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DDIIC CTTIIO ON NA ARRYY by Sneha Joshi
#disa bility india DICTIONARY
by Sneha Joshi
#Ability #Abilitynotdisability #Ableism #Awareness #Acceptance #Autismindia #Askyourself #Accessibility #Accessforall #BetterRepforPwDs #Blindnessisnota weakness #Brownanddisabled #CRPD #Chronicpain#Chronicillness#Caste#Covidr esponse#Covidrelief#Changinglives #Disabilityindia#Disabilityrights#Disabilitya wareness#DEPwD#Deafathlete#DRAG #Differentlyabled #Disabilityinfluencerindia#Disabledlivesmat ter#Disabledpeoplearepeopletoo #Disabilityinfluencer#Disabledwomen #Disabilityisnormal#Discrimination #Disabilityisnotinability#Disabledpeopleare hot#Disabled#Education#EveryoneIncluded #EnableIndia #Empowerthedisabled #Emergencyresponse #Equalopportunities #Everyone candance #FaveScenes #Fitness #Feministreads #Faliureisnotfinal #Gender #Healthiswealth#Humanrights #Healthmotivation#Inability#Invisibile #Ignored #Inclusion #Invisibledisability#Indianpolicy #Intersectionality #Instasmile #Jobfordisabled #Jobsfordisabled #Justice #Jobfordisabled#Jobsfordisabled
#Justice#Loveonthespectrum #Leavenoonebehind#Lifewithoutlimits #Letstalkdisability#Learnandearn #Livelihood#Marginalized#MyStory #Mentalhealth #Mobilityimpared#Normal #Normality#Netflix#NIEPMD #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs#Newsmedia #Onthisday#Onfreedom#Proud #Pwdatwork#Paraolympic#Pride #Pwdindia #Pwd #Physicallydisabled #Qtips #Rights #RisingPhoenix #Rpwdact2016 #Rheoknee#Rehabilitation#RaisingIndia#Recl aimyourbody#SkinStories #ScreeningDisability#Signlanguage #Support#Specialneeds#Sexdis #Sickanddisabled#Smilealways #Skilldevelopment#Suckitablemism #Socialjustice #Sexanddisability #ThisAbility #ThebetterIndia #Techforall#Techforgood#Thingsabledpeople say #Thepersonalispolitical#Trustyourbody #Uncrpd#Uniqueness #Unapologetic #Visible #Voicesdisability #Visibility #Wheelchairindia#Workshop#Womenwhow rite#Workplace#Womenwithdisability #Worlddisabilityday#Womenofcolour #Wocvoices#Xfactor#Youcandoit #Zinemaking #Zines #Zineslibrary
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II N N TT R RO OD DU UC C TT II O ON N
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Since a young age, I have always wondered about the meanings of words. Words such as ability, normal, and disability especially, as words that are used to define and label people, wondering where they come from, what they mean and how they shape the life of an individual. We might take words for granted, but it is thinking about particular words spoken to us that keeps us up at night, it is words we have read or heard that inspire us to take action, it is words that define our relationship with the world. Hence, words have the power to mould our lives. As a result of my interests and as a 90’s child, I have also observed the shift in language with the advent of new communication technologies over the past two decades. First it was mobile technology and SMS language,
INTRODUCTION
b4 (before) we entered the world of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Now we live in a world of tagging our @friends and #conversingwithfriends on social media through new ways of expression, such as hashtags and using the @ sign to tag or call out other people. And so with every evolution, new ways of structuring our thoughts and ideas arise - language starts to reveal new meanings, and new understandings of our culture and time begin to emerge. As most young (and older individuals) of our population I spend my time on social media for various reasons. My latest obsession has been observing hashtags. If you’ve ever paid even the slightest attention, you would agree that hashtags oftentimes are more than just words. They embody statements, sentiments, and phases as a whole - words come together to create a new word or new ideologies. This new packaged form of expression can be created by any user,
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INTRODUCTION
and once created, Instagram automatically produces an archive for the hashtag. In a sense, I perceive this activity similar to that of the creation of a dictionary - a dictionary which has been liberated since individuals can now create new expressions to articulate concerns or sentiments in a way that is suitable for them. These expressions can then be borrowed and used by others to contribute towards, or further the context, of the original thought expressed by another (or the same) user. The meanings of the new expressions created through the hashtags are understood in the context provided with a post in the form of visual or textual information that supports the post. In this way, hashtags on instagram are shaping the way we articulate and share knowledge with others we know and those who we don’t know, through it’s tagging, categorising and storing methodologies and framework. This framework results in the traditional dictionaries keeping up with
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INTRODUCTION
new ways of speaking online and paying attention to the vocabularies emerging from our digital interactions. Hence, I think it’s fair to say that hashtags on Instagram set the ball rolling for a modern-day liberal and democratized version of the dictionary as it is understood in the traditional sense. Through this project I attempt to ponder the meanings of hashtags, as they appear on Instagram, that are related to #disabilityindia. Disability is a subject I am passionate about, having grown up with a sibling who is Autistic. Instagram has been an interesting space to observe in this regard, because it is largely constructed by words and the meanings we attribute to them, as captions and hashtags - in relation to images. Instagram also becomes accessible through a search function aided by hashtags. Through my observations I have also noted that
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INTRODUCTION
spaces such as Instagram allow for all kinds of controversial or difficult conversations to be carried out amongst people and communities. These are conversations which might not occur in offline spaces, but are facilitated through digital platforms. In recent times, we have also seen the use of social media increasingly evolve into activist spaces which are bringing up crucial social commentary, producing much needed cultural dialogue which we may shy away from in a face- to-face interaction. There is a sense of liberation in expressing oneself online, in taking up causes and stating one's opinions, which we might be restricted from engaging in when one engages in a conversation face-to-face. It is also a space where anyone can read and contribute to a discussion. For me, observing these trends has also revealed that while more conversations are emerging through this mechanism around culturally significant topics, we as a society are still
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INTRODUCTION
restricted in our exposure to them beyond select individuals and organisations who might create such content and discuss it within defined circles. Exposure is also restricted through the audience on Instagram which might belong to a certain class or strata of society. This project is my attempt to bring attention to the conversations created around selected hashtags, which are used to support the archiving of points raised in these important online discussions. I wish to bring them offline and initiate dialogue around the same in everyday settings in public or private spaces. The process for me began as a way of mapping key socio-cultural concerns and issues related to disability in India through Instagram hashtags. I chose Instagram as my research platform because there is a contemporary discourse on disability in India unravelling on Instagram. It was
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INTRODUCTION
also easy for me to track this discourse through the system of hashtags that the platform offers, including the option to follow hashtags, and hence observe knowledge sharing and creation. Over time the observations evolved into the creation of a dictionary of selected hashtags, which I feel are pressing concerns and require public attention, awareness and sensitivity in relation to disability in India. The aim is to highlight the disabled perspective and to give voice to the disabled community in India. The hashtag dictionary hence exists as a learning resource, aimed at adults in their 20’s to encourage them to think about and discuss disability in the Indian context. It is supported by hashtags and questions to take the conversation forward. It reflects on and addresses the question - What can we learn from hashtags and hashtag-conversations on Instagram? Instagram hashtags are unique since the
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INTRODUCTION
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meanings of the hashtags can be interpreted in different ways by different people who can assign different associations to them. The definitions of most of these hashtags can therefore also depend on an individual’s personal context. The definitions provided in this dictionary are relevant to my understanding from the context of a sibling of an Autistic individual in India, and these entries are presented in a conversational style aiming to inform the reader about the disabled perspective in India in a relatable way. These definitions are followed by questions which can be discussed in group settings. It has been fascinating for me to observe how Instagram creates new ways of understanding and discussing disability. This is especially important in the Indian context and setting because it is difficult to find discourses about disability in everyday environments in India, or an open attitude towards discussing it. This
INTRODUCTION
resource looks at ways through which we can open up conversations around disability with adults in their 20’s, probing them to think about the concepts explored in this dictionary. Considering that these readers are already familiar with Instagram hashtags provides a familiar entryway into the content of the book and where it stems from, which is the Instagram archive. Translating and transferring this online content into a book, and bringing it offline, ultimately is aimed at producing a socio-cultural acknowledgement of the disabled issues and concerns, hopefully leading towards a socio-cultural shift. If you would like to contact me, you can write to me at snehajoshi2093@gmail.com or visit my website www.snehajoshistudio.com
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U USSIIN NG G TTH HEE DIIC CTTIIO ON NA AR RY Y D
The dictionary acts as a resource that initiates conversations about disability in the Indian context. It is written in a conversational style as well. The format of the book is such that each definition is followed by a set of simple questions for the reader to engage in with other people, in order to reflect on the concepts discussed. Therefore, the dictionary can be used as a learning resource in colleges or even high schools to sensitize students towards disability and to make them conscious and aware citizens. Readers, or participants, can answer the questions in the dictionary through writing, drawing or sketching. You can also record a conversation you have with another person on one of the chosen themes. Make an event out of it and host
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USING THE DICTIONARY
a discussion about disability, or string it along in relation to other discussions. It can be a game or a quiz. It can even be used to initiate discussions around disability at home, with extended family members of disabled individuals, or in colleges or workplaces where disability can be more openly talked about through the intervention of the book. You could also make it the topic for discussion on a night you hang out with your friends! Why not? Discover what biases you might hold, engage in new perspectives and see where the dictionary might take you. This book can also be used as an entry point into discovering online conversations around disability. Just search for these hashtags listed here to begin.
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ABCD EFGHI JKLMN OPQR STUV WXYZ
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USING THE INDEX DICTIONARY Ableism BetterRepforPwDs Disabledpeoplearehot Education Humanrights Intersectionality Jobsfordisabled Letstalkdisability Normality Sexanddisability
#2 #9 # 18 # 23 # 30 # 35 # 41 # 49 # 55 # 63
#1
A for
#Ableism #Ability #Abilitynotdisability #Awareness #Acceptance #Autismindia #Askyourself #Accessibility #Accessforall
CONTEXT
# 2
#Ableism Discrimination in the favour of ablebodied individuals. Yeah, think of ableism as white privilege. Maybe I shouldn’t bring race into this. But maybe I should. Maybe I can also say, think about this in terms of male privilege. You see, discrimation is a cycle. The white man is at the top of the food chain and the disabled black women at the very bottom. Makes sense? Think about it in relation to the Indian fascination with “foreigners” (white skin). Why is that? Colonialism ring a bell? But no, look back further. Stigma related to disability runs deep even within Indian beliefs and our mythologies. Are these ideologies warranted, in 2020? Should this stereotypical understanding and perception of disability continue to disadvantage those who are disabled? We already know that not all those who are disabled are born with a disability. Any of us could develop a disability
CONTEXT
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through the course of our lives. Such as blindness or weakening sight. How does a blind individual access information, such as reading this book (on the computer or otherwise)? Ever wonder? What happens when a blind person decides to take an Uber across the city to meet a friend? (Can they do that?) From unlocking their phone to using the Uber app, to entering an address, to leaving their home, to entering the correct vehicle, to the driver dropping them off at the right location, to walking on the streets in India? How does this entire process unfold for a blind individual? Consider the same for an individual who is deaf. An individual who is paralysed and on a wheelchair. An individual who is colour blind. An individual who is autistic. Ever thought about how our world is designed? Who is it designed for, who is it designed by? Are these designs as well as the systems within which we function ableist? Here's another example in relation to social media. A feature
CONTEXT
#4
exists on Instagram and across digital platforms called Alt Text (Alternative Text). Alt text is text that describes the appearance and function of an image on a webpage. These descriptions are read aloud to blind users through the screen readers they use in order to access information on a computer or other digital devices, since they can't see the image itself. We didn't realised we were being discriminatory towards blind users by not entering Alt text with our Instagram post uploads. We were just participating in the ableist world most suited for able bodies. The question is - would you consider adding Alt text with your next Instagram or blog post upload?
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / ABLEISM
#5
What is your first memory of meeting or seeing a person with a disability (cognitive or physical)? How did this shape your own perception and understanding of disability?
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / ABLEISM
#6
Did your parents ever talk to you about disability (cognitive or physical)? In what context was this? How did this conversation impact your understanding of disability and your attitude towards it?
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / ABLEISM
#7
What do you think is the general perception towards disability in India? Do your thoughts align with this popular perception?
Similar tags #Visibility #Socialjustice #Humanrights #Jobsfordisabled #Thepersonalispolitical #MyStory #Intersectionality #Caste #Gender #Womenwithdisability
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B for
#BetterRepforPwDs #BetterRepforPwDs
#Blindnessisnotaweakness #Brownanddisabled
CONTEXT
#9
#BetterRepforPwDs Does the disabled population deserve better representation in popular culture? Why? Oh yeah, remember that movie we watched yesterday? Nobody was really helping the blind character and kept trying social experiments on them. Oh, remember that comedy movie where many characters with various disabilities appear as the butt of all jokes? Or that one where, because of his disabilities, the boy is constantly bullied and leads a tormented life. Sigh. The trends of disability representation in Indian cinema are troublesome. Even for us, 90s kids in India, it has been rare to come across a neutral progressive portrayal of disability in the Indian context. Rain Man, an American film, is the first that I recall from my memory and experiences that attempts to portray a real life depiction
CONTEXT
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of an individual who is an autistic savant. It also makes me wonder about the everyday lives of individuals with disabilities in India. Bollywood, are you listening? Often we see the label “tragedy” or an “inspiration”, a “genius” or a “miracle” attached to disabled individuals when we see, read or hear about them. But what about the day-today narratives of people with disabilities? Yeah, the discriminations they might face, but also how do they deal with it? How are they accommodating their own lives around the rest of us and the world? Who are their friends, what adventures are they living together? What are the parties they are throwing? Who are their families, their siblings? Maybe we already know them? And maybe we also already know the power of representation, of being seen and heard and acknowledged.
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / BETTERREPFORPWDS
# 11
Which was the last movie or TV series you watched that portrayed a disabled character or their life as the main story? Did it break away from the stereotypical representation of disability? How so?
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / BETTERREPFORPWDS
What thoughts has this (disabled) character/s raised in your mind?
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GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / BETTERREPFORPWDS
Did you agree or disagree with this particular representation of the character? Why?
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GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / BETTERREPFORPWDS
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Is content related to disability sensitively portrayed in popular western and Indian cinema? Can you share an example of any difference or similarity you have observed?
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / BETTERREPFORPWDS
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What do you think is a good example of representation for people with disabilities in popular Indian culture?
Similar tags #Letstalkdisability #MyStory #Voicesdisability #Intersectionality #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs
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C for
#CRPD #Chronicpain #Chronicillness #Caste #Covidresponse #Covidrelief #Changinglives
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D for
#Disabledpeoplearehot #Disabledpeoplearehot #Disabilityindia #Disabilityrights #Disabilityawareness #DEPwD #Deafathlete #DRAG #Differentlyabled #Disabilityinfluencerindia #Disabledlivesmatter #Disabledpeoplearepeopletoo #Disabilityinfluencer #Disabledwomen #Disabilityisnormal #Discrimination #Disabilityisnotinability #Disabled
CONTEXT
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#Disabledpeoplearehot P1: Man, I saw this picture of a guy on Instagram a few days ago and he looked so cute. Yesterday, I saw him at a store in the city and learnt that he is autistic! He didn’t look autistic in the photo. I mean, he looked good. But yeah, he is mildly autistic. Anyways. P2: Oh yeah, I came across a girl in a friend's photo on Instagram. She is beautiful. But then I went to her profile, since she was tagged, and I saw that she is disabled. Both of her legs are amputated. So sad. Are people still cute or beautiful, whether they are disabled or not? Are people still desirable, whether they are disabled or not? Despite their disability, would you still go on a date with that person? Can a blind man still look dapper in a black suit? Go on a date, come home late after a night out with his date? Can a girl in a wheelchair still flaunt a little black dress? Can she still wear make-up and lipstick?
CONTEXT
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Can she still go to a fancy restaurant in the city with her date? Can she still come home late after date night? Isn’t Kalki as hot in Margarita With a Straw as she is in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani? Priyanka Chopra looks as stunning in Barfi as she does in Baywatch?
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / DISABLEDPEOPLEAREHOT
# 20
Does ability have anything to do with appearance?
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / DISABLEDPEOPLEAREHOT
# 21
Do our perception about an individual's appearance change when we learn they have a disability?
Similar tags #Womenwithdisability #Intersectionality #Visibility #Thepersonalispolitical #Sexanddisability
E for
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#Education #EveryoneIncluded #Enableindia #Empowerthedisabled #Emergencyresponse #Equalopportunities #Everyonecandance
CONTEXT
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#Education I live in Bangalore, which is home to some of the best schools in India. International, top-notch, the best. Alright. What about international top-notch education for my autistic son? I’m sorry, what? You know, the best education possible for my son who is autistic. Uhh, well, we offer education for the neurotypical student. You know, for normal people. Normal people? I see. Alright, what about education for abnormal people? The best abnormal education. Umm, I can’t help you with that. Can I talk to your boss? Sure. Boss: Sorry, I can’t help you with that. Bosses boss: Sorry, I can’t help you with that either. Bosses bosses boss: Sorry… You get the drift. Why is it that we are we failing our children by not doing more for ALL of them. Should the right to education start and end at a certain point?
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / EDUCATION
# 24
Do you know any disabled individuals in your life?
Are you aware of the kind or quality of education they have received?
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / EDUCATION
# 25
Did they go to school or college? If no, why not? If yes, where?
Do you know of schools or educational institutes or spaces that support individuals with disabilities where you live?
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / EDUCATION
# 26
How do they operate? What are the subjects or knowledge they offer?
What is the standards of education compared to the school or college you attend/attended?
Similar tags #Caste #Gender #Intersectionalit #Womenwithdisability #Rights #Uncrpd #Humanrights #Rpwdact2016 #Disabilityrights #Socialjustice #Thepersonalispolitical #Jobsfordisabled #Livelihood #Normality
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F for
#FaveScenes #Fitness #Feministreads #Faliureisnotfinal
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G for
#Gender
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H for
#Humanrights #Healthiswealth #Healthmotivation
CONTEXT
# 30
#Humanrights What is the definition of human? Is there such a thing as more human or less human than another human? I think "marginalised" is just a somewhat nicer way of saying exactly that. That some communities or individuals deserve more than others. Who decides this and on what basis are these decisions made? Do we just end up categorising humans on a scale of worthiness, which in turn ends up denying them their humanness? Wow. Humans are the worst. We literally decide who is allowed to go where and to do what or how. Alright, I know you value your freedom and you truly believe you have it. But do you really? Okay, so for example, buildings. Museum buildings, government buildings, the cinema even, with no ramps, elevators, guided flooring for the blind, assistive audio technology, or settings that are accommodative of autistic individuals. By
CONTEXT
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restricting certain individuals from the disabled community access to these spaces, we are actually denying them the right to come to these spaces. Do you ever wonder why you might not see more disabled individuals in your day-to-day life? This could be one of the reasons. Well, maybe this is a stupid question but, do you consider your independence important? Well, sure, I mean I know I do. But is this independence extended to everyone? I mean how are we, unknowlingly or knowingly, contributing to the violation of human rights, in the smallest of ways? Just imagine the difference a ramp can make, and an open mind...
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / HUMANRIGHTS
Why are human rights important?
# 32
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / HUMANRIGHTS
What do you believe should be the rights of every individual?
Similar tags #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #Rights #Uncrpd #Humanrights #Rpwdact2016 #Disabilityrights #Socialjustice #Thepersonalispolitical #Visibility
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I for
#Intersectionality #Inability #Invisibile #Ignored #Inclusion #Invisibledisability #Indianpolicy #Intersectionality #Instasmile
CONTEXT
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#Intersectionality If an Indian man and an Indian woman start a race from the same point, which involves negotiations with peers and community members from mixed classes of society, the race would be a tie, right? What was that? No? It won't? Huh. Okay okay. A small exercise in self-reflection. Consider this. What gender do you identify as? What is your race? Which class of society do you belong to? Are you privileged? Do you have any disabilities? Okay, now back up. Why is it that the categories of {INDIAN} and {MALE} land you at a different spot on the table compared to the categories of {INDIAN} and {FEMALE}? What is it about the intersection of these identities that contributes towards one individual being situated at a greater disadvantage than the other? Why is an aspect of my identity which is not always in my control sometimes in my favor and sometimes
CONTEXT
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against it? Fancy some more food for thought? Based on the intersectional identities listed below, what is the range of discrimination that might be faced by the following: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.
A white disbaled man. An able-bodied white woman. An Indian man. An Indian woman. A disabled Indian man. A disabled Indian woman. A diabled Indian man from a middle class background. 8. An Indian woman from a poor background. 9. A disabled Indian man from a poor background. 10. A disabled Indian woman from a poor background.
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / INTERSECTIONALITY
Based on your own self-reflection, where do you situate yourself within these categories of identity?
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GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / INTERSECTIONALITY
What discriminations do you find might apply to you? How do these differ from, or compare to those applied to others, who are different from you? Consider other family members of different genders, friends from different class backgrounds, neighbours of different nationalities, etc.
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GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / INTERSECTIONALITY
Have you considered the consequences of intersectionality before? How so? In what context, or in reference to whom?
Similar tags #Caste #Gender #Womenwithdisability
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# 40
J for
#Jobsfordisabled #Jobfordisabled #Justice
CONTEXT
# 41
#Jobsfordisabled When does something, or rather someone become a burden? If there is one thing we have learned as a result of the lockdown, it is this: working remotely from home is not half as problematic as it was always perceived to be! Working remotely can lead to the employment of several disabled people across the world. It took a pandemic for us to really open our eyes to its effectiveness. If an individual can be economically liberated through a job, there’s an advantage in that for everyone, including disabled people! What is a job? A job is something that every adult in the world is vying for. So then why are so many disabled adults out of jobs? Individuals with disabilities are denied opportunities contribute to society, as well as to explore and showcase their talent or potential. Okay now picture this. What if - if - you were to lose your sight due to a medical condition, or you are in an accident and lose a toe,
CONTEXT
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or a foot, or an arm? What if your brain is wired differently, but that doesn’t stop you from being capable of carrying out several tasks? If a person in a wheelchair is ready to leave their house, commute on accessible public transport and come to your office to do a job they are capable of, who are you to deny them the opportunity to apply? In our current world scenario, they are capable of doing so from home as well. This hashtag unfortunately comes across as a plea to society. If it were to be #jobsformen or #jobsforhumans or rather #jobsforablebodied, what would you make of that? How would that reflect the world we live in, or the world those hashtags may belong to? This hashtag however, #jobsfordisabled belongs to our current reality. Our present world. Working remotely can lead to the employment of several disabled people across the world. But there's still a lot of
CONTEXT
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work to be done here. Maybe it will help for me to say this: if you are a future business owner, or if you are employed in an organisation, maybe we should ask the question; How can we create a more diverse and inclusive workplace? What are you doing to provide equal opportunities to ALL individuals out there? Important questions, right?
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / JOBSFORDISABLED
# 44
Have you ever met a disbaled person who is employed?
What is the nature of their work? How much do you think they might earn?
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / JOBSFORDISABLED
# 45
In Indian movies and TV shows, are disabled people ever represented as working, earning individuals? How does such a representation of a disbaled individual make you feel?
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / JOBSFORDISABLED
# 46
If you were disabled, do you think you could still be employed and making a living?
Similar tags #Jobsfordisabled #Livelihood #Pwdatwork
# 47
K for
#Karunatrust #Knowledge
# 48
L for
#Letstalkdisability
#Loveonthespectrum #Leavenoonebehind #Lifewithoutlimits #Letstalkdisability #Learnandearn #Livelihood
CONTEXT
# 49
#Letstalkdisability Talking about disability. Hmm. Do we ever really talk about disability? Like really? When was the last time you remember having a discussion about disability with others you know? Or even strangers? Oh no no. We don't talk about disability. We brush it under a carpet. We don’t believe it is important to bring it up. It’s too sad. Too depressing, even? No we don’t talk about sad things, even though they might be important things. Like the many other sad important things we ignore, we ignore this too. We let it be a problem for those to whom it is a problem. How does it even concern us? This may just be my favourite hashtag because just like this book, it urges us to start the conversation. To confront the topic of disability and to embrace it rather than to fear it or ignore it. Disabled individuals are starting to find their place
CONTEXT
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in the world. Slowly but surely, they are demanding their rights in this country and letting their voice be heard. Just like the feminist movement needs the alliance of men to succeed, the disability movement needs the alliance of the able bodied to succeed too. And to succeed by normalising, by talking about disability.
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / LETSTALKDISABILITY
# 51
How can we talk about disability? Is it comfortable or uncomfortable for you to talk about it? If yes, why is it uncomfortable?
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / LETSTALKDISABILITY
# 52
When was the last time you remember having a discussion about disability with a group of people?
Similar tags #Thepersonalispolitical #Visibility #Unapologetic #MyStory #Voicesdisability
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M for
#Marginalized #MyStory #Mentalhealth #Mobilityimpared
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N for
#Normality #Normal #Normality #Netflix #NIEPMD #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs #Newsmedia
CONTEXT
# 55
#Normality Normal. Okay. Normal, fine. Normal. Normal? Normal what? A normal human being. Right. A normal human being. Okay. A man. Okay. No, a woman. Okay, a woman. No, an Indian boy, 5 feet tall. Okay, sounds normal. No no, an Indian girl, around 3 feet. Okay, that seems normal too. Actually no wait, an Indian woman with a ponytail, about 4 feet tall. Alright. Or how about an Indian man with glasses around 6 feet? Cool. Or it could be... a girl in a wheelchair with glasses instead? Alright. What if it's a boy in a wheelchair, no glasses? That sounds good too. How about a boy with crutches instead? Yeah, could do. Or an individual with Down's Syndrome. Okay, sure. Or maybe even an Autistic girl with her hair down. That works too. Normal.
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / NORMALITY
# 56
How do you define or understand the word “normal” and the concept of “normaility”?
GROUP / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION / NORMALITY
How do you think disability fits into the conception of normality? In comparison to it?
Similar tags #Visibility #Letstalkdisability #Womenwithdisability #Sexanddisability #Jobsfordisabled #Education #Humanrights #BetterRepforPwDs
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O for
#Onthisday #Onfreedom
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P for
#Proud #Pwdatwork #ParaOlympic #Pride #Pwdindia #Pwd #Physicallydisabled
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Q for
#Qtips
# 61
R for
#Rights #RisingPhoenix #Rpwdact2016 #Rheoknee #Rehabilitation #RaisingIndia #Reclaimyourbody
# 62
S for
#Sexanddisability #SkinStories #ScreeningDisability #Signlanguage #Support #Specialneeds #Sexdis #Sickanddisabled #Smilealways #Skilldevelopment #Suckitablemism #Socialjustice
CONTEXT
# 63
#Sexanddisability Because disability is largely a taboo topic, we dont't always consider it "normal" for disabled individuals to have sexual desires, or rather we don't consider them as sexual beings. Sex itself is not openly discussed in our prosperous nation, which is the biggest irony of our times. Therefore, within these discussions, the intersection of sex and disability is difficult to come by. Given this context, individuals with disability might struggle to find relevant SexEd resources applicable to them. They might even face a higher degree of psychological trauma in relation to their sexuality than the average able bodied individual already does in the Indian setting. Going back to popular cultural references, I think Margarita with a Straw is the only example that comes to mind which boldly portrays an Indian girl with a sexual drive that she pursues
CONTEXT
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and shows her in a consensual adult relationship. From memory the movie was controversial and received some criticism, but it was also well received by many. Such examples, especially within the Indian scenario, are rare to come by but their importance is not overlooked. As more disabled individuals enter their 20's, they also want to have the freedom and opportunity to live as liberated youth. You will find them on popular dating apps, flaunting their disability in their profie picture because they are done with hiding their identities. They are embracing their lives for what it is by embracing the label of disability, and extending a hand to be with others in society.
QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSIONS / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION/ SEXANDDISABILITY
Have you ever been in a relationship with, or gone on a date with someone who is disabled?
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QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSIONS / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION/ SEXANDDISABILITY
Do you know a disabled individual who is in a relationship?
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QUESTIONS FOR GROUP DISCUSSIONS / COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION/ SEXANDDISABILITY
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Do you know any disabled individual or individuals who are married or settled together? Do they also have children?
Similar tags #Womenwithdisability #Intersectionality #Visibility #Thepersonalispolitical #Disabledpeoplearehot
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T for
#ThisAbility #ThebetterIndia #Techforall #Techforgood #Thingsabledpeoplesay #Thepersonalispolitical #Trustyourbody
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U for
#Uncrpd #Uniqueness #Unapologetic
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V for
#Visible #Voicesdisability #Visibility
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W for
#Wheelchairindia #Workshop #Womenwhowrite #Workplace #Womenwithdisability #Worlddisabilityday #Womenofcolour #Wocvoices
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X for
#Xfactor
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Y for
#Youcandoit
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Z for
#Zinemaking #Zines #Zineslibrary
#Ability #Abilitynotdisability #Ableism #Awareness #Acceptance #Autismindia #Askyourself #Accessibility #Accessforall #BetterRepforPwDs #Blindnessisnota weakness #Brownanddisabled #CRPD #Chronicpain#Chronicillness#Caste#Covidr esponse#Covidrelief#Changinglives #Disabilityindia#Disabilityrights#Disabilitya wareness#DEPwD#Deafathlete#DRAG #Differentlyabled #Disabilityinfluencerindia#Disabledlivesmat ter#Disabledpeoplearepeopletoo #Disabilityinfluencer#Disabledwomen #Disabilityisnormal#Discrimination #Disabilityisnotinability#Disabledpeopleare hot#Disabled#Education#EveryoneIncluded #EnableIndia #Empowerthedisabled #Emergencyresponse #Equalopportunities #Everyone candance #FaveScenes #Fitness #Feministreads #Faliureisnotfinal #Gender #Healthiswealth#Humanrights #Healthmotivation#Inability#Invisibile #Ignored #Inclusion #Invisibledisability#Indianpolicy #Intersectionality #Instasmile #Jobfordisabled #Jobsfordisabled #Justice #Jobfordisabled#Jobsfordisabled
#Justice#Loveonthespectrum #Leavenoonebehind#Lifewithoutlimits #Letstalkdisability#Learnandearn #Livelihood#Marginalized#MyStory #Mentalhealth #Mobilityimpared#Normal #Normality#Netflix#NIEPMD #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs#Newsmedia #Onthisday#Onfreedom#Proud #Pwdatwork#Paraolympic#Pride #Pwdindia #Pwd #Physicallydisabled #Qtips #Rights #RisingPhoenix #Rpwdact2016 #Rheoknee#Rehabilitation#RaisingIndia#Recl aimyourbody#SkinStories #ScreeningDisability#Signlanguage #Support#Specialneeds#Sexdis #Sickanddisabled#Smilealways #Skilldevelopment#Suckitablemism #Socialjustice #Sexanddisability #ThisAbility #ThebetterIndia #Techforall#Techforgood#Thingsabledpeople say #Thepersonalispolitical#Trustyourbody #Uncrpd#Uniqueness #Unapologetic #Visible #Voicesdisability #Visibility #Wheelchairindia#Workshop#Womenwhow rite#Workplace#Womenwithdisability #Worlddisabilityday#Womenofcolour #Wocvoices#Xfactor#Youcandoit #Zinemaking #Zines #Zineslibrary
#disa bility india DICTIONARY
Sneha Joshi, 2020
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© Sneha Joshi, 2020