CHOOSE NOT TO PLACE ‘DIS’ IN MY ABILITY

Our thoughts create actions; these actions turn into habits. And habits turn into a lifestyle of unamendable behavior. To nip the evil in the bud, we must provoke thought. Disability; a word not unknown to many, often stereotyped. Differently-abled; a paradigm shifts of thought. Differently abled people are judged, bullied, looked down upon, and mocked by society with all forms of stereotypical behaviors. These prejudices cause all types of stigma, like not being accepted and not awarded rights, which contributes to injustice and restricted engagement opportunities. In our research, we identified the underlying views and behaviors shown towards differently abled and investigated the relationship between the level of familiarity and stereotypical/ discriminatory behaviors. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered the government to discontinue the use of derogatory terms such as “disabled,” “physically handicapped,” and “mentally retarded” in all official documents. The current Government of Pakistan promised to safeguard 2% employment quota for differently-abled yet there are 3 million atypical individuals in the country. Negative attitudes contribute significantly to the success or failure of atypical individuals as they seek ways to work, live independently and participate in community life. It is clear that society's attitudes are important determinants for the acceptance and support of atypical individuals and the opportunities offered to them. A survey-based research was conducted with a sample of the Pakistani population (n=287). Stereotypes were analyzed by adapted ATDP (Attitude Towards Disabled Persons).