The reader of this blog would know that I try and get together with `DRA' periodically on matters related to accessibility, inclusivity in society, etc, in short, on disability activism. One of the members of this group has started on a project, which involves meeting on the `Beach Road' in Besant Nagar every Sunday morning from 06.30 to 08.30 when cars and bikes are prevented from using that road, where she aims at sensitising people on the merit of, and crying need for, inclusivity in our society.
I have been giving this a miss so far since my driver had recently become a father, and I did not want to disturb him at least on Sundays. But this time, Bhavna had promised to create a history - on posters - of disability awareness and support in Chennai; and she had got Ms. Poonam Natarajan to help trace the history of inclusivity in Chennai. And this I really had to see, so I requested Sekar to take me and my wheelchair to `Bessie'.
I did not expect anything less from Bhavna: everything was done with impeccable taste and clarity. But this post is not about her. You can read about her in, for instance, http://www.thebetterindia.com/4655/tbi-inspirations-she-cannot-walk-talk-or-write-but-young-bhavna-botta-is-a-successful-entrepreneur/
I want to write about something that struck me tangentially, as it were, and that I wanted to share. Everybody has heard the sexist condescending statement that `behind every successful man there is a woman'. I thought, instead, of the fanatastic `never-say-die' mother behind every person who has overcome terrible hardship to even have a chance of a reasonable life.
I saw at least four of them today who, in their own ways have contributed to making this world a far better place than they found it: Poonam Natarajan, Kalpana Rao, Sumithra Prasad, Mrs. Sadasivan (whose own name I am ash amed to say I have never heard or known). All of them were faced with alarming news about a child of theirs having a life-long health condition that might prevent their leading the typical care-free and happy life everybody prays is in store for their children. And they politely asked Fate to go to hell, and set about giving their child the life of their choice.
These women would not be cowed down by a cruel fate. Not only did they try to help their child face their problem, they gave something to society that can only come from one who has unergone a trial by fire.The actual nature of the health problem of the child is not pertinent for this post. What does matter is that in spite of hours of lost sleep due to worry and hours spent at the doctor's, through their support of their child, they have, by their strength and courage of conviction, helped set up systems which will help many future children suffering the same fate as their child.
Poonam akka gave us what is now called Vidya Sagar (and originally, the Spastic Society of Chennai), Sumithra Prasad (who got today's event going with a great spirit of positivity, introducing herself as a special mom of a child `with special needs') started her SAI bakery, about which you can read in http://www.thebetterindia.com/22773/sai-bakery-chennai-adults-with-special-needs/>, while Kalpana and Mrs. Sadasivan have given the world Bhavna and Smitha, two of my live-wire friends from DRA, both of whose energy levels leaves me panting. I have only seen Bhavna's mother when her services were needed to communicate with Bhavna. Today, I walked up to her and congratulated her, and she dismissed it in her disarming and self-effacing manner, saying it was all Bhavna's doing. She was referring to this event and I was referring to having helped Bhavna become the woman she is today. I feel the same way about Smitha's mother, as Smitha herself has mentioned many times when interviewed by the Press.
Which leaves me with the thought that if most mothers - and fathers - would instinctively remove a barrier in the way of their child, why is it virtually impossible to make this world accessible and inclusive towards people with any kind of disability? The same `us and them' garbage that is thrown around by the Trumps and Hindu fundamentalists of the world!
I have been giving this a miss so far since my driver had recently become a father, and I did not want to disturb him at least on Sundays. But this time, Bhavna had promised to create a history - on posters - of disability awareness and support in Chennai; and she had got Ms. Poonam Natarajan to help trace the history of inclusivity in Chennai. And this I really had to see, so I requested Sekar to take me and my wheelchair to `Bessie'.
I did not expect anything less from Bhavna: everything was done with impeccable taste and clarity. But this post is not about her. You can read about her in, for instance, http://www.thebetterindia.com/4655/tbi-inspirations-she-cannot-walk-talk-or-write-but-young-bhavna-botta-is-a-successful-entrepreneur/
I want to write about something that struck me tangentially, as it were, and that I wanted to share. Everybody has heard the sexist condescending statement that `behind every successful man there is a woman'. I thought, instead, of the fanatastic `never-say-die' mother behind every person who has overcome terrible hardship to even have a chance of a reasonable life.
I saw at least four of them today who, in their own ways have contributed to making this world a far better place than they found it: Poonam Natarajan, Kalpana Rao, Sumithra Prasad, Mrs. Sadasivan (whose own name I am ash amed to say I have never heard or known). All of them were faced with alarming news about a child of theirs having a life-long health condition that might prevent their leading the typical care-free and happy life everybody prays is in store for their children. And they politely asked Fate to go to hell, and set about giving their child the life of their choice.
These women would not be cowed down by a cruel fate. Not only did they try to help their child face their problem, they gave something to society that can only come from one who has unergone a trial by fire.The actual nature of the health problem of the child is not pertinent for this post. What does matter is that in spite of hours of lost sleep due to worry and hours spent at the doctor's, through their support of their child, they have, by their strength and courage of conviction, helped set up systems which will help many future children suffering the same fate as their child.
Poonam akka gave us what is now called Vidya Sagar (and originally, the Spastic Society of Chennai), Sumithra Prasad (who got today's event going with a great spirit of positivity, introducing herself as a special mom of a child `with special needs') started her SAI bakery, about which you can read in http://www.thebetterindia.com/22773/sai-bakery-chennai-adults-with-special-needs/>, while Kalpana and Mrs. Sadasivan have given the world Bhavna and Smitha, two of my live-wire friends from DRA, both of whose energy levels leaves me panting. I have only seen Bhavna's mother when her services were needed to communicate with Bhavna. Today, I walked up to her and congratulated her, and she dismissed it in her disarming and self-effacing manner, saying it was all Bhavna's doing. She was referring to this event and I was referring to having helped Bhavna become the woman she is today. I feel the same way about Smitha's mother, as Smitha herself has mentioned many times when interviewed by the Press.
Which leaves me with the thought that if most mothers - and fathers - would instinctively remove a barrier in the way of their child, why is it virtually impossible to make this world accessible and inclusive towards people with any kind of disability? The same `us and them' garbage that is thrown around by the Trumps and Hindu fundamentalists of the world!
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