SubscribeAround the world people with disabilities are actively inserting themselves into society and asserting their experience as valid. As I travel i always counsel people with disabilities to market to the travel industry their local knowledge of the built environment, transportations and services systems, and cultural issues.
Below is from the Facebook site of Abha Khetarpal as he addresses disability in an India context:
A lot needs to be done in implementation and getting the basics right for those who are conventionally known as handicaps. We even want to teach and counsel the parents.Informed, supportive parents are better able to make rational decisions for their child.Despite the social, religious, economic, political and geographical differences, most Indians consider disability as part of 'karma of past life'.We need to change this mindset and replace it since this theory can result in inaction. But we want to inculcate a healthier thought process and have to engage in "karma in the present life" instead of cribbing over the "karma of past life". We don't promise to remove the physical barriers but we aim at removing the mental blocks,which prevent us from leading a healthy and satisfying life.At www.crossthehurdles.com we are providing free counseling services for the disabled.About the CounselorI, myself, have been facing such challenges since the age of 3 years i.e. for more than 35 years, as I got afflicted with polio. But I never lost hope and kept a healthy approach towards life. I kept on working hard,continued my studies and now I am financially independent which is the most important part of rehabilitation. So, I think I would be able to relate well to the hardships, which physically challenged people have to face while trying to fit into the environment around them,especially in country like India, where awareness is minimal regarding the counseling needs of such people.I want to use my knowledge, expertise and personal experience to bring about some relief to my co-sufferers and prevent them from being victimized by irrational thoughts and beliefs.Abha KhetarpalCounselor