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10Jun 2024
How NGOs Help To Create A More Inclusive Culture?
These days, people, despite their backgrounds and differences, are welcomed. But if you look back a few years, that wasn’t the case. Although, by law, everyone is deemed equal despite their differences, there is a psychological bias that remains. This bias or prejudice was a difficult challenge to overcome on the path to creating a more inclusive culture. People with disabilities (PWD) have been on the receiving end of this sort of behaviour for the longest time. Due to this, they have been marginalised and perhaps been one of the most overlooked communities. This is why the NGOs for PWD have worked tirelessly in the pursuit of creating an open and inclusive culture where such alienating treatment has been uprooted. Here’s how NGOs for PWD have worked to create a more inclusive culture:
Paradigm Shift:
The first biggest boulder that hindered the acceptance of inclusive culture was the mental block. The capability of PWDs is pre-painted in the minds of people. This created paradigm in the minds has played a part and acted as a roadblock in their journey. Due to this, PWDs were rejected from most opportunities even before they could present their case. This has severely affected their role in society and quality of life. NGOs for PWDs have worked tirelessly to create a paradigm shift. To alleviate this perception, NGOs have conducted numerous workshops in institutions, road shows, conferences, and more to usher in behavioural change. This has helped people open their minds and meet PWDs without prior preconceived notions.
Sensitisation:
Drawing inspiration from our previous point, it should be noted that preconceived notions not only block views but also shape behaviour. Unknowingly, people pass on this kind of view to their kids; thus, the cycle of unruly behaviour aimed at people with disabilities continues. The most vivid example of this can be seen in schools. Earlier, in schools where children with physical disabilities studied with abled children, they experienced more alienating treatment and were subjected to bullying culture and insensitive remarks. This is why, for the longest time, NGOs for PWDs have conducted regular sensitisation workshops in schools to remodel the behaviour of a child and break the vicious cycle. By conducting such campaigns for several years, NGOs for PWD have invested in breeding a culture that, in the future, will be more open, sensitive, and mindful of their behaviour towards PWDs. This can be seen as the building block for the creation of a more inclusive culture.
Vocational Training:
With vocational training, the notion that PWDs are limited in their abilities—or lack thereof—has been called into question. PWDs can build marketable skills by participating in a variety of vocational training programmes offered by NGOs for PWD. Their professional options are expanded by this. Employers who value a person's skills are more likely to hire competent employees. PWD are therefore able to make a living. Those who can afford to do so have a more commanding position in society and serve as role models, which makes them an important first step towards fostering an inclusive culture. Thus, it contributes to dispelling the perception that PWDs have limited capacities and require lifelong assistance, which is unquestionably one of the main causes of their treatment being neglected. Aiming for this forces viewers to watch Targeting this compels people to view people with disabilities differently than the erstwhile narrow viewpoint.
Affirmative Changes:
A culture of inclusivity can only be brought in when the infrastructural bias is also addressed. If two people go in for an interview in an office—one who is abled and another disabled—then upon entering, they are forced to climb a huge flight of stairs to access the office. For abled individuals, it is easier to access the office and walk in for an interview. While an individual with physical disabilities will face challenges even before they sit for an interview, These sorts of small challenges can make life significantly difficult for a person with disabilities. Thus, NGOs for PWDs play a huge role in aiding organisations to identify these challenges and address them. Such as the introduction of ramps to easily access buildings or braille scripts engraved on the buttons of the lift. These changes can seem small, but they can have a significant role in propelling the acceptance of a more inclusive culture.
Inclusivity is not just accepting the fact that people have differences, but giving them the ground where people from marginalised sections can find the same playing field for an opportunity or receive similar treatment without any prejudice. The work to create such a culture can seem difficult, but NGOs for PWDs are working day in and day out to create a culture of acceptance and inclusivity. The efforts and voices of NGOs have helped make a difference, but a lot of work still needs to be done. It can only happen when society at large supports NGOs in their mission.
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