Attitude, Accessibility and Disability: Decoding the Trajectory of Exclusion in Malini Chib's One Little Finger

Abstract

Disability is an integral part of human existence, which restricts participation of a person with disability in normal activities of the developmental process. India has a substantial share of the population of persons with disability but their conditions are quite miserable. They are bound to live substandard life due to the lack of accessible infrastructure and inclusion in society. Malini Chib, a disability rights activist, presents an insider perspective of reality through her autobiographical narrative. She has lived with cerebral palsy since her childhood in India and England. Her experiences point out the deep rooted trajectory of exclusion that operates within India's cultural practices. Negative attitude, inaccessibility and lack of community participation constitute the trajectory of exclusion of persons with disability in India. She has been rejected as a 'vegetable' by Indian doctors, forcing her parents to seek a better life for her in England. Her stay and education in England empowered her to work for her community.