My Thoughts on International Day of Disabled Persons by Navneet Kulkarni

Today, December 3rd, is celebrated as "International Day of Disabled Persons", but I wish to see it changing to "International Day of Differently-Abled Persons'' because I have the right to see my abilities as my power not by being a disabled person but by being differently-abled person. Today, I am standing up for every special need person for implementing this right. Today, every special child should be renamed as differently-abled child by removing the label with the word ‘disability’. 

Every human being is born with different skills and different talents so every person should get equal opportunities and equal respect in society. Differently-abled people have lot of physical and mental challenges but it doesn't mean that they are disabled. They just need a special way of teaching and training. Today, you all are using the word disability, and on the other side you are celebrating this Disability Day by showcasing many talents and skills of differently-abled people. What is it? I am so confused! Very sad to know that in spite of having so many challenges and struggling in life, people with special needs are trying hard to learn new skills, and trying to show their abilities, but with getting the label of disability they are just losing their identity.

There are so many differently-abled people who are great artists, poets, writers, singers, dancers, cartoonists, sportsmen, philosophers, etc. holding different abilities in them. They beat the word disability and established their own legacy with special skills. I am one among them who is now taking the role of a soldier to fight against the label ‘disability’. I will fight for special needs people and like to see many people joining me in this initiative. Today, special needs people rank with unique skills, just want to give few examples of mine. I have some savant skills. I have some photographic memory. I get intuitions. I can do mental maths. Unlimited thoughts always surrounded in my mind’s imagination. Autism is not my Disability, it’s my Divinity. Being different is a special gift to me from God, but still I feel sad when I turn my eyes towards my Disability Certificate. I want my Certificate to be changed to Different Ability Certificate. It's time to change the perception of society towards special needs people by eliminating the word ‘disabled’. We need more empathy than sympathy. We have the right to lead a life with respect without the label.

 

With lots of love,

Navneet Kulkarni