MODELS OF DISABILITY WITH REFERENCE TO THE MOVIES

TAARE ZAMEEN PAR DIRECTED BY AAMIR KHAN AND

MARGARITA WITH A STRAW BY SHONALI BOSE

A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE

REQUIREMENTS

(PAPER ENGMT - 401)

FOR THE DEGREE OF

MASTER IN ARTS

in

ENGLISH

Supervisor: Submitted by :
Dr. Stuti Khare Anushka Chaurasia
Assistant Professor 2210381300012
Department of English
Isabella Thoburn College

DEPARTMENT OF ENGLISH
ISABELLA THOBURN COLLEGE
LUCKNOW

2023- 24
 CHAURASIA 2

CERTIFICATE

In the partial fulfilment of Master’s degree, this is to certify that Anushka

Chaurasia has worked on the dissertation project titled

Models of Disablity with Reference to the Movies Taare Zameen

Par Directed By Aamir Khan and Margarita With A Straw By

Shonali Bose under my guidance and supervision.

Supervisor :

Dr. Stuti Khare

Assistant Professor

Department of English

Isabella Thoburn College,

Lucknow

Place: Lucknow
 CHAURASIA 3

CONTENTS

SR.NO CHAPTERS PG.NO

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 4

1. INTRODUCTION 5-9
MODELS OF DISABILITY
2. 10-15
SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY
3. 16-24

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF DISABILITY

4. 25- 37

TAARE ZAMEEN PAR ( LIT. ‘STARS ON

5. 38- 50
EARTH’)

MARGARITA WITH A STRAW

6. 50- 58

CONCLUSION
7. 59-61
 CHAURASIA 4

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Throughout the writing of this dissertation, I have received a great deal of

support and assistance. I would like to express my deep sense of gratitude

towards Dr. Fernandez (H.O.D, Department of English) for inculcating in me

the enthusiasm and keen interest for working towards this dissertation and for

all the lessons and knowledge he’s always imparted to us.

I am highly thankful to Dr. Stuti Khare Ma’am for her selfless efforts

towards making me a better student and supervising me at every minute

step and helping me through to bring this dissertation to its final form and

being the guiding force in completion of my work, and all the honourable

teachers of our department whose knowledge and guidance have been the

helping hand.

Then I would like to thank my parents for her everlasting

encouragement towards everything I do.

Lastly, I would thank my sister for being the support system and standing by

me in my highs and lows.

 CHAURASIA 5

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Disability is the experience of any condition that makes it more difficult for a person to do certain

activities or have equitable access within a given society. Disabilities may

be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or a combination of multiple factors.

Disabilities can be present from birth or can be acquired during a person's lifetime. Historically, disabilities

have only been recognized based on a narrow set of criteria—however, disabilities are not binary and can

be present in unique characteristics depending on the individual. A disability may be readily

visible, or invisible in nature.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities defines disability as:

long- term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers

may hinder full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.Disabilities have been

perceived differently throughout history, through a variety of different theoretical lenses. There are two

main models that attempt to explain disability in our society: the medical model and the social model. The

medical model serves as a theoretical framework that considers disability as an undesirable medical

condition that requires specialized treatment. Those who ascribe to the medical model tend to focus on

finding the root causes of disabilities, as well as any cures—such as assistive technology. The social model

centers disability as a societally-created limitation on individuals who do not have the same ability as the

majority of the population. Although the medical model and social model are the most common frames for

disability, there are a multitude of other models that theorize disability. Many terms explain aspects of

disability. While some terms solely exist to describe phenomena pertaining to disability, others have been

centered around stigmatizing and ostracizing those with disabilities. Some terms have such a negative

connotation that they are considered to be slurs.

A current point of contention is whether it is appropriate to use person-first language or identity-

first language when referring to disability and an individual.Due to the marginalization of disabled people,

there have been several activist causes that push for equitable treatment and access in society. Disability
 CHAURASIA 6

activists
 CHAURASIA 7

have fought to receive equal and equitable rights under the law—though there are still political issues that

enable or advance the oppression of disabled people. Although disability activism serves to

dismantle ableist systems, social norms relating to the perception of disabilities are often reinforced

by tropes used by the media. Since negative perceptions of disability are pervasive in modern society,

disabled people have turned to self-advocacy in an attempt to push back against their marginalization. The

recognition of disability as an identity that is experienced differently based on the other multi-faceted

identities of the individual is one often pointed out by disabled self-advocates. The ostracization of

disability from mainstream society has created the opportunity for a disability culture to emerge. While

disabled activists still promote the integration of disabled people into mainstream society, several disabled-

only spaces have been created to foster a disability community—such as with art, social media, and sports.

HISTORY

Contemporary understandings of disability derive from concepts that arose during the

scientific Enlightenment in the west; prior to the Enlightenment, physical differences were viewed through

a different lens.There is evidence of humans during prehistory that looked after people with disabilities. At

the Windover Archeological Site, one of the skeletons was a male about 15 years old who had spina bifida.

The condition meant that the boy, probably paralyzed below the waist, was taken care of in a hunter-

gatherer community. Disability was not viewed as a means of divine punishment and therefore disabled

individuals were neither exterminated nor discriminated against for their impairments. Many were instead

employed in different levels of Mesopotamian society including working in religious temples as servants of

the gods. In Ancient Egypt, staffs were frequently used in society. A common usage for them was for older

persons with disabilities to help them walk. Windover Archeological Site, location of the 15 year old with

spina bifida who was taken care of in a hunter-gather community.

Provisions that enabled individuals with impaired mobility to access temples and healing

sanctuaries were made in ancient Greece. Specifically,by 370 B.C. at the most important healing sanctuary

in the wider area, the Sanctuary of Asclepius at Epidaurus, there were at least 11 permanent stone ramps

that provided
 CHAURASIA 8

access to mobility-impaired visitors to nine different structures; evidence that people with disabilities were
 CHAURASIA 9

acknowledged and cared for, at least partly, in ancient Greece. In fact, the Ancient Greeks may not have

viewed persons with disability all that differently from more able-bodied individuals as terms describing

them in their records appear to be very vague. As long as the disabled person in question could still

contribute to society, the Greeks appeared to tolerate them.

During the Middle Ages, madness and other conditions were thought to be caused by demons. They

were also thought to be part of the natural order, especially during and in the fallout of the Black Death,

which wrought impairments throughout the general population. In the early modern period there was a shift

to seeking biological causes for physical and mental differences, as well as heightened interest in

demarcating categories: for example, Ambroise Pare, in the sixteenth century, wrote of "monsters",

"prodigies", and "the maimed". The European Enlightenment's emphases on knowledge derived from

reason and on the value of natural science to human progress helped spawn the birth of institutions and

associated knowledge systems that observed and categorized human beings; among these, the ones

significant to the development of today's concepts of disability were asylums, clinics, and prisons.

Contemporary concepts of disability are rooted in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century developments.

Foremost among these was the development of clinical medical discourse, which made the human body

visible as a thing to be manipulated, studied, and transformed. These worked in tandem with scientific

discourses that sought to classify and categorize and, in so doing, became methods of normalization.

The concept of the "norm" developed in this time period, and is signaled in the work of the

Belgian statistician, sociologist, mathematician, and astronomer Adolphe Quetelet, who wrote in the 1830s

of l'homme moyen – the average man. Quetelet postulated that one could take the sum of all people's

attributes in a given population (such as their height or weight) and find their average and that this figure

should serve as a statistical norm toward which all should aspire. This idea of the statistical norm threads

through the rapid take-up of statistics gathering by Britain, the United States, and the Western European

states during this time period, and it is tied to the rise of eugenics. Disability, as well as the concepts of

abnormal, non-normal, and normalcy, came from this. The circulation of these concepts is evident in the

popularity of the freak show, where showmen profited from exhibiting people who deviated from those

norms.With the rise of eugenics in the latter part of the nineteenth century, such deviations were viewed as
 CHAURASIA 10

dangerous to the
 CHAURASIA 11

health of entire populations. With disability viewed as part of a person's biological make-up and thus their

genetic inheritance, scientists turned their attention to notions of weeding such as "deviations" out of the

gene pool.

Various metrics for assessing a person's genetic fitness were determined and were then used to

deport, sterilize, or institutionalize those deemed unfit. People with disabilities were one of the groups

targeted by the Nazi regime in Germany, resulting in approximately 250,000 disabled people being

killed during the Holocaust. At the end of the Second World War, with the example of Nazi eugenics,

eugenics faded from public discourse, and increasingly disability cohered into a set of attributes that

medicine could attend to – whether through augmentation, rehabilitation, or treatment.

In both contemporary and modern history, disability was often viewed as a by-product

of incest between first-degree relatives or second-degree relatives.A short government advisory animation

on the social model of disabilityDisability scholars have also pointed to the Industrial Revolution, along

with the economic shift from feudalism to capitalism, as prominent historical moments in the understanding

of disability.

Although there was a certain amount of religious superstition surrounding disability during

the Middle Ages, disabled people were still able to play significant roles in the rural production based

economy, allowing them to make genuine contributions to daily economic life. The Industrial Revolution

and the advent of capitalism made it so that people were no longer tied to the land and were then forced to

find work that would pay a wage in order to survive. The wage system, in combination with industrialized

production, transformed the way bodies were viewed as people were increasingly valued for their ability to

produce like machines. Capitalism and the industrial revolution effectively solidified this class of

"disabled" people who could not conform to the standard worker's body or level of work power.

As a result, disabled people came to be regarded as a problem, to be solved or erased. In the early

1970s, the disability rights movement became established, when disability activists began to challenge how

society treated disabled people and the medical approach to disability. Due to this work, physical barriers to
 CHAURASIA 12

access were identified. These conditions functionally disabled them, and what is now known as the social

model of disability emerged. Coined by Mike Oliver in 1983, this phrase distinguishes between the medical

model of disability – under which an impairment needs to be fixed – and the social model of disability –

under which the society that limits a person needs to be fixed

 CHAURASIA 13

CHAPTER TWO

MODELS OF DISABILITY

Models of disability can be condensed into two main approaches: the individual approaches, which see the

person as having a problem, and the social approaches, which see society as having a problem, being unable

to accommodate all people.

The four main models of disability can be defined as: the charity model; the medical model; the

social model and the human rights model. The first two focus on the disability of the individual as the

problem whilst the other two focus on external factors that need to be changed or adapted to create an

enabling environment.

The charity model identifies the individual as having a problem and tends to view persons with

disabilities as victims, or objects of pity, their impairment being their main identifier. They are seen as

recipients and beneficiaries of services. This approach sees persons with disabilities as passive, tragic or

suffering and requiring care. It assumes that it is the community and society’s responsibility to arrange all

services for these vulnerable people and know what is good for them.

The medical model also focuses on the individual and sees disability as a health condition, an impairment

located in the individual. It assumes that by addressing the medical ailment this will resolve the problem. In

this approach a person with disability is primarily defined as a patient, in terms of their diagnosis

requiring medical intervention. Disability is seen as a disease or defect that is at odds with the norm and

that needs to be fixed or cured.

The social model was developed as a reaction against the individualistic approaches of the charity

and medical models. It focuses on society and considers that the problem lies there. That due to barriers be

they social, institutional, economic or political persons with disabilities are excluded. This approach
 CHAURASIA 14

focuses on reforming society, removing barriers to participation, raising awareness and changing attitudes,

practice and policies.

The rights based model is based on the social model and shares the same premise that it is society

that needs to change. This approach focuses on equity and rights and looks to include all people equally

within society: women and men, girls and boys regardless of background or any type of characteristic. It is

founded on the principle that human rights for all human beings is an inalienable right and that all rights are

applicable and indivisible. It takes the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

as its main

reference point and prioritises ensuring that duty bearers at all levels meet their responsibilities. This

approach sees persons with disabilities as the central actors in their own lives, as decision makers, citizens

and rights holders. As with the social model, it seeks to transform unjust systems and practice.

MEDICAL MODEL OF DISABILITY

The medical model of disability, or medical model, is based in a biomedical perception of disability. This

model links a disability diagnosis to an individual's physical body. The model supposes that this disability

may reduce the individual's quality of life and aims to diminish or correct this disability with medical

intervention. It is often contrasted with the social model of disability.

The medical model focuses on curing or managing illness or disability. By extension, the medical

model supposes a compassionate or just society invests resources in health care and related services in an

attempt to cure or manage disabilities medically. This is in an aim to expand functionality and/or improve

functioning, and to allow disabled persons a more "normal" life. The medical profession's responsibility and

potential in this area is seen as central.

 CHAURASIA 15

History

Before the introduction of the biomedical model, patients relaying their narratives to the doctors was

paramount. Through these narratives and developing an intimate relationship with the patients, the doctors

would develop treatment plans in a time when diagnostic and treatment options were limited. This could

particularly be illustrated with aristocratic doctors treating the elite during the 17th and 18th centur

In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced a framework for working with disability,

publishing the "International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps". The framework

proposed to approach disability by using the terms Impairment, Handicap and Disability.

Impairment = a loss or abnormality of physical bodily structure or function, of logic-psychic origin, or

physiological or anatomical origin

Disability = any limitation or function loss deriving from impairment that prevents the performance of an

activity in the time lapse considered normal for a human being

Handicap = the disadvantaged condition deriving from impairment or disability limiting a person

performing a role considered normal in respect of age, sex and social and cultural factors.

Components and usage

During interactions with medical personnel is reduced to relaying information about specific symptoms of

the disability to medical While personal narrative is present in interpersonal interactions, and particularly

dominant in Western Culture, personal narrative professionals. The medical professionals then interpret the

information provided about the disability by the patient to determine a diagnosis, which likely will be

linked to biological causes. Medical professionals now define what is "normal" and what is "abnormal" in

terms of biology and disability.

In some countries, the medical model of disability has influenced legislation and policy pertaining

to persons with disabilities on a national level.

The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), published in 2001,

defines disability as an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions.
 CHAURASIA 16

Disability is the interaction between individuals with a health condition (such as cerebral palsy, Down

syndrome and depression) and personal and environmental factors (such as negative attitudes, inaccessible

transportation and public buildings, and limited social supports).

The altered language and words used show a marked change in emphasis from talking in terms of

disease or impairment to talking in terms of levels of health and functioning. It takes into account the social

aspects of disability and does not see disability only as a 'medical' or 'biological' dysfunction. That change

is consistent with widespread acceptance of the social model of disability.

Criticism

The medical model focuses on individual intervention and treatment as the proper approach to disability.

Emphasis is placed on the disability rather than on the systems and structures that inhibit the lives of people

with disabilities. Under the medical model, disabled bodies are depicted as deviant, pathological, and

defective, thus, best understood in medical terms. The history and future of disability are severely

constricted, focusing solely on medical implications and ignoring very real social constructions contributing

to the experience of disability. Alternatively, the social model presents disability less as an objective fact of

the body and mind, and positions it in terms of social relations.

Among advocates of disability rights, who tend to subscribe to the social model instead, the medical

model of disability is often cited as the basis of an unintended social degradation of disabled people

(otherwise known as ableism). Resources are seen as excessively misdirected towards an almost-

exclusively medical focus when those same resources could potentially be used towards things like

universal design and societal inclusionary practices. This includes the monetary and societal costs and

benefits of various interventions, be they medical, surgical, social or occupational, from prosthetics, drug-

based and other "cures", and medical tests such as genetic screening or preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

According to disability rights advocates, the medical model of disability is used to justify large investment

in these procedures, technologies and research, when adaptation of the disabled person's

environment could
 CHAURASIA 17

potentially be more beneficial to the society at large, as well as financially cheaper and physically more

attainable.

Also, some disability rights groups see the medical model of disability as a civil rights issue and

criticize charitable organizations or medical initiatives that use it in their portrayal of disabled people,

because it promotes a pitiable, essentially negative, largely disempowered image of people with disabilities

rather than casting disability as a political, social and environmental problem .

CURE

A cure is a substance or procedure that ends a medical condition, such as a medication, a surgical operation,

a change in lifestyle or even a philosophical mindset that helps end a person's sufferings; or the state of

being healed, or cured. The medical condition could be a disease, mental illness, genetic disorder, or simply

a condition a person considers socially undesirable, such as baldness or lack of breast tissue.

An incurable disease may or may not be a terminal illness; conversely, a curable illness can still

result in the patient's death.The proportion of people with a disease that are cured by a given treatment,

called the cure fraction or cure rate, is determined by comparing disease-free survival of treated people

against a matched control group that never had the disease.

Another way of determining the cure fraction and/or "cure time" is by measuring when the hazard

rate in a diseased group of individuals returns to the hazard rate measured in the general population.

Inherent in the idea of a cure is the permanent end to the specific instance of the disease. When a

person has the common cold, and then recovers from it, the person is said to be cured, even though the

person might someday catch another cold. Conversely, a person that has successfully managed a

disease, such as diabetes mellitus, so that it produces no undesirable symptoms for the moment, but without

actually permanently ending it, is not cured.

Related concepts, whose meaning can differ, include response, remission and recovery.

Response is a partial reduction in symptoms after treatment.

 CHAURASIA 18

Recovery is a restoration of health or functioning. A person who has been cured may not be fully

recovered, and a person who has recovered may not be cured, as in the case of a person in a temporary

remission or who is an asymptomatic carrier for an infectious disease.

Prevention is a way to avoid an injury, sickness, disability, or disease in the first place, and generally it

will not help someone who is already ill (though there are exceptions). For instance, many babies and

young children are vaccinated against polio (a highly infectious disease) and other infectious diseases,

which prevents them from contracting polio. But the vaccination does not work on patients who already

have polio. A treatment or cure is applied after a medical problem has already started.

Therapy treats a problem, and may or may not lead to its cure. In incurable conditions, a treatment

ameliorates the medical condition, often only for as long as the treatment is continued or for a short while

after treatment is ended. For example, there is no cure for AIDS, but treatments are available to slow down

the harm done by HIV and extend the treated person's life. Treatments don't always work. For

example, chemotherapy is a treatment for cancer, but it may not work for every patient. In easily cured

forms of cancer, such as childhood leukaemia's, testicular cancer and Hodgkin lymphoma, cure rates may

approach 90%. In other forms, treatment may be essentially impossible. A treatment need not be successful

in 100% of patients to be considered curative. A given treatment may permanently cure only a small

number of patients; so long as those patients are cured, the treatment is considered curative.
 CHAURASIA 19

CHAPTER THREE
SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY

The social model of disability identifies systemic barriers, derogatory attitudes, and social

exclusion, which make it difficult or impossible for disabled people to attain their valued functionings. The

social model of disability diverges from the dominant medical model of disability, which is a functional

analysis of the body as a machine to be fixed in order to conform with normative values. While physical,

sensory, intellectual, or psychological variations may result in individual functional differences, these do

not necessarily have to lead to disability unless society fails to take account of and include people

intentionally with respect to their individual needs. The origin of the approach can be traced to the 1960s,

and the specific term emerged from the United Kingdom in the 1980s.

The social model of disability is based on a distinction between the terms impairment and disability.

In this model, the word impairment is used to refer to the actual attributes that affect a person, such as the

inability to walk or breathe independently. It seeks to redefine disability to refer to the restrictions caused

by society when it does not give equitable social and structural support according to disabled peoples'

structural needs. As a simple example, if a person is unable to climb stairs, the medical model focuses on

making the individual physically able to climb stairs. The social model tries to make stair-climbing

unnecessary, such as by making society adapt to their needs, and assist them by replacing the stairs with a

wheelchair-accessible ramp. According to the social model, the person remains disabled with respect to

climbing stairs, but the disability is negligible and no longer disabling in that scenario, because the person

can get to the same locations without climbing any stairs.

HISTORY

Disability rights movement

There is a hint from before the 1970s that the interaction between disability and society was beginning to be

considered. British politician and disability rights campaigner Alf Morris wrote in 1969 .
 CHAURASIA 20

When the title of my Bill was announced, I was frequently asked what kind of improvements for the

chronically sick and disabled I had in mind. It always seemed best to begin with the problems of access. I

explained that I wanted to remove the severe and gratuitous social handicaps inflicted on disabled people,

and often on their families and friends, not just by their exclusion from town and county halls, art galleries,

libraries and many of the universities, but even from pubs, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and other places of

entertainment ... I explained that I and my friends were concerned to stop society from treating disabled

people as if they were a separate species.

The history of the social model of disability begins with the history of the disability rights

movement. Around 1970, various groups in North America, including sociologists, disabled people, and

disability- focused political groups, began to pull away from the accepted medical lens of viewing

disability. Instead, they began to discuss things like oppression, civil rights, and accessibility. This change

in discourse resulted in conceptualizations of disability that was rooted in social constructs.

In 1975, the UK organization Union of the Physically Impaired Against

Segregation (UPIAS) claimed: "In our view it is society which disables physically impaired people.

Disability is something imposed on top of our impairments by the way we are unnecessarily isolated and

excluded from full participation in society.This became known as the social interpretation, or social

definition, of disability.

Mike Oliver

Following the UPIAS "social definition of disability", in 1983 the disabled academic Mike Oliver coined

the phrase social model of disability in reference to these ideological developments. Oliver focused on the

idea of an individual model (of which the medical was a part) versus a social model, derived from the

distinction originally made between impairment and disability by the UPIAS.Oliver focused on the idea of

an individual model versus a social model. Oliver's seminal 1990 book The Politics of Disablement is

widely cited as a major moment in the adoption of this model. The book included just three pages about the

social model of disability.

 CHAURASIA 21

Developments
 CHAURASIA 22

he "social model" was extended and developed by academics and activists in Australia, the UK, the US, and

other countries to include all disabled people, including those who have learning disabilities, intellectual

disabilities, or emotional, mental health or behavioural problems.

Tool for cultural analysis

The social model has become a key tool in the analysis of the cultural representation of disability; from

literature, to radio, to charity-imagery to cinema. The social model has become the key conceptual analysis

in challenging, for examples, stereotypes and archetypes of disabled people by revealing how conventional

imagery reinforces the oppression of disabled people. Key theorists include Paul Darke (cinema), Lois

Keith (literature), Leonard Davis (Deaf culture), Jenny Sealey (theatre) and Mary-Pat O'Malley (radio).

Components and usage

A fundamental aspect of the social model concerns equality. The struggle for equality is often compared to

the struggles of other socially marginalized groups. Equal rights are said to empower people with the

"ability" to make decisions and the opportunity to live life to the fullest. A related phrase often used by

disability rights activists, as with other social activism, is "Nothing About Us Without Us".

The social model of disability focuses on changes required in society. These might be in terms of:

Attitudes, for example a more positive attitude towards certain mental traits or behaviors, or not

underestimating the potential quality of life of disabled people,

Social support, for example help dealing with barriers; resources, aids, or positive discrimination to provide

equal access, for example providing someone to explain work culture for an autistic employee,

Information, for example using suitable formats (e.g. braille), levels (e.g. simplicity of language) or

coverage (e.g. explaining issues others may take for granted),

 CHAURASIA 23

Physical structures, for example buildings with sloped access and elevators, or

Flexible work hours for people with circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

Limitations and criticisms

Oliver did not intend the social model of disability to be an all-encompassing theory of disability,

but rather a starting point in reframing how society views disability. This model was conceived of as a tool

that could be used to improve the lives of disabled people, rather than a complete explanation for every

experience and circumstance.

A primary criticism of the social model is its centering of the experiences of individuals with

physical impairments, which has resulted in overlooking other forms of disability, such as mental health

conditions.

A secondary criticism relates to how the social model underplays impairments' impacts. That is, the

focus on how the social environment can cause disablement may ignore the fact that impairments "can be

restrictive, painful and unpleasant.

Conversely, some argue against the language of impairment, indicating that some disabilities are

purely social and that no impairment exists, such as within the Deaf community. This relates to a critique

regarding the belief of a species norm, wherein there is a "normal" human body, and all variations to the

norm may be considered "impairments." Some activists and academic argue that this reliance on a species

norm still implies that impairments are deficits, meaning this model is still strongly connected to deficit

models of disability. That is, to be considered disabled, an individual must state they have an impairment,

which implies, to some degree, that they are damaged. Newer paradigms, such as Mad studies and

Neurodiversity studies, recognize a broad spectrum of human experience without a focus on a species norm

and thus, deviances from that norm that may be considered impairments or deficits.

The social model has also been criticized for not promoting the normal differences between disabled

people, who can be any age, gender, race, and sexual orientation, and instead presenting them as a
 CHAURASIA 24

monolithic, insufficiently individuated group of people.

 CHAURASIA 25

Despite these criticisms, academics whose work involves disability indicate that the social model is

still beneficial in helping people begin to rethink disability beyond deficit. As Finkelstein states, "A good

model can enable us to see something which we do not understand because in the model it can be seen from

different viewpoints … that can trigger insights that we might not otherwise develop.

As an identitY

In the late 20th century and early 21st century, the social model of disability became a

dominant identity for disabled people in the UK. Under the social model of disability, a disability identity is

created by "the presence of impairment, the experience of disablism and self- identification as a disabled

person.

The social model of disability implies that attempts to change, "fix", or "cure" individuals,

especially when used against the wishes of the individual, can be discriminatory and prejudiced. This

attitude, which may be seen as stemming from a medical model and a subjective value system, can harm the

self-esteem and social inclusion of those constantly subjected to it (e.g. being told they are not as good or

valuable, in an overall and core sense, as others). Some communities have actively resisted "treatments",

while, for example, defending a unique culture or set of abilities. In the Deaf community, sign language is

valued even if most people do not know it, and some parents argue against cochlear implants for deaf

infants who cannot consent to them. Autistic people may say that their "unusual" behavior, which they say

can serve an important purpose to them, should not have to be suppressed to please others. They

argue instead for acceptance of neurodiversity and accommodation to different needs and goals. Some

people diagnosed with a mental disorder argue that they are just different and do not necessarily conform.

The biopsychosocial model of disease/disability is an attempt by practitioners to address this.

The Neurodiversity label has been used by various mental-disability rights advocates within the

context of the social model of disability. The label, originally associated with autism, has been applied to

other neurodevelopmental conditions, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, developmental speech
 CHAURASIA 26

disorders, dyslexia, dysgraphia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysnomia, intellectual disability, and Tourette

syndrome, as well as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and some mental health conditions such

as schizoaffective disorder, antisocial personality disorder, dissociative disorders, and obsessive–

compulsive disorder.

The social model implies that practices such as eugenics are founded on social values and a

prejudiced understanding of the potential and value of those labeled disabled. "Over 200,000 disabled

people were some of the earlier victims of the Holocaust, after Communists, other political enemies, and

homosexuals."[35]

A 1986 article stated:

It is important that we do not allow ourselves to be dismissed as if we all come under this one great

metaphysical category 'the disabled'. The effect of this is a depersonalization, a sweeping dismissal of our

individuality, and a denial of our right to be seen as people with our own uniqueness, rather than as the

anonymous constituents of a category or group. These words that lump us all together – 'the disabled', 'spina

bifida', 'tetraplegic', 'muscular dystrophy', – are nothing more than terminological rubbish bins into which

all the important things about us as people get thrown away.

Economic aspects

The social model also relates to economic empowerment, proposing that people can be disabled by

a lack of resources to meet their needs. For example, a disabled person may need support services to be able

to participate fully in society, and can become disabled if society cuts access to those support services,

perhaps in the name of government austerity measures.

The social model addresses other issues, such as the underestimation of the potential of disabled

people to contribute to society and add economic value to society if they are given equal rights and equally

suitable facilities and opportunities as others. Economic research on companies that attempt to

accommodate disability in their workforce suggest they outperform competitors.

In Autumn 2001, the UK Office for National Statistics identified that approximately one-fifth of the

working-age population was disabled, equating to an estimated 7.1 million disabled people, compared to an
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estimated 29.8 million nondisabled people. This analysis also provided insight into some of the reasons why
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disabled people were not in the labor market, such as that the reduction in disability benefits in entering the

labor market would not make it worthwhile to enter into employment. A three-pronged approach was

suggested: "incentives to work via the tax and benefit system, for example through the Disabled Person's

Tax Credit; helping people back into work, for example via the New Deal for Disabled People; and tackling

discrimination in the workplace via anti-discrimination policy. Underpinning this are the Disability

Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 and the Disability Rights Commission.

Canada and the United States have operated under the premise that social assistance benefits should

not exceed the amount of money earned through labour in order to give citizens an incentive to search for

and maintain employment. This has led to widespread poverty amongst disabled citizens. In the 1950s,

disability pensions were established and included various forms of direct economic assistance; however,

compensation was low. Since the 1970s, both governments have viewed unemployed, disabled citizens as

excess labor due to continuous high unemployment rates and have made minimal attempts to increase

employment, keeping disabled people at poverty-level incomes due to the 'incentive' principle. Poverty is

the most debilitating circumstance disabled people face, resulting in the inability to afford

proper medical, technological and other assistance necessary to participate in society.

Law and public policy

In the United Kingdom, the Disability Discrimination Act defines disability using the medical model

- disabled people are defined as people with certain conditions or limitations on their ability to carry out

"normal day-to-day activities." But the requirement of employers and service providers to make "reasonable

adjustments" to their policies or practices, or physical aspects of their premises, follows the social model.

By making adjustments, employers and service providers are removing the barriers that disable, according

to the social model. In 2006, amendments to the act called for local authorities and others to actively

promote disability equality; this was enforced via the formation of the Disability Equality Duty in

December 2006. In 2010, The Disability Discrimination Act (1995) was amalgamated into the Equality Act

2010, along with other pertinent discrimination legislation. The Equality Act of 2010 extends the law on

discrimination to indirect discrimination. For example, if a carer of a disabled person is discriminated

against, this is now also unlawful. Since October 2010, when it came into effect, employers may not legally
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ask questions about illness

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or disability at interviews for a job or for a referee to comment on such in a reference, except where there is

a need to make reasonable adjustments for an interview to proceed. Following an offer of a job, an

employer can lawfully ask such questions.

In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), is a wide-ranging civil rights law

that prohibits discrimination based on disability in a wide range of settings. The ADA was the first civil

rights law of its kind in the world and affords protections against discrimination to disabled Americans. The

law was modeled after the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which made discrimination based on race, religion,

sex, national origin, and other characteristics illegal. It requires that mass transportation, commercial

buildings, and public accommodations be accessible to disabled people.

In 2007, the European Court of Justice in the Chacón Navas v Eurest Colectividades SA court case,

defined disability narrowly according to a medical definition that excluded temporary illness, when

considering the Directive establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and

occupation (Council Directive 2000/78/EC). The directive did not provide for any definition of disability,

despite discourse in policy documents previously in the EU about endorsing the social model of disability.

This allowed the Court of Justice to take a narrow medical definition.

Technology

Over the last several decades, technology has transformed networks, services, and communication by

promoting the rise of telecommunications, computer use, etc. This Digital Revolution has changed how

people work, learn, and interact, moving these basic human activities to technological platforms. However,

many people who use such technology experience a form of disability. Even if it is not physically visible,

those with, for example cognitive impairments, hand tremors, or vision impairments, have some form of

disability that prohibit them from fully accessing technology in the way that those without a "technological

disability" do.

In "Disability and New Media," Katie Ellis and Mike Kent state that "technology is often presented

as a source of liberation; however, developments associated with Web 2.0 show that this is not always the
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case." They go on to state that the technological advancement of Web 2.0 is tethered to social ideology and

stigma which "routinely disables people with disability”.

In "Digital Disability: The Social Construction of Disability in New Media," Gregg Goggin and

Christopher Newell call for an innovative understanding of new media and disability issues. They trace

developments ranging from telecommunications to assistive technologies to offer a technoscience of

disability ,which offers a global perspective on how disabled people are represented as users, consumers,

viewers, or listeners of new media, by policymakers, corporations, programmers, and disabled people

themselves.
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CHAPTER FOUR

SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF DISABILITY

The social construction of disability comes from a paradigm that suggests that society's beliefs about a

particular community, group, or population are grounded in the power structures inherent in that society at

any given time. These are often steeped in historical representations of the issue and social expectations

surrounding concepts, such as disability, thereby enabling a social construct around what society deems

disabled and healthy.

Ideas surrounding disability stem from societal attitudes, often connected to who is deserving or

undeserving, and deemed productive to society at any given time. For example, in the medieval period, a

person's moral behavior established disability. Disability was a divine punishment or side effect of a moral

failing; being physically or biologically different was not enough to be considered disabled. Only during

the European Enlightenment did society change its definition of disability to be more related to biology.

However, what most Western Europeans considered to be healthy determined the new biological definition

of health.

2000 Paralympics

While the Olympics were covered live throughout the entire event, the Paralympics were not seen as

important enough for the same live coverage before the initial showing. By separating the Olympics and

Paralympics, and thus indicating that one is less valuable than the other, disability is socially constructed.

Applications

Applying the social model of disability can change goals and care plans. For example, with the medical

model of disability, the goal may be to help a child acquire typical abilities and to reduce impairment. With

the social model, the goal may be to have a child be included in the normal life of the community, such as

attending birthday parties and other social events, regardless of the level of function.
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Education

It has been suggested that disability education tries to restore the idea of a moral community, one in which

the members question what constitutes a good life, reimagine education, see physical and mental conditions

as part of a range of abilities, consider that different talents are distributed in different ways, and understand

that all talents should be recognized. In this system, all students would be included in the educational

network instead of being set apart as special cases, and it would be acknowledged that all humans have

individual needs.

OTHER MODELS

The political/relational model is an alternative to and critical engagement with both the social and medical

models. This analytic posed by Alison Kafer shows not only how the "problem" of disability "is located in

inaccessible buildings, discriminatory attitudes, and ideological systems that attribute normalcy and

deviance to particular minds and bodies" but also how mind and bodily impairments can still have disabling

effects. Furthermore, the political/relational model frames the medicalization of disabled folks as political

in nature given it should always be interrogated.

The spectrum model refers to the range of audibility, sensibility, and visibility under which people

function. The model asserts that disability does not necessarily mean a reduced spectrum of operations.

Rather, disability is often defined according to thresholds set on a continuum of disability. The moral

model refers to the attitude that people are morally responsible for their own disability. For example,

disability may be seen as a result of bad actions of parents if congenital, or as a result of practicing

witchcraft if not. Echoes of this can be seen in the doctrine of karma in Eastern and New Age religions. It

also includes notions that a disability gives a person "special abilities to perceive, reflect, transcend, be

spiritual".

The expert/professional model has provided a traditional response to disability issues and can be
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seen as an offshoot of the medical model. Within its framework, professionals follow a process of

identifying the
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impairment and its limitations (using the medical model), and taking the necessary action to improve the

position of the disabled person. This has tended to produce a system in which an authoritarian, over-active

service provider prescribes and acts for a passive client.

The tragedy/charity model depicts disabled people as victims of circumstance who are deserving of

pity. This, along with the medical model, are the models used by most people with no acknowledged

disability to define and explain disability.

The legitimacy model views disability as a value-based determination about which explanations for

the atypical are legitimate for membership in the disability category. This viewpoint allows for multiple

explanations and models to be considered as purposive and viable.

The social adapted model states although a person's disability poses some limitations in an able-

bodied society, often the surrounding society and environment are more limiting than the disability itself.

The economic model defines disability in terms of reduced ability to work, the related loss of

productivity and economic effects on the individual, employer and society in general.

The empowering model (also, customer model or Supported decision making) allows for the person

with a disability and his/her family to decide the course of his/her treatment. This turns the professional into

a service provider whose role is to offer guidance and carry out the client's decisions. This model

"empowers" the individual to pursue his/her own goals. The market model of disability is minority rights

and consumerist model of disability that recognizing disabled people and their stakeholders as representing

a large group of consumers, employees, and voters. This model looks to personal identity to define

disability and empowers people to chart their own destiny in everyday life, with a particular focus on

economic empowerment. Based on US Census data, this model shows that there are 1.2 billion people in

the world who consider themselves to have a disability. "This model states that due to the size of the

demographic, companies and governments will serve the desires, pushed by demand as the message

becomes prevalent in the cultural mainstream.

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The consumer model of disability is based upon the "rights-based" model and claims that disabled

people should have equal rights and access to products, goods, and services offered by businesses. The

consumer model extends the rights-based model by proposing that businesses, not only accommodate

customers with disabilities under the requirements of legislation but that businesses actively seek, market

to, welcome and fully engage disabled people in all aspects of business service activities. The model

suggests that all business operations, for example, websites, policies, procedures, mission statements,

emergency plans, programs, and services, should integrate access and inclusion practices. Furthermore,

these access and inclusion practices should be based on established customer service access and inclusion

standards that embrace and support the active engagement of people of all abilities in business offerings. In

this regard, specialized products and specialized services become important, such as auxiliary means,

prostheses, special foods, domestic help, and assisted living.

Different theories revolve around prejudice, stereotyping, discrimination, and stigma related to

disability. One of the more popular ones, as put by Weiner, Perry, and Magnusson's (1988) work

with attribution theory, physical stigmas are perceived as to be uncontrollable and elicit pity and desire to

help, whereas, mental-behavioral stigmas are considered to be controllable and therefore elicit anger and

desire to neglect the individuals with disabilities.

The 'just-world hypothesis' talks about how a person is viewed as deserving the disability. And

because it is the fault of that person, an observer does not feel obligated to feel bad for him or to help him.

TERMINOLOGY

People-first language People-first language is one way to talk about disability which some people prefer.

Using people-first language is said to put the person before the disability. Those individuals who prefer

people-first language would prefer to be called, "a person with a disability". This style is reflected in major

legislation on disability rights, including the Americans with Disabilities Act and the UN Convention on the

Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

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"Cerebral Palsy: A Guide for Care" at the University of Delaware describes people-first language.

The American Psychological Association style guide states that, when identifying a person with a

disability, the person's name or pronoun should come first, and descriptions of the disability should be used

so that the disability is identified, but is not modifying the person. Acceptable examples included "a woman

with Down syndrome" or "a man who has schizophrenia". It also states that a person's adaptive equipment

should be described functionally as something that assists a person, not as something that limits a person,

for example, "a woman who uses a wheelchair" rather than "a woman in/confined to a wheelchair".

People-first terminology is used in the UK in the form "people with impairments" (such as "people

with visual impairments"). However, in the UK, identity-first language is generally preferred over people-

first language.

The use of people-first terminology has given rise to the use of the acronym PWD to refer to

person(s) (or people) with disabilities (or disability). However other individuals and groups prefer identity-

first language to emphasize how a disability can impact people's identities. Which style of language used

varies between different countries, groups and individuals.

Identity-first language

Identity-first language describes the person as "disabled". Some people prefer this and argue that

this fits the social model of disability better than people-first language, as it emphasizes that the person is

disabled not by their body, but by a world that does not accommodate them.

This is especially true in the UK, where it is argued under the social model that while someone's

impairment (for example, having a spinal cord injury) is an individual property, "disability" is something

created by external societal factors such as a lack of accessibility. This distinction between the individual

property of impairment and the social property of disability is central to the social model. The term

"disabled people" as a political construction is also widely used by international organizations of disabled

people, such as Disabled Peoples' International.

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Using the identity-first language also parallels how people talk about other aspects of identity and

diversity. For example:-

In the autism community, many self-advocates and their allies prefer terminology such as 'Autistic,'

'Autistic person,' or 'Autistic individual' because we understand autism as an inherent part of an individual's

identity – the same way one refers to 'Muslims,' 'African-Americans,'

'Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer,' 'Chinese,' 'gifted,' 'athletic,' or 'Jewish.'

Similarly, Deaf communities in the U.S. reject people-first language in favor of identity-first

language.

In 2021, the US Association on Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) announced their

decision to use identity-first language in their materials, explaining: "Identity-first language challenges

negative connotations by claiming disability directly. Identity-first language references the variety that

exists in how our bodies and brains work with a myriad of conditions that exist, and the role of inaccessible

or oppressive systems, structures, or environments in making someone disabled.

Handicap

The term handicap derives from the medieval game Hand-in-cap, in which two players trade possessions,

and a third, neutral person judges the difference of value between the possessions. The concept of a neutral

person evening up the odds was extended to handicap racing in the mid-18th century, where horses carry

different weights based on the umpire's estimation of what would make them run equally. In the early 20th

century the word gained the additional meaning of describing a disability, in the sense that a person with a

handicap was carrying a heavier burden than normal. This concept, then, adds to the conception of

disability as a burden, or individual problem, rather than a societal problem.

Accessibility

Accessibility is the degree to which a product, service or environment is available for use to the people that

need it. People with certain types of disabilities struggle to get equal access to some things in society. For
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example, a blind person cannot read printed paper ballots, and therefore does not have access to voting that

requires paper ballots. Another example can be that a person in a wheelchair cannot ascend stairs and

therefore does not have access to buildings without ramps. Accessible access to health clubs and fitness

centers has been observed to be especially problematic.

Accommodation

A change that improves access. For example, if voting ballots are available in braille or on a text-to-

speech machine, or if another person reads the ballot to the blind person and recorded the choices, then the

blind person would have access to voting.

Invisible disability

Invisible disabilities, also known as Hidden Disabilities or Non-visible Disabilities (NVD), are disabilities

that are not immediately apparent, or seeable. They are often chronic illnesses and conditions that

significantly impair normal activities of daily living. Invisible disabilities can hinder a person's efforts to go

to school, work, socialize, and more. Some examples of invisible disabilities include intellectual

disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, fibromyalgia, mental

disorders, asthma, epilepsy, allergies, migraines, arthritis, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rights and policies

The disability rights movement aims to secure equal opportunities and equal rights for disabled people. The

specific goals and demands of the movement are accessibility and safety in transportation, architecture, and

the physical environment; equal opportunities in independent living, employment, education, and housing;

and freedom from abuse, neglect, and violations of patients' rights. Effective civil rights legislation is

sought to secure these opportunities and rights.

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The early disability rights movement was dominated by the medical model of disability, where

emphasis was placed on curing or treating disabled people so that they would adhere to the social norm, but

starting in the 1960s, rights groups began shifting to the social model of disability, where disability is

interpreted as an issue of discrimination, thereby paving the way for rights groups to achieve equality

through legal means.

Advocacy for disability issues and accessibility in the republics of the former Soviet Union has

become more organized and influential in policymaking.

Evolving from the disability rights movement is the Disability Justice movement, which aims to

improve the lives of disabled people through prioritizing collective liberation, as opposed to prioritizing

legislative change and traditional civil rights. This framework, dubbed the "second wave" of disability

rights, seeks to examine the many systems of oppression that are intertwined with ableism, such

colonialism, white supremacy, and heteropatriarchal capitalism. The term "Disability Justice" was

coined in 2005 by LGBTQ disabled women of color, Mia Mingus, Patricia Berne, and Stacey Milbern,

who sought to build an anti-ableist movement with a larger emphasis on intersectionality than mainstream

disability rights, as to center marginalized voices. Their group, the Disability Justice Collective, also

included notable disability activists such as Sebastian Margaret, Leroy F. Moore Jr., well known for his

poetry and founding of the Krip Hop movement, and Eli Clare, well known for popularizing the bodymind

concept within disability studies.

Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

On December 13, 2006, the United Nations formally agreed on the Convention on the Rights of

Persons with Disabilities, the first human rights treaty of the 21st century, to protect and enhance the rights

and opportunities of the world's estimated 650 million disabled people. As of January 2021, 182 nations

have ratified or accepted accession to the convention. Countries that sign the convention are required to
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adopt national laws, and remove old ones, so that persons with disabilities will, for example, have equal

rights to
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education, employment, and cultural life; to the right to own and inherit property; to not be discriminated

against in marriage, etc.; and to not be unwilling subjects in medical experiments. UN officials, including

the High Commissioner for Human Rights, have characterized the bill as representing a paradigm shift in

attitudes toward a more rights-based view of disability in line with the social model.

International Year of Disabled Persons

In 1976, the United Nations began planning for its International Year for Disabled Persons (1981), later

renamed the International Year of Disabled Persons. Some disability activists used the Year to highlight

various injustices, such as in Australia where beauty pageants were targeted in order to, in the words of

activist Leslie Hall, "challenge the notion of beauty" and "reject the charity ethic. The UN Decade of

Disabled Persons (1983–1993) featured a World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons. In

1979, Frank Bowe was the only person with a disability representing any country in the planning of IYDP-

1981. Today, many countries have named representatives who are themselves individuals with disabilities.

The decade was closed in an address before the General Assembly by Robert Davila. Both Bowe and

Davila are deaf. In

1984, UNESCO accepted sign language for use in the education of deaf children and youth.

Policies in former Soviet Union republics

UN programs and OSCE work to align policy and programs in countries that were part of the former

Soviet Union with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Political issues

Political rights, social inclusion and citizenship have come to the fore in developed and some developing

countries. The debate has, some instances, moved beyond a concern about the perceived cost of maintaining

dependent disabled people to finding effective ways to ensure that disabled people can participate in and

contribute to society in all spheres of life.

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In developing nations, where the vast bulk of the estimated 650 million disabled people reside, a

great deal of work is needed to address concerns ranging from accessibility and education to self-

empowerment, self-supporting employment, and beyond.

In the past few decades, the efforts of disability rights activists around the world, focused on

obtaining full citizenship for disabled people, have come under academic study and gained some level of

public recognition in many places, such as in the United States.

There are obstacles in many countries in getting full employment and public perception of disabled

people varies.

Abuse

Disability abuse happens when a person is abused physically, financially, verbally or mentally due

to the person having a disability. As many disabilities are not visible (for example, asthma, learning

disabilities) some abusers cannot rationalize the non-physical disability with a need for understanding,

support, and so on.

As the prevalence of disability and the cost of supporting disability increases with medical

advancement and longevity in general, this aspect of society becomes of greater political importance. How

political parties treat their disabled constituents may become a measure of a political party's understanding

of disability, particularly in the social model of disability.

Poverty

The poverty rate for working-age people with disabilities is nearly two and a half times higher than that for

people without disabilities. Disability and poverty may form a vicious circle, in which physical barriers and

stigma of disability make it more difficult to get income, which in turn diminishes access to health care and

other necessities for a healthy life. In societies without state funded health and social services, living with a

disability could require spending on medication and frequent health care visits, in-home personal

assistance, and adaptive devices and clothing, along with the usual costs of living. The World

report on disability indicates that half of all disabled people cannot afford health care, compared to a third

of abled people. In countries without public services for adults with disabilities, their families may be
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impoverished.
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Disasters

There is limited research knowledge, but many anecdotal reports, on whathappens when disasters impact

disabled people. Individuals with disabilities are greatly affected by disasters.Those with physical

disabilities can be at risk when evacuating if assistance is not available. Individuals with cognitive

impairments may struggle with understanding instructions that must be followed in the event a disaster

occurs. All of these factors can increase the degree of variation of risk in disaster situations with disabled

individuals.

Research studies have consistently found discrimination against individuals with disabilities during

all phases of a disaster cycle. The most common limitation is that people cannot physically access buildings

or transportation, as well as access disaster-related services.The exclusion of these individuals is caused in

part by the lack of disability-related training provided to emergency planners and disaster relief personnel.

Tropes

There are distinct tactics that the media frequently employ in representing disabled presence. These

common ways of framing disability are heavily criticized for being dehumanizing and failing to place

importance on the perspectives of persons with disabilities. As outlined by disability theorist and

rhetorician Jay T. Dolmage, ableist media tropes can reflect and continue to perpetuate society's myths

about disabled people.

Inspiration porn

Inspiration porn refers to portrayals of persons with disabilities in which they are presented as being

inspiring simply because the person has a disability. These portrayals are criticized because they are created

with the intent of making viewers with no acknowledged disability feel better about themselves in

comparison to the individual portrayed. Rather than recognizing the humanity of persons with disabilities,

inspiration porn turns them into objects of inspiration for an audience composed of those with no

acknowledged disability.

Supercrip

The supercrip trope refers to instances when the media reports on or portray a disabled person who has
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made a noteworthy achievement but centers on their disability rather than what they actually did. They are

portrayed as awe-inspiring for being exceptional compared to others with the same or similar conditions.

This trope is widely used in reporting on disabled athletes as well as in portrayals of autistic savants.
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These representations, notes disability scholar Ria Cheyne, "are widely assumed to be inherently

regressive", reducing people to their condition rather than viewing them as full people. Furthermore,

supercrip portrayals are criticized for creating the unrealistic expectation that disability should be

accompanied by some type of special talent, genius, or insight.

Examples of this trope in the media include Dr.Shaun Murphy from The Good Doctor, Marvel's Daredevil,

and others.

Scholar Sami Schalk argues that the term supercrip has a narrow definition given how widely used the term

is.

Disabled villain

Characters in fiction that bear physical or mental markers of difference from perceived societal norms are

frequently positioned as villains within a text. Lindsey Row-Heyveld shares ways students should be taught

to begin to further analyze this issue. Disabled people's visible differences from the abled majority are

meant to evoke fear in audiences that can perpetuate the mindset of disabled people being a threat to

individual or public interests and well-being.

Disability Drop

The "disability drop" trope is when a supposedly disabled character is revealed to have been faking,

embellishing, or otherwise not actually embodying their claimed disability. Jay Dolmage offers

Kevin Spacey's character, Verbal Kint, in the film Usual Suspects as an example of this, and depictions like

this can reflect able-bodied society's mistrust of disabled people. In addition, this reveal of a

character's nondisabledness often serves as the narrative climax of a story, and the use of disability as a

source of conflict in the plot, narrative obstacle, or a device of characterization aligns with other disability

studies scholars' theory of "Narrative Prosthesis", a term coined by David T. Mitchell and Sharon Snyder.

The Disabled Victim

Another frequent occurrence is when someone with a disability is assumed to be miserable or helpless.
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The Hunchback of Notre Dame's Quasimodo, The Elephant Man's John Merrick, A Christmas Carol's Tiny

Tim, and even news broadcasts that refer to people as "victims" or "sufferers" are a few examples of this

stereotype.

Eternally Innocent

Characters with disabilities are frequently portrayed in movies as being angelic or childish. These films

include Rain Man (1988), Forrest Gump (1994) and I Am Sam (2001), all of which are excellent examples.

The innocent and endearing person with a disability often points out the inadequacies of their"normal" adult

peers, which helps them achieve salvation.

Like all the others, this stereotype perpetuates patronizing perceptions that are simply untrue and are

therefore damaging.

While there are many disability tropes, disability aesthetics attempts to dispel them by accurately depicting

disabled bodies in art and media.

Self advocacy

Some disabled people have attempted to resist marginalization through the use of the social model in

opposition to the medical model; with the aim of shifting criticism away from their bodies and impairments

and towards the social institutions that oppress them relative to their abled peers. Disability activism that

demands many grievances be addressed, such as lack of accessibility, poor representation in media, general

disrespect, and lack of recognition, originates from a social model framework.

The creation of 'disability culture' stemmed from the shared experience of stigmatization in broader

society. Embracing disability as a positive identity by becoming involved in disabled communities and

participating in disability culture can be an effective way to combat internalized prejudice; and can

challenge dominant narratives about disability.

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Intersections

The experiences that disabled people have to navigate social institutions vary greatly as a function of what

other social categories they may belong to. For example, a disabled man and a disabled woman experience

disability differently. This speaks to the concept of intersectionality, which explains that different aspects of

a person's identity (such as their gender, race, sexuality, religion, or social class) intersect and create unique

experiences of oppression and privilege. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities differentiates between a few kinds of disability intersections, such as the age-disability, race-

disability, and gender-disability intersection.However, many more intersections exist. Disability is defined

differently by each person; it may be visible or invisible, and multiple intersections often arise from

overlapping identity categories.

Race
Incidence of disability is reported to be greater among several minority communities across the globe,

according to a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study. Disabled people who are also

racial minorities generally have less access to support and are more vulnerable to violent discrimination. A

study in the journal Child Development indicated that minority disabled children are more likely to receive

punitive discipline in low and middle income countries. Due to the fact that children with disabilities are

mistreated more often than those without disability; racialized children in this category are at an even

higher risk. With respect to disability in the United States, Camille A. Nelson, writing for the Berkeley

Journal of Criminal Law, notes the dual discrimination that racial minorities with disabilities experience

from the criminal justice system, expressing that for "people who are negatively racialized, that is people

who are perceived as being non-white, and for whom mental illness is either known or assumed, interaction

with police is precarious and potentially dangerous.

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Gender

The marginalization of people with disabilities can leave persons with disabilities unable to actualize what

society expects of gendered existence. This lack of recognition for their gender identity can leave persons

with disabilities with feelings of inadequacy. Thomas J. Gerschick of Illinois State University describes

why this denial of gendered identity occurs:

Bodies operate socially as canvases on which gender is displayed and kinesthetically as the mechanisms by

which it is physically enacted. Thus, the bodies of people with disabilities make them vulnerable to being

denied recognition as women and men.

To the extent that women and men with disabilities are gendered, the interactions of these two identities

lead to different experiences. Women with disabilities face a sort of "double stigmatization" in which their

membership to both of these marginalized categories simultaneously exacerbates the negative stereotypes

associated with each as they are ascribed to them. However, according to the framework of

intersectionality, gender and disability intersect to create a unique experience that is not simply the

coincidence of being a woman and having a disability separately, but the unique experience of being a

woman with a disability. It follows that the more marginalized groups one belongs to, their experience of

privilege or oppression changes: in short, a black woman and a white woman will experience disability

differently.
 CHAURASIA 51

CHAPTER FIVE

TAARE ZAMEEN PAR ( LIT. ‘STARS ON EARTH’)

Taare Zameen Par (lit. 'Stars on Earth'), also known as Like Stars on Earth in English, is a 2007 Indian

Hindi- language musical drama film produced and directed by Aamir Khan. It stars Khan himself, with

Darsheel Safary, Tanay Chheda, Vipin Sharma and Tisca Chopra. It explores the life and imagination of

Ishaan (Safary), an artistically gifted 8-year-old boy whose poor academic performance leads his parents to

send him to a boarding school, where a new art teacher Nikumbh (Khan) suspects that he is dyslexic and

helps him to overcome his reading disorder.

Creative director and writer Amole Gupte developed the idea with his wife Deepa Bhatia, who was

the film's editor. Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy composed the score, and Prasoon Joshi wrote the lyrics for many of

the songs. Principal photography took place in Mumbai, and in Panchgani's New Era High School, where

some of the school's students participated in the filming.

Taare Zameen Par made its theatrical debut in India on 21 December 2007. It was commercially

successful, earning ₹98.48 crore gross worldwide.[3] It received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for

its story, screenplay, direction, dialogues, soundtrack, and performances. It also helped raise awareness

about dyslexia.

A recipient of several accolades, Taare Zameen Par was India's official entry at the 81st Academy

Awards for Best Foreign Film, but was not nominated. At the 55th National Film Awards, it won 3

awards: Best Film on Family Welfare, Best Lyrics (Prasoon Joshi for "Maa") and Best Male Playback

Singer (Shankar Mahadevan for "Maa"). At the 53rd Filmfare Awards, it received 11 nominations,

including Best Actor (Safary), Best Supporting Actor (Aamir Khan) and Best Supporting Actress (Chopra),

and won a leading 5 awards, including Best Film, Best Director (Aamir Khan) and Best Lyricist (Joshi for

"Maa").
 CHAURASIA 52

AAMIR KHAN

Mohammed Aamir Hussain Khan (pronounced [ˈaːmɪr xaːn]; born 14 March 1965) is an Indian actor,

filmmaker, and television personality who works in Hindi films. Referred to in the media as "Mr.

Perfectionist", he is known for played various characters and film genres, as well the choice of his film

types often raises social issue like education and gender equality which have an impact on india society,

even outside india such as china. Through his career spanning over 30 years, Khan has established himself

as one of the most notable actors of Indian cinema. Khan is the recipient of numerous awards,

including nine Filmfare Awards, four National Film Awards, and an AACTA Award, with one of his film

productions also receiving an Academy Award nomination. He was honoured by the Government of India

with the Padma Shri in 2003 and the Padma Bhushan in 2010, and received an honorary title from the

Government of China in 2017.

He has a large following, especially in India and China, and has been described by Newsweek as

"the biggest movie star in the world". He has been regularly listed among The 500 Most Influential

Muslims of the world. He also created and hosted the television talk show Satyamev Jayate. His work as a

social reformer earned him an appearance on the Time 100 list of most influential people in the world in

2013.

Plot

Ishaan Awasthi is an 8-year-old boy living in Mumbai, who has trouble following school, though he is

assumed by all to hate learning and assumed to be a troublemaker, and is belittled for it. He has repeated

the 3rd standard from the previous year due to his failures. His imagination, creativity, and talent for art and

painting are often disregarded. His father, Nandkishore, is a successful executive who expects his sons to

excel, and his mother, Maya, is a homemaker who is frustrated by her inability to educate Ishaan. Ishaan's

elder brother, Yohan is an exemplary student in whose shadow Ishaan remains. One day, Ishaan and his

parents are called by Ishaan's principal to discuss his behavior and grades. Fed up of hearing about Ishaan's

failures and lack of improvement, Nandkishore sends him to a boarding school. Alone there, he rapidly

sinks into a state of fear, anxiety, and depression, which is only worsened by the teachers there and their
 CHAURASIA 53

strict and abusive regime. His only friend is Rajan Damodaran, a physically disabled boy who is one of the

top students
 CHAURASIA 54

and resides with his family there, as his father is part of the school's board. Ishaan contemplates suicide one

day, but is stopped when he hears Rajan fall down and Ishaan gets off the ledge to help him up. Rajan also

informs him that Mr. Holkar, the school's authoritarian art teacher, has left the school and is being replaced

by someone else.

Ram Shankar Nikumbh, a cheerful and optimistic instructor at the Tulips School for young children

with developmental disabilities, joins the boarding school's faculty the same day, replacing Holkar, the

school's former art teacher. Ram's teaching style is markedly different from that of Holkar's, and he quickly

notes Ishaan's unhappiness after he fails to draw anything during the class. He reviews Ishaan's work and

concludes that his academic shortcomings are indicative of dyslexia. Ram then visits the Awasthis' home

in Mumbai, where he is surprised to discover Ishaan's hidden interest in art. Flustered, he demonstrates to

Maya and Yohan how Ishaan has extreme difficulty in understanding letters and words due to dyslexia, and

his poverty in sports skills stems from his poor motor ability (which also applies to his difficulty in tying

shoelaces). Nandkishore labels it as an intellectual disability (as well as excuse) and dismisses it as laziness

much to Ram's frustration.

Back at school, Ram brings up the topic of dyslexia in a class by offering a list of famous dyslexic

people. He comforts Ishaan, telling him how he struggled as a child as well. Ram obtains the principal's

permission to become Ishaan's tutor. With gradual care, he works to improve Ishaan's reading and writing

by using remedial techniques developed by dyslexia specialists. Eventually, both Ishaan's demeanor and his

grades improve. One day Nandkishore visits the school and tells Ram that he and Maya have read up on

dyslexia and understand the condition. Ram mentions that what Ishaan needs more than understanding is

that someone loves him. Outside Nandkishore sees Ishaan attempting to read from a board. With teary eyes,

he is unable to face his son and walks away.

At the end of the school year, Ram organises an arts and crafts contest for the staff and students,

judged by artist Lalita Lajmi. Ishaan's work makes him the winner and Ram, who paints Ishaan's portrait, is

declared the runner-up. The principal announces that Ram has been hired as the school's permanent art

teacher. When Ishaan's parents meet his teachers on the last day of school, they are left speechless by the
 CHAURASIA 55

transformation in him. Overcome with emotion, Nandkishore thanks Ram. Before leaving, Ishaan runs

toward Ram, who lifts him high up in a hug.

Development

The husband and wife team of Amole Gupte and Deepa Bhatia developed the story that eventually

became Taare Zameen Par as a way of understanding why some children could not conform to a

conventional educational system. Their work began as a short story that evolved into a screenplay over

seven years. Bhatia said in an interview with The Hindu that her original inspiration was the childhood

of Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, who did poorly in school. She cited a specific place in Kurosawa's

biography where he began to excel after meeting an attentive art teacher, and said that it "became the

inspiration for how a teacher could transform the life of a student".

While developing the character of a young boy based on Kurosawa, Bhatia and Gupte explored

some possible reasons why he failed in school. Their research led them to the Maharashtra Dyslexia

Association and Parents for a Better Curriculum for the Child (PACE). Dyslexia eventually became the

central topic and theme of the film. The pair worked with dyslexic children to research and develop the

screenplay, basing characters and situations on their observations. Bhatia and Gupte carefully concealed the

children's identities in the final version of the script.

Khan and Gupte first met in college. Khan has said that he admired Gupte's abilities as an actor,

writer, and painter. Three years before the film's release, Gupte brought Khan to the project as a producer

and actor. Gupte himself was to direct, but the first week's dailies were a great disappointment to Khan,

who "lost faith in Amole and his capability of translating on screen what he had so beautifully written on

paper".Khan was on the verge of withdrawing his participation in the film because of these "creative

differences", but Gupte kept him on board by stepping down as director. Contrary to Khan's claim, Gupte

lashed out saying that after the wrap-up party, Khan announced that he was the director of the film, despite

Gupte acting as director. Had it been necessary to hire a third party, production would have been postponed

for 6–8 months as the new director prepared for the film. Keen to keep Safary as Ishaan—the actor might
 CHAURASIA 56

have aged too much

 CHAURASIA 57

for the part had production been delayed—Khan took over the role of director. Taare Zameen Par was

Khan's first experience in the dual role of actor and director. He has admitted that the transition was

challenging, stating that while he had always wanted to direct a film, it was unknown territory for him.

Gupte remained on set, "guiding [Khan] and, at times, even correcting [him]".

Title and translation

Initially, the film was to retain the short story's title of "High Jump", which referenced Ishaan's inability to

achieve the high jump in gym class. This subplot, which was filmed but later cut, would have tied into the

original ending for the movie. In this planned ending, a "ghost image" separates from Ishaan after the art

competition and runs to the sports field; the film would end on a freeze frame of Ishaan's "ghost image"

successfully making the leap. Aamir Khan disliked this proposed ending and convinced Gupte to rewrite it.

With the working title no longer relevant, Khan, Gupte, and Bhatia discussed several

alternatives, eventually deciding on Taare Zameen Par. Possible translations of this title include Stars on the

Ground and Like Stars on Earth. According to Khan:

Taare Zameen Par is a film about children and it is a film which celebrates the abilities of

children. Taare Zameen Par is a title which denotes that aspect. It is a title with a very positive feel to it. All

the kids are special and wonderful. They are like stars on earth. This particular aspect gave birth to the title.

Filming

Principal photography took place in India over five months. Khan spent his first two days as

director blocking the first scene to be filmed: Ishaan returning home from school and putting away his

recently collected fish. Believing the audience should not be aware of the camera, he chose a simple

shooting style that involved relatively little camera movement.

The opening scene of Ishaan collecting fish outside his school was shot on location and at Film

City. The shots of Ishaan took place at the former, while those involving the gutter terrarium were filmed at

a water tank at the latter. The tank's water often became murky, forcing production to constantly empty and

refill it, and causing the scene to take eight hours to film. The film's next sequence involved Ishaan playing
 CHAURASIA 58

with two
 CHAURASIA 59

dogs. To compensate for the "absolutely petrified" Safary, most joint shots used a body double, though

other portions integrated close-up shots of the actor. Ishaan's nightmare—he becomes separated from his

mother at a train station and she departs on a train while he is trapped in a crowd—was filmed in Mumbai

on a permanent railway-station set. To work around the train set piece's immobility, production placed the

camera on a moving trolley to create the illusion of a departing train. For the sequences related from the

mother's point of view—shot from behind the actress—Chopra stood on a trolley next to a recreated section

of the train's door.

All the school sequences were filmed on location. The production team searched for a Mumbai

school with an "oppressive" feel to establish the "heaviness of being in a metropolitan school", and

eventually chose St. Xavier's School. As the school is situated along a main road filming took place on

weekends, to minimise the background noise, but an early scene in which Ishaan is sent out of the

classroom was filmed on the day of the Mumbai Marathon. The production staff placed acrylic sheets

invisible to the naked eye on the classroom windows to mask the sounds of nearby crowds and helicopters.

New Era High School served as Ishaan's boarding school. The change of setting was a "breath of fresh air"

for the production crew, who moved from Ishaan's small house in Mysore Colony, Chembur to the "vast,

beautiful environs" of Panchgani.

Production relied on stock footage for the brief scene of a bird feeding its babies. Khan carefully

selected a clip to his liking, but learned three weeks before the film's release that the footage was not

available in the proper format. With three days to replace it or else risk delaying the release, Khan made do

with what he could find. He says that he "cringes" every time he sees it.

Children

Real schoolchildren participated throughout the movie's filming. Khan credited them with the film's

success, and was reportedly very popular with them. Furthermore, Khan placed a high priority on the day-

to-day needs of his child actors, and went to great lengths to attend to them. The production staff made sure

that the students were never idle, and always kept them occupied outside of filming. New Era Faculty

Coordinator Douglas Lee thought the experience not only helped the children to learn patience and co-
 CHAURASIA 60

operation, but also gave them a better understanding of how they should behave towards children like

Ishaan who have problems in

 CHAURASIA 61

school. Because filming at New Era High School occurred during the winter holiday, those portraying

Ishaan's classmates gave up their vacation to participate. To fill in the campus background, students from

nearby schools were also brought in. A total of 1,500 children were used for wide-shots of the film's art-fair

climax; medium shots only required 400 students.

New to acting, the children often made errors such as staring into the camera, and Khan resorted to

unorthodox methods to work around their rookie mistakes. For example, an early scene in the film featured

a school assembly; Khan wanted the students to act naturally and to ignore the principal's speech, but

recognised that this would be a difficult feat with cameras present. First Assistant Director Sunil Pandey

spoke continuously in an attempt to "bore the hell out of [them]", and they eventually lost interest in the

filming and behaved normally. A later scene involved Nikumbh enlightening his class about famous people

with dyslexia, and the children's responses to his speech were the last portion to be filmed. Having already

spent 3–4 days hearing the dialogue the children's reactions were "jaded". Khan opted to film them while he

recited a tale, and manipulated his storytelling to achieve the varying spontaneous reactions.[37] The

following

scene had the children playing around a nearby pond. Horrified when he learned that the water was 15 feet

(4.6 m) deep, Khan recruited four lifeguards in case a child fell in.

Khan found it important that the audience connect the film to real children, and had Pandey travel

throughout India filming documentary-style footage of children from all walks of life. Those visuals were

integrated into the end credits.

Art and animation

While claymation has been used in Indian television commercials, the film's title sequence—a

representation of Ishaan's imagination—marked its first instance in a Bollywood film. Khan gave

claymation artist Dhimant Vyas free rein over the various elements. The storyboarding took one and a half

months and the shooting required 15 days. The "3 into 9" sequence, in which Ishaan delves into his

imagination to solve a math problem, was originally conceived as a 3D animation. Halfway through its

creation, however, Khan felt it was not turning out as he had envisioned it. Khan scrapped the project and
 CHAURASIA 62

hired Vaibhav Kumaresh, who hand-drew the scene as a 2D animation.

 CHAURASIA 63

Artist Samir Mondal composed Ishaan and Nikumbh's art-fair watercolor paintings. He held a

workshop with the schoolchildren, and incorporated elements from their artwork into Ishaan's. Mondal also

instructed Khan on a painter's typical mannerisms and movements. Gupte created the rest of Ishaan's

artwork and Assistant Art Director Veer Nanavati drew Ishaan's flipbook.The art department's designs for

Ishaan's school notebooks disappointed Khan, who had familiarized himself with dyslexic writing. Using

his left hand, Khan instead wrote it himself

Musical sequences

The musical sequence of "Jame Raho" establishes the characters of the four members of Ishaan's family; for

example, the father is hardworking and responsible, and Yohaan is an "ideal son" who does all the right

things. A robotic style of music overlaps most of the sequence—this is mirrored by the machine-like

morning routines of the mother, father, and Yohaan—but changes for Ishaan's portion to imply that he is

different from the rest. This concept is furthered by speed ramping and having the camera sway with the

music to create a distinct style. The twilight scenes of "Maa" were a particular issue for the production

crew. Because the specific lighting only lasted ten to fifteen minutes a day, the scenes took nearly ten

evenings to film. Production at one time considered having a child singing, but ultimately deemed it too

over the top and felt it would connect to more people if sung by an adult. Shankar initially performed the

song as a sample—they planned to replace him with another singer—but production eventually decided that

his rendition was best.

Ishaan's truancy scene—he leaves school one day after realizing that his mother has not signed his

failed math test—originally coincided with the song "Kholo Kholo," but Khan did not believe it worked

well for the situation. In his opinion, the accompanying song should focus on what a child wants—to be

free— and be told from the first-person perspective instead of "Kholo Kholo"'s second person. When Khan

took over as director, he opted to use "Mera Jahan"—a song written by Gupte—and moved "Kholo Kholo"

to the art fair. Viewers of test screenings were divided over the truancy scene. Half thoroughly enjoyed it

but the rest complained that it was too long, did not make sense, and merely showed "touristy" visuals of

Mumbai. Khan nevertheless kept the scene, because he "connected deeply" with it and felt that it
 CHAURASIA 64

established Ishaan's world.

 CHAURASIA 65

In writing the song "Taare Zameen Par," lyricist Prasoon Joshi followed the theme of "however much

you talk about children, it's not enough." Every line throughout the song describes children, and only one

repeats: "Kho Naa Jaaye Yeh / Taare Zameen Par" ("Let us not lose these / Little stars on earth").[57] The song

is mostly set to the annual day performance by the developmentally disabled children of Tulips School.

Actual students from Tulips School and Saraswati Mandir participated, and were filmed over a period of

five days.[58] The sequence originally featured numerous dance performances, but was trimmed down when

test

audiences found it too long.[59] A song accompanying the scene in which Ishaan's mother is watching home

videos of her son was also cut, and replaced with background music after test audiences expressed their

opposition to yet another song.

Background music

Timing and other aspects are usually planned when scoring a film, but Khan chose to take a more

improvised approach. Instead of using a studio, he and the trio Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy recorded it at Khan's

home in Panchgani, to clear their heads and not be in the mindset of the city. As they watched the film,

Khan pointed out when he wanted music to begin and of what type. Ehsaan Noorani noted that this strategy

allowed the score to have a "spontaneity to it.

Different styles of background music were used to convey certain things. For example, a guitar is

played when Ishaan is tense or upset, sometimes with discordant notes. The music of the opening scene—

the recurring "Ishaan's Theme," which represents the character's peace of mind—overpowers the

background noise to show that Ishaan is lost in his own world; the noise becomes louder after he snaps back

to reality.But the scene in which Nikumbh explains dyslexia to Ishaan's family took the opposite approach.

Silent at first, the music is slowly introduced as the father begins to understand his son's dilemma. The

almost seven-minute long scene scarcely used any background music, to slow the pace and make it seem

more realistic.

Protests in Gujarat

In response to Khan's support for the Narmada Bachao Andolan and his criticism of Chief Minister
 CHAURASIA 66

Narendra Modi, approximately 50 activists of the Sardar Patel Group conducted protests outside of

PVR and INOX theatres in Vadodara, Gujarat. The group also issued statements to all the multiplexes of

Gujarat,
 CHAURASIA 67

suggesting that the film not be screened unless Khan apologised for his comments. The INOX cinema

eventually boycotted the film; INOX Operations Manager Pushpendra Singh Rathod stated that "INOX is

with Gujarat, and not isolated from it".

Home media

UTV Home Entertainment released the film on DVD in India on 25 July 2008. It was launched at Darsheel

Safary's school, Green Lawns High School, in Mumbai. Aamir Khan, Tisca Chopra, Vipin Sharma, Sachet

Engineer, and the rest of the cast and crew were present. In his speech, Khan stated, "Darsheel is a very

happy child, full of life and vibrant. I am sure it's because of the way his parents and teachers have treated

him. I must say Darsheel's principal Mrs. Bajaj has been extremely supportive and encouraging. The true

test of any school is how happy the kids are and by the looks of it, the children here seem really happy.

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, whose parent company previously acquired 33 percent

of UTV Software Communications, bought the DVD rights for distribution in North America, the United

Kingdom, and Australia for ₹70 million (US$880,000). This marked "the first time an international studio

has bought the video rights of an Indian film. Retitling it Like Stars on Earth, Disney released the film

in Region 2 on 26 October 2009, in Region 1 on 12 January 2010, and in Region 4 on 29 March 2010. A

three-disc set, the Disney version features the original Hindi audio soundtrack with English subtitles or

another dubbed in English, as well as bonus material such as audio commentary, deleted scenes, and the

musical soundtrack. The film is available on Netflix.

Critical respons

Taare Zameen Par received widespread critical acclaim upon release. On the review

aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 93% of 14 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of

7.4/10. Subhash K. Jha suggests that the film is "a work of art, a water painting where the colors drip into

our hearts, which could easily have fallen into the motions of over-sentimentality. Aamir Khan holds back

where he could easily resort to an extravagant display of drama and emotions. Rajeev Masand of CNN-IBN

argued that the true power of the film lies in its "remarkable, rooted, rock-solid script which provides the

landscape for such an emotionally engaging, heart-warming experience. Manish Gajjar from the BBC
 CHAURASIA 68

stated that the

 CHAURASIA 69

film "touches your heart and moves you deeply with its sterling performances. [It is] a film full of

substance! Jaspreet Pandohar, also of BBC, posited that Taare Zameen Par is a "far cry from the formulaic

masala flicks churned out by the Bollywood machine," and is "an inspirational story that is as emotive as it

is entertaining; this is a little twinkling star of a movie. Furthermore, Aprajita Anil of Screen gave the film

four stars and stated, "Taare Zameen Par cannot be missed. Because it is different. Because it is delightful.

Because it would make everyone think. Because it would help everyone grow. Because very rarely do

performances get so gripping. And of course because the 'perfectionist' actor has shaped into a

'perfectionist' director. In addition, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap stated that, "Taare Zameen Par took me

back to my hostel days. If you take away the dyslexia, it seems like my story. The film affected me so

deeply that I was almost left speechless. After watching the film, I was asked how I liked Taare Zameen

Par. I could not talk as I was deeply overwhelmed.

However, there were some criticisms. Jha's only objection to the film was Nikumbh's

"sanctimonious lecture" to Ishaan's "rather theatrically-played" father. Jha found this a jarring "deviation

from the delectable delicacy" of the film's tone.[91] Although she applauded the film overall and

recommended "a mandatory

viewing for all schools and all parents", Nikhat Kazmi of The Times of India believed the second half was

"a bit repetitive," the script needed "taut editing," and Ishaan's trauma "[seemed] a shade too prolonged and

the treatment simplistic. Despite commending the "great performances" and excellent directing, Gautaman

Bhaskaran of The Hollywood Reporter, too, suggested that the movie "suffers from a weak script.

Likewise, Derek Kelly of Variety criticized it for what he described as its "touchy-feely-ness" attention to

"a special needs kid's plight." Kelly also disliked the film for being "so resolutely caring ... and devoid of

real drama and interesting characters" that "it should have 'approved by the Dyslexia Assn.' stamped on the

posters.

Scholarly response

In his article "Taare Zameen Par and dyslexic savants" featured in the Annals of Indian Academy of

Neurology, Ambar Chakravarty noted the general accuracy of Ishaan's dyslexia. Though Chakravarty was

puzzled by Ishaan's trouble in simple arithmetic—a trait of dyscalculia rather than dyslexia—he reasoned it
 CHAURASIA 70

was meant to "enhance the image of [Ishaan's] helplessness and disability". Labeling Ishaan an example of

"dyslexic savant syndrome", he especially praised the growth of Ishaan's artistic talents after receiving help
 CHAURASIA 71

and support from Nikumbh, and deemed it the "most important (and joyous) neurocognitive phenomenon"

of the film. This improvement highlights cosmetic neurology, a "major and therapeutically important

issue" in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology.

Likewise, in their article "Wake up call from 'Stars on the Ground'" for the Indian Journal of

Psychiatry, T. S. Sathyanarayana Rao and V. S. T. Krishna wrote that the film "deserves to be vastly

appreciated as an earnest endeavor to portray with sensitivity and empathetically diagnose a malady in

human life". They also felt it blended "modern professional knowledge" with a "humane approach" in

working with a dyslexic child. However, the authors believed the film expands beyond disabilities and

explores the "present age where everyone is in a restless hurry". The pair wrote, "This film raises serious

questions on mental health perspectives. We seem to be heading to a state of mass scale mindlessness even

as children are being pushed to 'perform'. Are we seriously getting engrossed in the race of 'achievement'

and blissfully becoming numb to the crux of life i.e., experiencing meaningful living in a broader frame

rather than merely existing?" The film depicts how "threats and coercion are not capable of unearthing rich

human potentialities deeply embedded in children", and that teachers should instead map their strengths and

weakness. With this in mind, the author felt that Khan "dexterously drives home the precise point that our

first priority ought to be getting to know the child before making any efforts to fill them with knowledge

and abilities". Overall, the pair found a "naive oversimplification" in the film. With India "only recently

waking to recognizing the reality and tragedy of learning disability", however, they "easily [forgave the

film's fault] under artistic license".

Public responses

The film raised awareness of the issue of dyslexia, and prompted more open discussions among parents,

schools, activists, and policymakers. Anjuli Bawa, a parent-activist and founder of Action Dyslexia Delhi,

said that the number of parents who visit her office increased tenfold in the months following the film's

release. Many began taking a more proactive approach by contacting her after noticing problems, rather

than using her as a last resort. Gupte himself received "many painful letters and phone calls" from Indian

parents. He noted, "Fathers weep on the phone and say they saw the film and realized that they have been

wrong in the way they treated their children. This is catharsis.

 CHAURASIA 72

These reactions have also brought about a change in policies. The film, only ten days after its debut,

influenced the Central Board of Secondary Education to provide extra time to disabled children—including

visually impaired, physically disabled, and dyslexic students—during exams. In 2008, Mumbai's civic body

also opened 12 classrooms for autistic students. In Chandigarh, the education administration started a

course

to educate teachers on how to support children with learning disabilities.

The film has had a similarly positive response in Greater China, where the film was not officially

released yet has a large online cult following due to Aamir Khan's popularity in the region after the success

of 3 Idiots (2009). The film has been well received by Chinese audiences for how it tackles issues such as

education and dyslexia, and is one of the highest-rated films on popular Chinese film site Douban, along with

two other Aamir Khan films, 3 Idiots and Dangal (2016).

 CHAURASIA 73

CHAPTER SIX

MARGARITA WITH A STRAW

Margarita with a Straw is a 2014 Indian Hindi-language drama film directed by Shonali Bose. It

stars Kalki Koechlin as an Indian teenager with cerebral palsy who relocates to America for her

undergraduate education and comes of age following her complex relationship with a blind girl, played

by Sayani Gupta. Revathi, Kuljeet Singh, and William Moseley play supporting roles. Produced by Bose in

partnership with Viacom18 Motion Pictures, Margarita with a Straw was co-written by Bose and Nilesh

Maniyar. The film deals with the challenging concepts of sexuality, inclusion, self-love, and self-

acceptance.

Bose conceived the idea for the film in January 2011 during a conversation with Malini Chib, her

cousin and a disability rights activist, about the latter's desire to have a normal sex life. Inspired by Chib's

story, Bose wrote the first draft of the film's script. After winning a Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker

Award for the draft, she modified the script to reflect her own perspective, incorporating several personal

experiences into the narrative. Bose completed the screenplay with co-writer Maniyar and the advisory

council of the Sundance Institute.

Bose was keen to cast an actress with cerebral palsy for the central part, but eventually hired

Koechlin, who learnt the movements and speech patterns of people with the disorder. Filming took place in

Delhi and New York in 2013, with Anne Misawa as the director of photography. The film was selected for

the National Film Development Corporation of India's Work-in-Progress Lab initiative during post-

production, which was completed in the latter half of 2013. The soundtrack for the film was composed by

Mikey McCleary.

Margarita with a Straw premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival. It was also

screened at the Tallinn Black Nights, the BFI London, the Vesoul Festival of Asian Cinema, and the

Galway Film Fleadh. The film was released theatrically in India on 17 April 2015 to positive reviews.

Commentators praised most aspects of the production, Koechlin's performance, and Bose's direction.
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Koechlin won the Screen Award for Best Actress and the National Film Award – Special Jury Award,

and Bose won

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the NETPAC Award at Toronto. Commercially, Margarita with a Straw grossed over 74 million against a

production budget of 65 million.

SHONALI BOSE

Shonali Bose (born 3 June 1965) is an Indian film director, writer and film producer. Having made her

feature film debut in 2005, she has since won such accolades as a National Film Award, a Bridgestone

Narrative Award, and a Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker Award.

Bose earned her breakthrough with her first feature film, the 2005 biographical drama Amu, which

was based on her own novel of the same name. The film which chronicles the attacks on Sikhs in Delhi in

1984, garnered critical acclaim and the National Film Award for Best Feature Film in English. Bose then

worked as the assistant director for the 2012 war film Chittagong, which she also co-wrote.

Bose's status as a filmmaker grew following the critical and commercial success of the

dramas Margarita with a Straw (2015) and The Sky Is Pink (2019). Inspired from the life of Malini Chib—

her cousin and a disability rights activist, the former earned Bose a Sundance Mahindra Global Filmmaker

Award and a NETPAC Award.

Bose is also an active philanthropist and supports various charitable organisations. She was married

to filmmaker Bedabrata Pain, but the couple separated following the death of their son.

Plot

Laila Kapoor is a teenager with cerebral palsy studying at Delhi University. She is an aspiring writer and

also composes music for an indie band at the university. Laila develops feelings for the lead singer, but is

heartbroken when she is rejected. Moving on from the experience, Laila is overjoyed to receive a

scholarship for a semester's study at New York University. Despite her father's reservations, she moves to

Greenwich Village, Manhattan with her orthodox Maharashtrian mother, Shubhangini Damle.

Laila meets an attractive young man named Jared, who is assigned to help her in the creative writing

class. She also meets a young activist, Khanum, a blind girl of Pakistani-Bangladeshi descent, with whom

she falls in love. Laila is enamoured by Khanum's fiercely independent personality and her positive

perspective towards her own disability. The two spend most of their time together, filling in as each
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other's caregivers. Laila becomes confused about her sexual orientation, as she is attracted to men (Jared in

particular) while being in a serious relationship with Khanum. She has sex with Jared, only to regret it

immediately. Laila does not tell Khanum about this encounter. Oblivious to her daughter's relationship with

Khanum, Laila's mother invites Khanum to Delhi to spend the summer vacation with Laila's family.

Laila ultimately finds the courage to come out to her mother about bisexuality and her relationship

with Khanum, both of which her mother strongly disapproves. Laila also confesses to Khanum that she had

sex with Jared and asks for her forgiveness. Feeling betrayed by Laila, Khanum breaks up with her and

leaves for New York. Shubhangini is diagnosed with advanced colon cancer which has relapsed after

previous treatments. Laila and her mother move past their differences while Laila tends to her at the

hospital. The two eventually reconcile shortly before Shubhangini's death. Laila plays a song (recorded by

Shubhangini) at Shubhangini's funeral telling how much she loved her and how she was the only one who

ever understood her. Laila is later seen drinking a margarita with a straw while on a "date" with herself.

Filming and post-production

The latter half of the film is set in Greenwich Village, New York City.

Principal photography for Margarita with a Straw began in 2013 and took place at New Delhi and New

York with two separate schedules. Anne Misawa worked as the director of photography. While the first half

of the story is set in the Shri Ram College of Commerce of Delhi University, it was mainly filmed at

Miranda House. Students and staff members from institutions such as Ramjas College and Lady Shri Ram

were involved actively in the project. Tenzin Dalha, a final year political science student from the former,

played one of Koechlin's love interests in the film; Shuchi Dwivedi from the latter played Koechlin's best

friend. Other students from the university were cast as members of a local band, which also included Dalha

and Dwivedi. Koechlin's father was played by Kuljeet Singh, an English Literature professor from Sri Guru

Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College.

Set in the neighbourhood of Greenwich Village, the second half of Margarita with a Straw was shot

during the summer in New York. Filming took place at Roosevelt Island and Coney Island. Snow machines

created the artificial environment required for various sequences set during winter season. The crew faced
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difficulties in filming certain scenes. At one point, the van that was used to carry Koechlin in her

wheelchair broke down and had to be manually stabilised during the shoot. Prior to the filming of the sex

sceness, the cast attended workshops to develop a better understanding of emotional and sexual intimacy.

Moseley, who was especially anxious about his scenes with Koechlin, attended a workshop conducted

by Bose herself.[6] The complete film was shot in two months.

Margarita with a Straw was selected for the National Film Development Corporation of India's

Work in Progress Lab initiative during post-production in 2013. It was edited by Monisha Baldawa and the

sound mixing was done by Resul Pookutty and Amrit Pritam. Certain scenes with frontal nudity were

removed during the editing process to avoid a conflict with the Central Board of Film Certification.

Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Ishan Talkies, in association with Jakhotia Group and

ADAPT, the film's final cut ran for a total of 100 minutes. Bose had funded the project herself as

Viacom18 covered only half the estimated 65 million production cost. Another partner withdrew financial

support around ten days prior to commencement of filming. Bose had to apply for a personal loan to pay the

bills, but was able to complete the film with support from the crew members, who agreed to their payments

being delayed. The international distribution rights for Margarita with a Straw were acquired by Wide

Management, a Paris- based sales-production-distribution house.

Soundtrack

Music director and singer Mikey McCleary composed the soundtrack for Margarita with a Straw, with Joi

Barua serving as the guest composer for both versions of the song "Dusokute". The lyrics for the album

were written primarily by Prasoon Joshi, except for the tracks "I Need a Man" and "Don't Go Running Off

Anytime Soon", the latter featuring English lyrics written by McCleary. Artists such as Sharmistha

Chatterjee, Sonu Kakkar, Anushka Manchanda, Rachel Varghese, Vivienne Pocha, and Rajnigandha

Shekhawat provided vocals for the album on various tracks. The first track to be released, the soft rock

number "Dusokute", was originally composed by Barua in Assamese and was rewritten in Hindi by Joshi.

In April 2015 the complete soundtrack was released under the Zee Music Company label.
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Release

Margarita with a Straw premiered worldwide at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, where it

received a standing ovation. The event was attended by the cast and crew, including Bose and Koechlin; the

latter said she was overwhelmed by the response and "loved to see the audiences cry and laugh with the

movie". The film was subsequently screened at film festivals across Europe, including the Tallinn Black

Nights Film Festival, the BFI London Film Festival, the Galway Film Fleadh, the Vesoul Festival of Asian

Cinema, and the Giffoni International Film Festival. Margarita with a Straw had its American premiere at

the 2015 Palm Springs International Film Festival. It was screened in Castro Theater at CAAMFest, and

shown at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival later that year. The film opened the 2015 New York

Indian Film Festival, and also featured at the 19th Busan International Film Festival and the Istanbul

Film Festival. Out on Film, Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and Reeling were among the LGBT

events that screened the production.

After garnering acclaim at the international film festival circuit, the producers of Margarita with a

Straw sent it straight to the Central Board of Film Certification. The decision to not send it to any of the

major Indian film festivals was looked upon by commentators such as Uma Da Cunha, editor for Film India

Worldwide, as a part of a marketing strategy. Srinivasan Narayan, organiser of the Mumbai International

Film Festival, said that while Indian film festivals have grown they have not yet reached a level where they

can compete for international premieres.[40] Instead, Margarita with a Straw had pre-released screenings for

members of the Indian film industry in Mumbai. Along with the cast and crew of the production, these

showings were variously attended by Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Vidya

Balan, Anurag Kashyap and Shraddha Kapoor. The film was positively received at the time; Bollywood

personalities including Khan and Hrithik Roshan hosted separate special screenings for the film.

Ahead of its commercial release, the crew organised several promotional events. In an interview

with the Indo-Asian News Service Koechlin talked about the importance of marketing for an independent

film, saying that although the content of the films is becoming better, Bollywood remains an industry

largely driven by box office gains. Bose wanted the film to be marketed as a commercial one despite its art
 CHAURASIA 79

house appeal;
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she was not very keen on sending it to film festivals and later asked the producers to avoid mentioning the

accolades at any of the promotional events. The official trailer was released on 4 March 2015 on Viacom18

Motion Pictures' official YouTube channel. First look posters featuring Koechlin sipping margaritas using

a drinking straw were also unveiled on the same day. The film was released theatrically in India on 17 April

2015. It is available on Netflix.

Critical reception

Margarita with a Straw received positive reviews, with some describing the film as "wonderfully

liberating and "an achievement [for Indian cinema]". Particular praise was directed towards Koechlin's

performance and Bose's sensitive depiction of cerebral palsy. Saibal Chatterjee of NDTV lauded the honest

depiction of disability and was pleased with how Laila's handicap eventually ceases to matter. Baradwaj

Rangan similarly found Bose's treatment of disability and normalcy refreshing: according to Rangan,

"there's not a trace of stereotype, not a shred of self-pity" in the characterisation, and the most remarkable

thing is that "Laila isn't a differently abled person. She's a person who is differently abled ,human being

comes first, the condition only later. Firstpost's Deepanjana Pal was especially impressed by the sex scenes,

which conveyed a "tenderness towards the on-screen lovers" without being weird or coy.

Koechlin's performance was acclaimed, and she received several accolades, including a National Film

Award.

Observers also praised the film's technical aspects, while ascribing its appeal to its script, which was

"emotionally arresting and startlingly revelatory and "straight from the heart". Bose's direction was praised

for its restraint and its "luminous austerity and the "expert use of emotions and moments". Many also

highlighted the cinematography and commended Misawa for her "judicious work and "charming frames lit

up with an almost dream-like, soft light".

Commentators such as Shilpa Jamkhandikar of Reuters and Mihir Fadnavis of Firstpost were

critical of the change of tone and hurried narrative in the film's second half. Although the latter was pleased

by the film's first half, he thought that after a "glorious, powerful beginning, Bose fails to figure out a

proper resolution. Devesh Sharma was critical of the film's scattered plot in his review for Filmfare. He
 CHAURASIA 81

wrote that it
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"skips and jumps from one plot point to the other", leaving the viewer unsatisfied. Jamkhandikar similarly

noted that Bose introduced "too many contrivances and conflicts" in the narrative.
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CHAPTER SEVEN

CONCLUSION

Children with disabilities need access to a wide range of quality programs and services that meet

their individual needs and support smooth transitions to new and different programs and services across

childhood and into adulthood.

When we recognize that disability is a social construct that has been used historically and culturally

in the United States to marginalize and justify oppression, we cannot only use this reimagining in how we

interact with disabled people but also with families of children with disabilities. In pushing back against the

systems and structures which have been used to uphold hegemony and thus continue to oppress

marginalized groups, we open up new possibilities for collaborating with families, both specifically around

disability and in a much broader sense.

It is necessary to incorporate a variety of methods to help the students learn within their comfort

level as well as be challenged in learning in other strategies. Through this class I have discovered

approaches to think outside the proverbial box to lesson plan. Each exceptionality is unique as well as the

child who possesses it. Although there are commonalities with children who possess similar disabilities, a

child cannot be assumed that they will benefit or act the same as a student with the same exceptionality.

Throughout this course I have learned the importance of working with parents, learning specialists,

and the student to determine the most ideal plan for the student. Through the IEP process and providing

fitting accommodations and support a child such as one with intellectual or specific learning disabilities can

excel to his greatest potential. Many times the curriculum needs to be structured in such a way for the

students to understand more concrete concepts within the study rather than abstract ones. This is especially

true for students who have Autism Spectrum Disorders and similar cognitive conditions. Collaboration is

beneficial to most exceptionalities as they learn from their interaction with other students. Where this may

create a challenge is with students with communication disorders; emotional and behavioral disorders; and

deafness
 CHAURASIA 84

and hearing loss. Even though it is a challenge it is still necessary to incorporate collaboration with these

students to give them practice developing the skill of interacting with others. Assigning tasks that meet

their cognitive and performance ability is important to allow them to learn at an appropriate pace which can

be completed for students on both the gifted and talented end of the spectrum as well as the low IQ

spectrum. If physical devices can aid their learning as well as functionality as in cases such as blindness and

low vision it is appropriate to allow them to use these devices in order that they can successfully

comprehend the material given. Organization of facts and pacing may be necessary in some cases to allow

students to achieve their studies at a given rate, in order that they are not overwhelmed with the amount of

material.

Through schooling, students ideally should get to the point where they can learn independently and

be equipped for future education and college if they choose to pursue that course. Schooling also creates an

environment where students learn to work together and learn skills of collaboration which is an essential

skill in a variety of settings. Education is important to provide the student with new concepts to potentially

peak their interest in area they never considered previously. For children with disabilities, education is

important to teach functional skills and job management skills which can help them in their future career

and daily maintenance by allowing them to live as independently as possible.

Throughout my observations it was interesting to see practical implications for development of

learning in children with exceptionalities. As different methods are tried and adaptions are made to each

student’s program progress is made and learning begins to improve. The positive aspect of working with

students with exceptionalities is the uniqueness of the care. A person who develops accommodations must

be creative and willing to try new ideas that may or may not work. Perseverance and patience are necessary

attributes when working in this field as results may take a while to come to fruition. In the end it is a

rewarding experience to know that through support and diligence a difference was made in a child’s life

and hope was given to allow them to take a step closer in achieving their dreams.
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WORKS CITED AND CONSULTED

Bose, Shonali. dir. Margarita With A Straw.. Prod.SLB Films, 2014.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/MWAS

Khan, Aamir , dir. Taare Zameen Par. Prod. PVR Entertainment, 2009.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/44609/auteur-theory

Monaco, James. “How to Read Film”. The World of Movies, Media and

Multimedia, Language, History, Theory. New York and Oxford: Oxford UP.

2000.

Corrigan Timothy. Film and Literature: An Introduction and Reader. Prentice

Hall Press

http://blog.cinemaautopsy.com/2009/06/18/film-review-disgrace-2008/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinematic_techniques