July marks Disability Pride Month, an international event that aims to emphasize raising awareness and urges everyone to take action for the (re)integration and inclusion of people with disabilities. Access4you believes that businesses have an important role in this and, therefore, works to make the world more inclusive and socially sustainable. A vital part to our mission is Access4you’s international Accredited Partner Network, which helps the global expansion of these values. This time, we asked one of our valuable accredited partners from India, Sangita Thakur, who is a lady with disabilities herself, about her views on Disability Pride and disability inclusion.
A4U: Thank you, Sangita, for accepting our invitation for the interview! First, what does Disability Pride Month mean to you?
Sangita: Frankly, till recently, I was clueless regarding the significance of this month. I have been part of the non-disabled world most of my life. I have an older brother who has quadriplegia due to Spinal Muscular Atrophy. SMA, as well as my deafness, are progressive. We studied in the mainstream education system and have lived and worked in the same milieu. We have never considered ourselves disabled. I have never been ashamed of my disabilities, although undeniably, it has made my life challenging.
To me, therefore, Disability Pride Month is the time to generate awareness and sensitize people regarding us. It is a platform or—you can say—a bigger window than the International Day of Persons with Disabilities to raise our concerns, show ourselves in a positive light, and ensure that we are noted and feted for who we are and our achievements, not despite our disabilities. It is a time to convey to the world that we are not pitiable and sad people; rather, we lead full and happy lives.
A4U: This is a great way to put it. In your opinion, what is something fundamental that non-disabled people can do to make the everyday lives of people with disabilities easier?
Sangita: Change their attitude. The biggest barrier to inclusion is the attitudinal one. You may build world-class workplaces but if your people are not open to including a person with disability in their team, you can’t achieve inclusion. Let’s take the example of women. For long we have been promoting the inclusion of women under the DEI framework. You may even find that an organization has reached the magic 50% in women’s employment. But then look at the leadership. Look at the boardroom. How many women are there?
Same goes for the disabled. You may be employing 100 under your DEIBA framework. But are you also building a pipeline of talent to the C-suite? Are you ready to let a PwD helm your key leadership posts?
This level of inclusion will only take place when people stop viewing our capabilities through the lens of disability.
A4U: What would you, as a professional and person with disabilities, highlight as a message for Disability Pride?
Sangita:
For the disabled, my message is: Be proud of who you are.
For the non-disabled, my message is: Be proud of who we are.
Thank you once again, Sangita, for your answers! We couldn’t have ended this interview on a better note. We hope this message resonates with our readers and that the sentiment of Disability Pride will remain present in the other 11 months of the year.
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