BREAKING STEREOTYPES AND STIGMA THROUGH ASSISTIVE DEVICES: A STUDY AMONG WOMEN WITH DISABILITIES IN MIZORAM

Abstract

Since time immemorial, disability has been linked with various hardships and problems. According to World Health Organization (2001), disability arises due to the combination of a person’s health related issues with both the personal, as well as environmental factors in society, which gave birth to a series of social barriers. These barriers arise due to lower socio-economic conditions, races, disability and gender which further denied meaningful and active participation of persons with disabilities in society (Noel et al., 2021). Social barriers, in this regard, include the barriers faced in the areas of families, education and employment sections. The exclusion and barriers faced in these areas further increased the stigma towards them as they are constantly perceived as “incapable and unfit” for all spheres of life. The stigma directed towards persons with disabilities leads to their discrimination and inequality and thus, take away their value. This vicious process strips them of their human values which gave them the status of “second class citizens.”