Written by Lubna Ismailee
I watched the first day first show of the biopic Srikanth: Aa Raha Hai Sabki Aankhein Kholne, starring Rajkummar Rao. The theatre had 85-plus visually impaired people who came out to watch this movie. It was a historic experience. Through the course of the movie, we discussed the challenges faced by persons with disability to avail basic education.
Despite Bolla’s 17-year-long struggle and the enactment of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act 2016, accessible education remains a significant challenge for students with disability in India. While progress has been made toward building ramps and tactile paths, they are often broken and constructed unscientifically. Even if the tactile paths are proper, there is a dearth of instruction boards with Braille scripts. The authorities responsible for building and maintaining accessibility on college campuses lack sensitisation. Shorya Sood, a PhD scholar at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) pointed out that the lifts at JNU are non-functional after 6pm and on weekends, rendering the reading halls inaccessible to wheelchair users. This highlights the need for more comprehensive measures to ensure equal access to education for all.
The RPwD Act 2016, under Section 42, makes it mandatory to provide all content available in audio, print, and electronic media in an accessible format, that is, by providing audio description, sign language interpretation, and closed captioning. The electronic goods and equipment meant for everyday use must be available in a universal design. “I was shocked to learn about the absence of any establishment to aid the disabled. The academic websites, webmail, academic curriculum, and infrastructure were all inaccessible to me,” says Deepak Gupta, a PhD scholar at IIT Delhi. Most universities have facilities to provide learning material; however, these largely remain inaccessible to visually impaired students due to lack of access to technology. If they are accessible, the staff is not sensitised enough to provide a tutorial that helps a visually impaired student like Deepak to navigate it. A study conducted by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) highlights that 80 per cent of students with disabilities across universities lack awareness about assistive technology. Moreover, there is a lack of sensitivity among faculty members regarding reasonable accommodation required for students with disabilities.
The Srikanth movie trailer features a powerful scene where the protagonist delivers a speech challenging societal attitudes towards the visually impaired. He rejects the common narrative that views them as “bechara” (helpless) and “kitna bura hua iske saath” (what happened to him is unfortunate), declaring, “Kuch bura nahi hua humare saath aur bechare toh hum bilkul nahi hain” (Nothing unfortunate has happened to us and we are certainly not helpless). Our society’s sympathy towards PwD is confined to viewing them as beggars or, at best, not as capable citizens. This mindset restricts the potential of individuals with a disability. It is not disability that makes their journey difficult, but rather society’s inability to provide adequate support and accommodations to overcome their challenges. When Nipun Malhotra, founder of the Nipman Foundation and a wheelchair user, was invited to speak about “life on a wheelchair and social entrepreneurship”, he was disappointed by the absence of a ramp to the venue. Worse, an unstable and steep inverted food stall table was placed as a ramp. “This isn’t just inadequate; it’s unsafe and demeaning,” he said.
Sangita Thakur, founder of Ashtavakra Accessibility Solutions, highlights the extra cost of living she bears as a PwD: “My hearing aids need to be replaced every three to five years and my electric wheelchair battery lasts only three years.” She emphasises the importance of financial stability for a PwD. A good education and a well-paying job help achieve a standard of living. Rowan George, a wheelchair user with Muscular Dystrophy, holds a Master’s degree in Physics from the University of Delhi but struggles to find suitable employment, highlighting the need for inclusive opportunities. As per the Census 2011, only five per cent of PwDs are graduates or have studied further while only 36 per cent of them are in the workforce.
In the Srikanth trailer, Bolla cries “Mujhe bheekh nahi maangni hai teacher, mujhe padhna hai teacher (I do not want to be a beggar, teacher. I want to study).” Let us strive to create a society where individuals with disabilities are empowered to contribute. To achieve this, we must work towards building accessible infrastructure, accessible education systems, accessible information dissemination systems, and a sensitised society. By addressing these issues, we can ensure that individuals with disabilities are represented and valued for their contributions.
The writer is a mobility champion at Young Leaders for Active Citizenship (YLAC), working with the Nipman Foundation on disability rights
