– Reem Shamsuddin

A place where different cultures hold  their hands together; a democratic place that manures new ideas, and ideologies; a place where budding relations happen; all these dreams come true in a student friendly healthy campus. Being a participant of a campus, I feel it is important to maintain the friendly atmosphere on a campus. If things go otherwise, naturally there is a kind of tension. The frictional atmosphere that causes one such kind of a tension occurs when instances of insecurity happen on campus; especially in the form of mental and physical harassment.
Being a visually impaired person, particularly when I talk from a woman’s perspective, I feel that this community is more cautious about their security on the campus, in the work place, while traveling and so on. Personal experience on campus unfolds the sense of being vigilant about the approach of strangers; especially when the campus is unrestrictedly open to outsiders. To cite a personal instance, a friend and I were about to be cornered by strangers, who do not belong to the campus community, in their car. It creates a sort of perplexity in a visually impaired person, if someone comes and talks to the person without introducing himself/herself. This attitude from the part of the non-disabled community is very common in public places including on a campus where you expect to meet a sensible and sensitive community. Anonymous calls and messages on mobile phones, interruptions in private affairs without any kind of self introduction on the social websites like Facebook raise a fear of being followed. This kind of threat is very natural even otherwise; so it can be double in the case of a visually impaired woman.
I have had several surprising experiences of the denial of our rights from the various authorities’ side when I am supposed to avail them. At certain places I was even asked to produce the clause as the proof which says that I can avail a particular right, when the authorities in position are really supposed to know them. No disabled person questions them about their attitude—rather they obediently produce the available proofs. A visually disabled woman has to take a lot of strenuous effort to be a part of the mainstream; socially, culturally, academically…  For her it is very hard to be acknowledged, and be included as part of the progressively upward moving society.
Visually impaired girls, especially, are often challenged by the derogatory remarks suggesting they are incapable, and imperfect in performing daily affairs such as domestic work, cleaning, child rearing etc. Moreover this community is often labeled as weak, ignorant, and naive, as if the group does not have any kind of exposure to the surrounding world. Unfortunately, these sorts of comments are generally made in the public implicitly, or explicitly. No exaggeration: the humiliating comments in these lines are even made by the male group who belong to the same community! Here it is evident that certain allegations can be arrowed only at woman as certain kinds of duties are expected to be exercised by her. Like any other woman, a visually challenged woman is also generally targeted by the fake promises of relationships, and marriage. Speaking unbiasedly, it is very pathetic when this community falls into such traps alike.

Reem Shamsuddin is a student at University of Hyderabad