The first time I spoke aloud my desire to be a journalist was the butterfly-in-
the-stomach moment for me.
It was a drowsy afternoon. Even though college life buzzed with energy, we had far fewer activities in the afternoon. I was sitting with a bunch of friends and, having nothing productive to do, we were talking about what the future held for us. Some of us were blind and some were sighted. And it so happened that only the sighted were bold about what they want to do. Us blind folks were too embarrassed to talk about our future. Or, may be, we weren’t so sure that our plans would be as exciting as being an entrepreneur, a civil services aspirant or a research scholar.
“And what do you think you’re going to do?”
The question was casually tossed at me, probably with the thought that I might not contribute anything exciting. Our sighted friends knew the routine answers the blind folks had about their future: becoming a teacher, musician or land up in a government job that sustained us pretty much for the rest of our lives.
“Oh well, I want to be a journalist.” The declaration was followed by a full second of stupefied silence. I was sure the boys seated around me were thinking I had completely gone off the cliff, but I didn’t care.
“You’re a dreamer,” was one response. “Be realistic,” was another. I had a readymade retort to the second statement: “We create our own reality. We don’t have to live the reality other people create for us.”
Of course, some of them seated around murmured “false bravado,” but I had already scored my point besides stirring awake everyone from the stupa.
If someone had bother to drill me for details –“do you have a plan? Is there a timeline?”- I would’ve buckled because I had no details except the grand statement.
Yet, it wasn’t totally “fake it until you make it” kind of a situation either. I was sincere to the extent that I wanted to do something unconventional for a blind person and determined to put my education to the best use above job security. In short, I had the objective clear and saw journalism as a means of achieving that objective.
When people ask me why I’m not “inspiring” other blind people or those with other disabilities into becoming journalists, my only answer is that the system that shapes them rarely puts the self-belief in them to think for themselves.
The early instructions to the blind people puts emphasis on survival skills than on knowledge. Even when learning the regular subjects, they were told that certain subjects are no-go areas for them such as mathematics, science or engineering. They are regularly told that they should factor in their disability and should be “realistic”.
Think of this: in every stage they’ve been discouraged rather strongly from imagining and dreaming a life for themselves. How can we expect them to be innovative when they live and study in such a stifling environment where they’re constantly told that they’re doing well by barely surviving?
Even assistive technology and computer education are unlikely to change the underlying thought process that their disability prevents them from pursuing certain disciplines.
The system that supports and educates the blind/disabled people therefore needs to change. While teaching them survival skills such as orientation & mobility, personal grooming etc. are important, they should make learning wide ranging including science and math. People who design systems should understand that they can’t act like St. Peter at the pearly gate (or Jaya-Vijaya at guarding the entrance to Vaikuntha). In the guise of being experts, they can no longer afford to decide what the disabled people can or cannot learn. Insulating them from the competitive world, where people succeed or fail depending on performance, would only make them totally unready for competitive and performance-based world of the corporate companies and startups.
Also, talking about employability without changing the system is more like tying the person’s hands and dumping him/her in the ocean.
As a larger society, it’s our responsibility to transform youngsters with disability into a potent force ready for all kinds of challenges. If you want to teach them what they can do and what they can’t, do it by all means. But make sure you don’t discourage them from trying a different life. Look at ways of supporting them.
Do you agree with me? Let me know.