It is but shameful that we have taken everything to be granted. How easy it is for us to access facilities like schools and hospitals, whereas for the disabled, it is impossible to actually even enter a room, without having to depend on someone else. The disability act was introduced in India, in the year 2016. As a modification to the previous disability act that included only 7 disabilities. Rest of the handicap wasn’t even taken into consideration until the government came up with this act.
Of course with the disability act introduced, there has been better recognition of this class of people. But how much have we actually done for the disabled? There might have been reservations, more active rallies, and their recognition. But how much is the technical world shared with them? Most disabled people cannot even grip a keyboard or mouse, or operate a desktop or laptop, and technology has done nothing to empower them. How is the disability act helping the handicap then?
Data for the disabled:
If the disabled cannot access general data if there is no Braille version of so many technological data, then how are we facilitating our disabled? Hasn’t the technology completely failed the disability act? If the government has made provisions through the disabled act for police complaints and has asked the state government to arrange for equal opportunities, why is there no provision to help them technologically?
Equal opportunities for disabled people have been provided by the disabled act. But if the disabled cannot have basic access to data and technology, then how exactly will we expect them to work in environments where the normal people are buzzing in jet speed? Someone would need at least basic prompts of technology to work, and the technology development has majorly failed the disability act in this respect.
Inventions for the disabled:
There have been a lot of inventions in the technical domain, but nothing has been done in favor of the disabled. How are we holding up the disabled act in good light then? We know how Steven Hawking was provided with aids, we also know how to replicate those aids. But are they available at discounted rates for the use of the common people? Of course not – in fact, equipment for the disabled are so overpriced that half and more of them cannot even afford it. How would the disabled then benefit from the resources? How is the disabled act then providing facilities to them in a fair light?
There has to be a lot done in that direction. For them to come at par with others, technology has to catalyze the entire procedure. Until that happens, of course, everything remains a sad document only. The disabled act becomes a success only when we learn to empower the disabled with the tools of technology and provide them with equal data access. Before that, we should strategically plan out the finances and subsidize the present products that they are using, just to give them more accessibility.