainted with here.
Nakhro, who also is living with a locomotor condition, said that the church, with its influence, can play a big role in making the society sensitive to the needs of the disabled. She said, “Of all places, to accept someone, it ought to be the church. I am really glad the ABAM has initiated this programme to create more awareness.”
“There's no better way to celebrate such a milestone as the sesquicentennial than to make sincere effort to make the church more inclusive,” she added, while pointing out a general lack of sensitivity towards the needs of the disabled.
“Disabled people exist but it was like they didn't matter to the larger society,” she said.
According to her, it would be wrong to assume “we don’t have negative attitude towards disability.” On the contrary, she held that it is so ingrained in the psyche that it happens involuntarily.
Recalling her experience, she said that the car accident that left her paralysed from the waist down was life-changing. “I also never thought about disabled people. None of them was in my mind, was not in my consciousness. I was disgracefully unaware.”
Perceiving disability in terms of mobility was another concern pointed out. “Again, when we think of disability, we think of locomotor disability like my condition. However not all disability are visible. Although people tend to club people with disability as one, this is not true. Disability is diverse. Needs are different.”
While stating that there is so much the church can do to change attitude and perception, she added that it can be a role model for the wider society to bring about inclusion.
By inclusion, she said that it implies providing them with equal opportunities as with 'normal' people, instead of only limiting it to special services. “Many times disability inclusion is thought of as a separate special activity. But it's not that alone,” she maintained. “The church has the opportunity and capacity to transform the lives of people with disability, their family and care givers.”
The day-long programme also had Dr Imlitemsü Ozüküm, MD (PMR), Senior Specialist, DDRC, District Hospital, Dimapur addressing the issues of disability from a medical perspective.
