Beyond labels: mental wellness for people with disabilities.

Viklang shiksha hosted a webinar on the topic Beyond labels: mental wellness for people with disabilities. This webinar was conducted on 13th April 2024,  8 pm onwards on the Google meet.

It featured two eminent personalities as our speakers

 Mr. Rachit Raj who is a writer, academician and film critic.

 Ms. Swati Gadepalli who works as a content creator for various non- profits.

The webinar began as our founder Ms. Aarushi Gambhir introducing the panellists and opened the floor for discussion.

The discussion opened with a conversation on how people with disabilities are made to feel like a burden in a society that is neither built with their needs in mind nor is sensitive to them. This feeling can adversely impact the mental health of a person with disability as they question the dependency of their existence. An inaccessible environment can also lead them to have no social interaction and hence their existence is pushed to the periphery all over again. Limited career opportunities, coupled with social stigma and an inaccessible school and work environment also lead to poor mental well being for people with disabilities.

Toxic positivity was also discussed as they shared how a world that sees disability as something negative will often tell people with disabilities to just remain positive and things would go well for them automatically. They also discussed how Internalised ableism, negative societal attitudes, and unrealistic expectations may contribute to feelings of inadequacy, shame, and self-doubt, impacting mental health and well-being.

The audience responded positively and provided us with valuable feedback. The webinar concluded with the panellists thanking Ms. Aarushi for the invitation, and she thanked them back for participating and imparting so much knowledge.