All human beings have something special within us and some weaknesses too, and so do specially abled people. We as society must help specially abled people to focus on their strengths, instead of their weaknesses so that they can enjoy their life like us. We should also accept them as equal and not someone who need to be pitied. They should be given equal opportunities to come forward. Specially abled people don’t want to be treated as different, they want to be treated as equal. We must interact with them and make them feel normal. Opportunities must be given to these people to motivate them to do something good in life.

The perception of treating specially abled people as ill, and marking them out, tends to isolate them. There are approximately 70-80 million specially abled persons in India. All buildings must be made compatible with the needs of these people. Education should be made accessible to these people, and for this, school buildings, classrooms, libraries and washrooms etc. need to be modified. Access is the key to the inclusion.

We as society must understand that these people are not abnormal and we don’t pity them. They are equal to everybody and can perform to the best of their abilities if given the right guidance and opportunities. So we should not treat them as someone lesser. With such an understanding, we can not only establish government buildings, educational institutions, railway stations and other public places that are compatible with the needs of such special people, but can also ensure conducive environment for them through generous counselling.

Access is the key — if a specially abled person isn’t able to go to school, college or office, how will they gain education or work. We need to give sensitivity training to people so that they give training to people with disability so that they explore their full potential. Schools, educational institutions and offices should have special facilities such as ramps and special washrooms for differently abled people. Wheel chairs should be provided and staff should be trained to help the differently abled people. They should be capable of handling such people in the best way. They should be friendly with them and trained to serve them well.