CHOUDHARY1

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.
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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 activists 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,
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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 access to mobility-impaired

visitors to nine different structures; evidence that people with disabilities were

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",
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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

dangerous to the 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.

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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
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disability activists began to challenge how society treated disabled people and the medical

approach to disability. Due to this work, physical barriers to 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.
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CHAPTER TWO

AUTHOR

MAHESH DATTANI

Mahesh Dattani was born on the 7th of August in 1958 in Bangalore, Karnataka. He was

educated at Baldwin’s Boys High School and then went on to graduate from St.Joseph’s

College, Bangalore. After graduation, he worked for a brief period as a copywriter for an

advertising firm. In 1986, he wrote his first play, ‘Where There is a Will’. Mahesh Dattani

was born on the 7th of August in 1958 in Bangalore, Karnataka. He was educated at

Baldwin’s Boys High School and then went on to graduate from St.Joseph’s College,

Bangalore. After graduation, he worked for a brief period as a copywriter for an advertising

firm. In 1986, he wrote his first play, ‘Where There is a Will’.

WOKRS - After his first play, Mahesh Dattani began to concentrate on his writing and

wrote more dramas like Final Solutions, Night Queen, Dance Like a Man, Tara, and Thirty

Days. In 1995, he started working exclusively in theatre. All his plays address social issues,

not the very obvious ones, but the deep-seated prejudices and problems that society is

usually conditioned to turn away from. His plays deal with gender identity, gender

discrimination, and communal tensions. The play ‘Tara’ deals with gender discrimination,

‘30 Days in September’ tackles the issue of child abuse head-on, and ‘Final Solutions’ is

about the lingering echoes of the partition. It was Alyque Padamsee who first spotted and

encouraged Mahesh Dattani’s talent and gave him the confidence to venture into a career in

theatre. Dattani formed his own theatre group, Playpen, in 1984.

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He is the only English playwright to be awarded the Sahitya Academy Award. He got

this award in 1998. He also writes plays for BBC Radio and he was also one of the 21

playwrights chosen by BBC to write plays to commemorate Chaucer’s 600th anniversary in

2000.

Awards :

Dance Like a Man has won the award for the Best Picture in English awarded by the

National Panorama in 1998.

Sahitya Academy award for his book of plays Final Solutions and Other Plays.

Sahitya Kala Parishad selected Final Solutions (1993), Tara (2000) and 30 Days in

September (2007) as best productions of the year, directed by Arvind Gaur.

About Tara :

Written in 1990, “Tara” was initially staged as “Twinkle Tara” in the year of its

writing in Bangalore. However, the year after, it was staged in Mumbai directed by Alyque

Padamsee and got its present name. The play portrays the predicament of a girl child and

the innate gender discrimination in our social strata. Dattani takes up the so called

“invisible” issues of Indian society makes an entreaty to the audience for some

emancipation from the social evils. The play explores the emotional distance that grows

between two conjoined twins, following the discovery that they share a total of three legs,

and one would have to be deprived for the other to be complete. The adults in their family

opt for the boy to have the leg, despite the fact that the girl child had a better claim on the

limb, as the blood flow in

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that limb was happening from her body. This brings into light the deeply entrenched socio-

cultural discrimination in expense of a girl child in Indian society. As an attempt to atone

the wrong done to his twin Tara, Chandan or Dan prepares to look back and confess the

horror of the past.

Summary of Tara

The play starts with Chandan, now called Dan, feverishly typing a play “Twinke

Tara: a Play in Two Acts”, about his long deceased sister Tara in his London bedsitter. He

talks about his memories and a fanatic urge to record them to commemorate his twin sister,

and how he finds himself unable to find words to write. As he speaks, we see the Patel

house in a flashback as young Tara and Chandan walk in. They speak how they were joined

in birth and should have remained so, but were forced to separate. Bharati, their mother,

enter asking Tara and Chandan to unpack as they have moved from Bangalore to Mumbai

for their treatment. She shows marked preference for Tara, as she worries over her health.

Patel tries to reason with her but stops when she hints how Patel is not as fond of Tara as he

is of Chandan and how he hates anything to do with their Bangalore house and their

maternal grandfather. As Bharati wheedles Tara into doing her bidding, Patel tries to take

Chandan to the office with him, which he refuses unless Tara goes. Their fifteen year old

neighbor Roopa comes to meet them with ulterior motives to report on Tara who she

considers to be a freak, to her friends. She intrudes on the twins as they bicker and play

cards companionably. Patel is seen to be chatting with an invisible neighbor in the alleyway

out showing concern for her wife’s health, as the children talk. Tara declares that she is

strong enough to take on her life, as her mother has made her strong.
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In this point, the older Chandan breaks off as her mind is

wondering, and he is unable to write a word. He feels that he cannot do justice to the strong,

gentle and kind Tara; their silent and angry father; and even their mother. He chooses to

start his play with Dr. Thakkar, the god-like creature who had performed the crucial surgery

separating the conjoined twins. He starts as if he is interviewing Dr. Thakkar from his

bedsitter. He introduces him as a talented surgeon associated with some of the most

prestigious hospitals in USA and India. When questioned, Dr. Thakkar replies that the twins

were three months old when the surgery was performed. He talks about their conjoined

condition as a “defect” and specifies how it is rare for such twins to survive and also to be

of different genders. The flashback brings young Tara and Chandan back as they talk about

all the doctors that they had, while listening to Brahm’s First Concerto. They talk about

disparate topics like their parents coddling Tara, and how Tara came across three mean girls

– Prema, Nalini and Roopa who stared at her limping, and were dismissed as she made light

of her prosthetic leg. Roopa comes to visit them and is bribed by Bharati to be Tara’s friend.

She asks for time to think about Bharati’s offer and goes on spreading the news to her

friends maliciously.

Dr. Thakkar continues his jargon filled medical interview explaining how

elaborate time-consuming procedures had shown that Tara and Chandan can survive their

surgery. Patel converses with Dr. Kapoor over the phone and shows relief that Tara has

found a commercial donor for her kidney transplant. Bharati protests fiercely saying that she

wants to donate her organ, but Patel stops her forcibly saying that she is in no condition to

donate her organ. As Bharati becomes agitated, Patel hints that Bharati is overdoing her

concern for Tara to cover something up. When Bharati breaks and attempts to confess

everything to the twins, Patel stops her by saying that for their good, the secret should

remain so. The twins and Roopa watch films together and discuss “The Mirror Cracked
 CHOUDHARY11

from Side to Side” and their sympathy towards the Lady of Shallot, who was confined in

her tower. Bharati comes in and talks to Chandan about her fears and insecurities about

Tara’s future, while Chandan tries to comfort her. In the alleyway, Roopa confides in Tara

the myth she has heard about the practice of the Patel community of drowning unwanted

girl children in milk, so that they can tell that they have choked in their milk. As Chandan

helps her mother with her knitting, Patel arrives home to find Roopa and Tara watching

films. He shows his anger towards what he considers banal occupation for Tara and

effeminate practice for Chandan and discloses his plans about Chandan’s future. As Bharati

protests, Patel confronts her about her ‘unhealthy’ obsession with Tara and her repeated

attempts to turn their children against him. As Tara approaches them, Bharati tries to stop

Patel from discovering the dreaded secret, and Patel decides against it in the last moment

assuring her that both her parents lover her much. An overwhelmed Tara has a seizure and

as Bharati breaks down ineffectively, Patel resuscitates an almost comatose Tara with sugar.

The older Chandan finishes his tale halfway, as the first Act ends.

The second Act starts with Bharati demonstrating her affection for Tara. There is a curious

intensity in her behavior towards Tara who obviously enjoys her attention. Bharati is

overwhelmed when Tara says that she has everything in her life as she has her mother with

her. The older Chandan is seen researching an old scrap book with paper cuttings on Dr.

Thakkar’s take on the various complications about their surgery. It is also disclosed that the

twins will always be sterile. In the Patel residence Tara returns after her transplant with

Patel and is welcomed by Roopa and Chandan. She is later informed by Patel and Chandan

that her mother had a breakdown and had to be institutionalized. She is shattered and silent

as Chandan tries to cheer her with jokes. Chandan refuses to apply for college as Tara does

not want to go. Patel firmly asks him to get on with his life as, in his opinion, Chandan has
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to earn his living unlike Tara. It is further disclosed that their rich maternal grandfather has

left his enormous house to the twins, but the money to Chandan. Patel displays his barely

concealed hatred for his father-in-law and advises his children to burn the house rather than

living in it. The twins have a poignant moment as Chandan wishes for stars for Tara, and

Tara wishes for real legs and a healthy life for her brother.

Roopa comes in to spend time with Tara and Chandan and ends up

discussing the film “Sophie’s Choice” with Chandan as he talks about a mother choosing

between her son and her daughter. As she leads him on a little, Chandan ends up trying to

initiate his first sexual encounter. Roopa stops him and accuses him of mollestattion. As

Tara enters, Roopa tries to convince her that Chandan had tried to rape her. Tara forces her

to silence by threatening to disclose her secret of having uneven breasts. Roopa swears

revenge and runs away after disclosing that she became her friend after being bribed by

Bharati. Tara bemoans the futility of money and effort to treat her. She also resolves to

spend her life treating the underprivileged people with health issues. Chandan tries to

comfort her and is rebuffed as Tara angrily shows her contempt for Chandan and Patel. The

older Chandan is seen making a phone call to his father and being informed of his mother’s

demise. He displays a decided lack of concern and refuses to return.

Tara is surprised as she is kept away from her mother. She discloses her

suspicion to Chandan that Patel is deliberately keeping the twins away from their mother to

keep her from disclosing incriminating secrets about him. As Tara confronts Patel, he

finally confesses about the secret which Bharati has been keeping all these years. He reveals

that Bharati’s father was an extremely wealthy industrialist and an influential MLA. Patel

had to go against his family to marry Bharati. They had a happy marriage and were happy
 CHOUDHARY13

about having twins. But when they were born conjoined hugging each other, the family

decided to recruit Dr. Thakkar for surgically separating them. The twins had three legs

between the two of them and only one of the twins will have two legs. The medical reports

had revealed that Tara will have better chances of carrying both the legs than Chandan. But

Bharati and her father bribed Dr. Thakkar with three acres of prime land for his hospital, to

give the two legs to Chandan. The leg was rejected by Chandan’s body and had to be

amputed. After this, Bharati has always dreaded the secret of her favoring Chandan over

Tara coming out and had tried to make it up for Tara by lavishing attention on her and

turning the twins against Patel lest he discloses the secret. Tara is bewildered and shattered

in learning of her mother’s betrayal and fades away slowly as Roopa and her cronies shouts

insults at her in the alleyway.

Chandan banishes Dr. Thakkar with all his greedy ugliness from his memories

and informs the audience that he needs to atone for his guilt against his sister by writing this

tragedy of Tara. He expresses his deep anguish that his family had favored him over Tara

and begs her forginess as his life was saved at her expense. As he speaks, Tara comes and

faces him and they hug tightly in the manner they were born.
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RABINDRANATH TAGORE

Rabindranath Tagore was born in Calcutta, India, on May 7, 1861. He was the son

of Debendranath Tagore, a prominent philosopher and religious reformer. Throughout his

childhood, Tagore was educated by tutors and wrote extensively, despite a marked

disinterest for traditional schooling. In 1877, he sailed to England to study. He remained for

just fourteen months, during which he was schooled in Brighton, East Sussex and at

University College, where he studied law and attended lectures on English literature. He

expressed dissatisfaction with the constraints of Western educational practices in England,

however, and returned to India.

Throughout his career, Tagore not only wrote and translated poetry, but published

numerous novels, short stories, plays, letters, essays, memoirs, and criticism. He was also

known for his musical compositions. Tagore’s most notable work of poetry is Gitanjali:

Song Offerings (Macmillan, 1912), for which he received the Nobel Prize in Literature in

1913. He was the first non-European, as well as the first lyricist, to win the prize. Other

notable poetry publications, written and published in Bengali, include Sonar Tari [The

Golden Boat] (1894) and Manasi [The Ideal One] (1890). Tagore often published first in

Bengali, then translated his own work to English. He wrote novels, plays, and short stories

in both languages, including the plays Chitra (India Society of London, 1914) and The Post

Office (Cuala Press, 1914). He is credited with pioneering the short story form in Bengali

literature, with some of his best work collected in The Hungry Stones and Other Stories

(Macmillan, 1916) and The Glimpses of Bengal Life (G. A. Nateson & Co., 1913). His

short stories were especially famous in India, as many were based on his ten years in

Shilaidah and Shazadpur, where he went to manage his family’s estates in the 1890s.

During this time, he lived on a houseboat on the Padma River and socialized with the
 CHOUDHARY15

neighboring villagers. His compassion for them, and his belief in education for all, deeply

influenced his short stories, as well as his later activism. Tagore’s stances on Indian

independence, the caste system, education, religion, and other sociopolitical issues were

expressed through his work.

In his introduction to the English translation of Gitanjali, W. B.

Yeats lauds Tagore’s poetic vision, writing: “these lyrics […] display in their thought a

world I have dreamed of all my life long. The work of a supreme culture, they yet appear as

much the growth of the common soil as the grass and the rushes. A tradition, where poetry

and religion are the same thing, has passed through the centuries, gathering from learned

and unlearned metaphor and emotion, and carried back again to the multitude the thought of

the scholar and of the noble.”

In 1901, Tagore’s work as an educator and activist led to his

founding an experimental school at Shantiniketan, a retreat in rural Bengal that his father

created in 1863. There, he hoped to merge Eastern and Western educational traditions. He

believed there might be a more natural way for young people to learn, utilizing a method

which would foster their imagination and instincts. For a time, he lived at the school, which

became the international Visva-Bharati University. In 1912, Tagore left the school to read

his work across Europe, America, and East Asia, and to lecture and advocate for Indian

independence. In 1919, as a protest against the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre, he rejected the

British knighthood in 1915. Six years later, Tagore and Leonard Elmhirst founded the

“Institute for Rural Reconstruction,” a feature of the Visva-Bharati University experiments.

Through the institute, many of the concerns that Tagore expressed in his early short stories
 CHOUDHARY16

came to fruition: he believed rural India was barred from mainstream intellectual and urban

life, and sought to facilitate a collaborative education. He requested aid from various artists,

donors, and scholars across the world for this project.

While Tagore pursued writing, teaching, and activism during much of

his life, he became recognized as a painter when he was in his sixties, with many of his

works enjoying success at exhibitions in Europe.

Tagore died on August 7, 1941, in Calcutta

His Works :

The works of Rabindranath Tagore consist of poems, novels, short stories, dramas,

paintings, drawings, and music that Bengali poet and Brahmo philosopher Rabindranath

Tagore created over his lifetime.

Tagore's literary reputation is disproportionately influenced by regard for

his poetry; however, he also wrote novels, essays, short stories, travelogues, dramas, and

thousands of songs. Of Tagore's prose, his short stories are perhaps most highly regarded;

indeed, he is credited with originating the Bengali-language version of the genre. His works

are frequently noted for their rhythmic, optimistic, and lyrical nature. However, such stories

mostly borrow from deceptively simple subject matter — the lives of ordinary people and

children.

Known mostly for his poetry, Tagore wrote novels, essays, short stories,

travelogues, dramas, and thousands of songs. Of Tagore's prose, his short stories are
 CHOUDHARY17

perhaps the most highly regarded; he is indeed credited with originating the Bengali-

language version of the genre. His works are frequently noted for their rhythmic, optimistic,

and lyrical nature. Such stories mostly borrow from the lives of common people. Tagore's

non-fiction grappled with history, linguistics, and spirituality.

He wrote autobiographies. His travelogues, essays, and lectures were

compiled into several volumes, including Europe Jatrir Patro (Letters from Europe) and

Manusher Dhormo (The Religion of Man). His brief chat with Einstein, "Note on the Nature

of Reality", is included as an appendix to the latter. On the occasion of Tagore's 150th

birthday, an anthology (titled Kalanukromik Rabindra Rachanabali) of the total body of his

works is currently being published in Bengali in chronological order. This includes all

versions of each work and fills about eighty volumes. In 2011, Harvard University Press

collaborated with Visva-Bharati University to publish The Essential Tagore, the largest

anthology of Tagore's works available in English; it was edited by Fakrul Alam and Radha

Chakravarthy and marks the 150th anniversary of Tagore's birth.

About Subha :

"Subha" is a short story by Rabindranath Tagore that revolves around the character of

Subha, a young woman who is blind. In the story, Subha is depicted as a strong,

independent individual who refuses to be defined or limited by her disability. Despite her

blindness, she possesses a keen intellect and a deep understanding of human emotions and

relationships.

Tagore portrays disability not as a barrier to happiness or fulfillment, but rather as a

unique aspect of an individual's identity that can be embraced and celebrated. Through
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Subha's character, Tagore challenges societal norms and stereotypes surrounding disability,

highlighting the importance of recognizing the inherent worth and dignity of every

individual, regardless of their physical abilities.

The story emphasizes themes of resilience, inner strength, and the power of

human connection to transcend barriers. Subha's disability becomes a catalyst for her own

personal growth and development, as well as a source of inspiration for those around her.

Overall, "Subha" serves as a poignant reminder of the resilience of the human spirit and the

transformative power of love and understanding.

Subha - A short story (Summary)

Nobody understood Indian women better than Tagore in Literature. Tagore

portrayed the everyday agonies of the women rather than questioning the wider question of

feminism. In ‘Subha‘, Tagore addresses loneliness and lack of opportunity for women with

auditory and speech impairment.The title of the story is given after its central character,

‘Subha’. Her proper name is Subhasini which meant ‘soft-spoken’.

Subha is the youngest of the three sisters of Banikantha’s family. The three

sisters have rhyming names – Seukeshini, Suhasini and Subhasini.

The story is set in a small village called Chandipur, by the riverside in present-day

West Bengal. There is beautiful description of a river flowing through the village, which I

suppose would be a treat to read in original Bengali text, I found the flavour missing in the
 CHOUDHARY19

translated English version.

Subha’s parents had got elder two daughters married ‘with usual costs and

difficulty.’ This social picture of India where girl’s parents are burdened with the

expenditure and stress of marriage remains unaltered till now. The story is woven around

this family, grappling with the question of getting their youngest daughter married, who is

dumb and hence has a low prospect of finding suitors.

Tagore poignantly points how Subha’s inability to hear and speech lends her an

invisibility of existence in society. People talk about her, around her as if she is not present.

The parents’ burden of marrying off a deaf and mute girl supersedes their care for her

anxieties and needs. Subha’s large eyes and trembling lips are described as the girl’s ability

to communicate beyond words.

Subha lived on the sidelines, after finishing her chores, she would go to the

waterside or be with her two friends – Sarbbashi and Panguli, the two cows. Her loneliness

found solace in a friendship with these cows, goats and a kitten. I understand that Tagore

wanted to show the antipathy of the society, the family in particular to persons with

disability while drawing the parallel between Subha and the domestic animals.

Another relationship that the story explores is between Subha and a young boy

named Pratap. The boy is idle and spends time by the river by casting his fishing line.

Subha usually sits at a distance to him. There is no communication between them. And,

Pratap likes the silence as it does not interfere with his fishing. Though, there is never a
 CHOUDHARY20

direct speech on whether there was any affection between the two.

Once the villagers began to talk about the young unmarried girl at Banikantha’s home,

Subha’s father left for a few days. On return, he said, “We must go to Calcutta”. This was

unbearable for Subha, she was agonized to leave her home, her friends – the cows. She wept

for Mother earth to keep her there but she had to leave with her family.

‘Fishing’ is used as a metaphor to show that Banikantha’s family was

well off as they ate fish twice a week and then Pratap comments that Subha’s father has

caught the bridegroom for her and then focuses on the fish.

In Calcutta, the prospective groom visits with his friend and finds the

teary-eyed Subha suitable for marriage. He says, “Not so bad.” After marriage, he was to

leave with the bride in the west for work. However, within ten days of marriage, Subha’s

impairment is disclosed to all.

Tagore writes that Subha was not at fault, for she never deceived anyone.

But leaves the reader pondering on what future might behold for Subha – the innocent

voiceless village girl and now send back from her in-laws house. Gender plays an important

role for the opportunities and in future possibilities. As woman, Subha is at a disadvantage

which is further pulled down by her impairment.

 CHOUDHARY21

CHAPTER THREE

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.

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
 CHOUDHARY22

problem lies there. That due to barriers be they social, institutional, economic or political

persons with disabilities are excluded. This approach 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 Modek 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
 CHOUDHARY23

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.

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 century.

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
 CHOUDHARY24

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 . 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
 CHOUDHARY25

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

 CHOUDHARY26

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.

 CHOUDHARY27

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.

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,
 CHOUDHARY28

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.

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-
 CHOUDHARY29

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 .

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
 CHOUDHARY30

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.

Developments

The "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.
 CHOUDHARY31

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),

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

hours for people with circadian rhythm sleep disorders.

Limitations and Criticism

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.
 CHOUDHARY32

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 monolithic, insufficiently individuated group of people.

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
 CHOUDHARY33

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.

 CHOUDHARY34

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 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."

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.
 CHOUDHARY35

Economic Asspects

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 estimated 29.8 million nondisabled

people. This analysis also provided insight into some of the reasons why 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
 CHOUDHARY36

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.

Laws ans Public Policies

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 ask questions about illness or disability at interviews for a job or for a

referee to
 CHOUDHARY37

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,
 CHOUDHARY38

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 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.

 CHOUDHARY39

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.

 CHOUDHARY40

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.

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.

 CHOUDHARY41

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 seen as an offshoot of the medical model. Within its framework,

professionals follow a process of identifying the

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
 CHOUDHARY42

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.

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
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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.

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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.

"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
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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.

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:

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"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

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.

Accomodation
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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.

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.
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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 Person with Disability

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 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 repunlics

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
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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.

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
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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 impoverished.

Disaster

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
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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.

Inspirationa 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.

Superscrip

The supercrip trope refers to instances when the media reports on or portray a disabled

person who has 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.

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.
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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.

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The Disabled Victim

Another frequent occurrence is when someone with a disability is assumed to be miserable

or helpless. 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

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disabled communities and participating in disability culture can be an effective way to

combat internalized prejudice; and can challenge dominant narratives about disability.

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
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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.

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.
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CHAPTER FIVE

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
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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 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

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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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WORK CITED AND CONSULTED

Disability, Gender and the Trajectories of Power (Published 2015)

Disability , Gender and State Policy- Nilika Mehrotra

Mahesh Dattani : Bravely Fought the Queen (Originally published 2003)

Khan, Aamir , dir.Taare Zameen Par. Prod. PVR Entertainment, 2009.

http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/44609/auteur-theory

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
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