THE UNDERSTATED PROFUNDITY OF SENSORY IMPAIRMENT AND PHYSICAL CHALLENGE
1. For a defining majority of human beings with normally functioning sense organs (touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste) the ability to receive and process sensory information and understanding and perceiving the external environment does not permit any challenges. Endowed as most of us are, with normal physical capabilities/devoid of any infirmities and disabilities, the world of human-beings not so empowered can seem to be a world beyond with the possibility of their life being viewed with a sense of pity, pithyness and even indifference. It is only in the very recent past that the universe of such people has come to be viewed with, I dare say, compassion, understanding and of course positivity with an underlying intent to gradually integrate and mainstream them. I attempt here to narrate not, in the least, with a sense of pity, but with unabashed amazement some of my experiences, in interacting with, observing and reading about this significant and valuable segment of our society.
2(a) To begin, I am reminded of a cousin with whom I had an intimate bond, but whom we unfortunately lost about three decades back when he was just about in middle age. Blissfully endowed with a saintly personality and nobility embedded in all dimensions of his persona, the cornerstone of his demeanour was humility, probity and a spirit of service in the performance of his duty as a high-ranking bureaucrat. Suffering from an ailment, for which at that point of time there was no cure, he suffered a rapid loss of eyesight resulting in his becoming substantially visually impaired at a fairly young age. However, powered as he was by the admirable qualities that I just mentioned, he more than made up for this handicap by a razor-sharp memory backed by inscrutable instinct.
(b) While his reading capabilities had been somewhat severely and adversely affected, he exhibited remarkable ability to assimilate and recall the spoken word in the performance of his duties — mind you which invariably involved dealing with and adjudicating complex tax disputes. Going further, having known him, I dare say rather closely, all manner of people who dealt with him were in awe of his intellect, ability to assimilate complex facts, clear-headed mind-frame and logical thinking, in spite of his more than obvious handicap at being unable to read and assimilate the written word.
© The other, a most remarkable one at that, thread to his personality was his inscrutable sense of instinct. By even the slightest movement or the faintest of sounds he could invariably recognize the source or the person to whom it could be attributed. I have personally observed and in fact been the subject of instances where the gentlest of knocking on the doors, the softest shuffling of feet or the faintest sounds of footsteps were enough for him to be able recognize the source or the person to whom they could be attributed.
3(a) Remembering him I was reminded of a couplet from a Ghazal penned by the legendary Firaq Gorakhpuri which I have listened to repeatedly in the melodious voice of Jagjit Singh and Chitra Singh: -
“bahut pehle se un qadmon ki aahat jaan lete hain;
tujhe ai zindagi hum door se pehchaan lete hain.”
(“We recognize in advance the sound of your approaching footsteps;
Life, we recognize you from a distance”.)
(b) This couplet sounds all the more poignant when I think about him and recollect my frequent interactions with him.
4. On a deeper analysis it was Almighty God’s way of dispensing equity by arriving at some kind of a delicate balance among the sensory organs with the deficiency in one being counterbalanced by strengthening of others and introducing factors such as a saintly and noble persona deeply infused with humility and indelibly embedded with a spirit of self-sacrifice and service to all.
5. The other instance reflecting the remarkable capabilities of persons suffering from a visual handicap and their inherent skills happened with me a couple of months back, just before Diwali -2023 when I had gone to shop for Diyas (earthen lamps) at an outlet run by the visually impaired. Tucked away in a corner was a stall manned by a couple of boys seemingly just on the cusp of their teens, selling hand-made soaps of different flavours. Attracted by their innocent, smiling and cheery faces, shorn of any remorse as to their physical shortcomings, they seemed to be enthusiastically and earnestly managing their stall. I asked them for certain prices of each flavour and endeavoured, with a desire to help them, to select them out of the pile of soap cakes they lay before them. Well, I should have known better and let discretion be the better part of valour. In no time, with a gentle swish of the hand over different packs they identified individual flavours and had pulled out the exact quantity which I had asked for. The same thing repeated itself when I had to make the payment, for they with amazing dexterity and extraordinary nonchalance could identify the denomination of the currency note tendered and give back the requisite exchange. Perhaps in my naivete and unabashed (even foolish) ignorance and self-inflated sense of superiority, I had forgotten that having been given the delicate responsibility of manning a stall ( a mini enterprise in its own right), they would not only have the skill-sets but also be equipped with the requisite wherewithal to do it effectively and gainfully.
6. To me it appeared apparent, that while the tools to equip this strata of society with the skill-sets to deal with such situations do exist, their ability to imbibe and assimilate knowledge and sharpen their other sensory skills gets exponentially heightened and punctuated (given the need to balance their visual impairment) duly reinforced by a steely persona and cheerful countenance. Another instance of how destiny arrives at a delicate balance between the different sensory perceptions to arrive at the required equilibrium.
7. In another instance, walking along a path some time ago, I saw a couple of youngsters, devoid of the sensory power of speaking and hearing, communicating animatedly and excitedly in sign language. While their faces exhibited a calm and cheery persona bereft of any negativity and contortionist expressions, the earnestness with which they engaged in a dialogue, was resonant of any human beings engaged in regular conversations. The movement of hands, clenching of fists, the stamping or shuffling of feet, alternate bouts of giggling, smiling, laughing and even frowning were all pump primed to make for an amazing sight. Perhaps the inability to hear had sequestered their mind frames from a lot of the unnecessary noise and clutter that floats around universally with its, rather unfortunate, but concomitant negativity.
8. Whatever be the fact, the unique world of people with somewhat altered balance of sensory powers amazes you no end. Of course, while even the partial impairment of some of your senses has the power to unmitigatedly deflate one’s potential, the forces at play coupled with the patently manifest capability of such persons to turn obstacles into opportunities, matched by uncanny resilience makes them capable of navigating life seamlessly.
9. The issue of turning perceived disadvantages into springboards of success gets also reaffirmed when talking about people who might lack normal functioning of physical, mental or psychological processes but who with sheer determination, will-power, steely determination and an enabling environment are able to overcome their handicap to achieve remarkable successes. Of course, such a situation could arise congenitally by birth or by a quirk of fate — the result of an accident, injury etc.
10. Examples about of such persons abound, but here I chose to refer to some individuals whose lives, I have followed and who have inspired me. One of the first persons that comes to my mind is Helen Keller, the celebrated disability rights advocate, political activist, lecturer who lost her sight and hearing after a bout of illness when she was just 19 months old. Undeterred by her handicaps, she undertook mainstream education, was a prolific author, learnt to speak and spent a life time giving speeches on various aspects of her life and motivating people. Her autobiography “The Story of My Life” (which I happened to have read) and later adopted as a film under the same name, while intensely motivating and inspiring is a true barometer of her life. The following two quotes, attributed to her have been personally inspiring for me:-
“When one door of happiness closes, another opens;
but often we look so long at the closed door
that we do not see the one which has been opened for us”.
“To keep on trying in spite of disappointment and
failure is the only way to keep young and brave;
Failures become victories, if they make us wise-hearted.”
11. Another such person whom I recall is Late Major HPS Ahulwalia who summitted Mt. Everest in 1965 as a part of India’s first Everest expedition. Soon after, however, he was confined to a wheelchair — the result of a bullet which found its way into his spine during the Indo-Pak conflict of 1965. Undeterred by the setback, he stoked his passion and love for adventure by organizing marquee events apart from being involved proactively in different institutions. That apart, realizing the need for specialized treatment of spinal injuries he alongwith support from various sections of the community was instrumental in conceptualizing and setting up the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre in Delhi with a special focus on treatment of all kinds of spinal disorders and was actively involved therein right till he breathed his last.
12. Another name that comes to my mind is that of the legendary Hungarian shooter, Karoly Takacs, who commands a hero like status in his country. Passionate about shooting he suffered a set back when his natural right hand was badly injured in 1938 as a result of a faulty grenade explosion. Not to give up, he shifted to shooting with the left hand and became the first person to win two Olympic Golds in the 25-meter rapid fire pistol event (at London in 1948 and Helsinki in 1952). Literally, a case of rising from the ashes- his super-human achievements resulted in getting recognition as a “Olympic Hero” by the International Olympic Committee.
13. Moving onto a more contemporary era, the recent story of India’s Para Archer, Sheetal Devi is inspiring with a potential to cause interminable goose bumps. Born without upper limbs, the result of a rare medical condition called “Phocomelia”, her life was potentially doomed. However, loving care from her family, necessary guidance, unstinted encouragement and overarching support from the Indian Army and of course, personal resolve combined with a never say-die attitude backed by irrepressible commitment to training has led to her achieving unprecedented success, both nationally and internationally as a Para Archer. The crowning glory being two gold medals in mixed doubles and Women’s individual and a silver medal in Women’s Double compound at the 2022 Para Asian Games. Of course, being only seventeen this is just a precursor of things to come and higher pinnacles of glory with sky-high achievements do inevitably beckon.
14 Another example, I observed was on one of my (rare) visits to the Bank (courtesy net banking such opportunities have become very sporadic). I saw a visually challenged girl working on the computer and effortlessly dealing with customers queries (including updation of passbooks, issuing cheque books, balance enquiries etc) with sheer effortless demeanor. I did not realise her situation and only when the person who was accompanying me made me aware did I realise that. But by her pure expressions or even her movements, the difference was not at all apparent. Just another instance of how such person, given an enabling and conducive environment( of course supplemented by self-will) can be mainstreamed and can operate at par with the so-called fully abled.
15. The discussion above is based on my personal experience readings and the individuals/people referred to only represent the tip of the ice-berg and such examples do abound — people who powered by indomitable will-power, a steely mind frame, redoubtable effort and bottomless commitment have overcome their physical, mental or psychological weakness to live a fulfilling, satisfying and enriching life with success glory and recognition as the inevitable, albeit, necessary result.
16. To add a footnote to this discussion, on a recent visit to Dubai, I noticed that the washrooms for the differently abled had, in addition to the requisite identification symbol also written on them “People of determination”. The description, while remarkable and eye-catching was inherently, perhaps fittingly, a recognition of the qualities ingrained in this strata of the society, as also discussed above. On further, analysis it dawned that as a part of its commitment to building a world without discrimination, the entire UAE officially calls and refers to people with disabilities as “People of determination” in recognition of their achievements in various fields. Not just content with the lip-service of a change in nomenclature while referring to such people, UAE also endeavours to protect and empower them through services and facilities in various areas including education, health, jobs etc. to enable them to fully engage in all aspects of life — a unique way of not only recognizing but also mainstreaming them. Needless to add while this is just one example that I have noticed, efforts have, undoubtedly, been made globally to recognize this vital segment of society by encouraging and uplifting them while simultaneously maintaining their dignity, self-respect and esteem.
17. Governments across the world, no doubt, have been engaging their attention to this vital section of society. Even the business and financial world recognizes them as integral to their activities and operations. Recognizing that hiring such people can contribute to the overall diversity, creativity, and lead to a more inclusive environment, companies are focusing on empowering and grooming people with disabilities by assisting them in career development, skilling/reskilling/upskilling programmes, mentoring and coaching initiatives and host of other innovative initiatives. Just a reflection on how this vital segment of our society is getting recognition and its due.
18. Of course, gaps do remain, but let us look at how far we have come and renew our attention on how far we have to go.
