Conclave examines ways to make Naga languages disability-inclusive

May 31, 2024 4 Views No Comment

Morung Express News
Dimapur | May 31

Making the environment and attitude friendlier and sensitive to the needs of Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) has been at the heart of the inclusivity campaign in recent years. While awareness is growing in this aspect, making the Naga languages disability-inclusive has largely remained off the radar of the wider community. Effort, in this direction, is taking baby steps.

On May 30, the State Commission for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD), Nagaland, in collaboration with Prodigal’s Home, Dimapur, brought people from various communities for a consultation on documenting terminologies used by various Naga and non-Naga communities in Nagaland regarding disability. The conclave also had views from the medical field, church workers, NGOs active in the field as well representatives from a few vernacular literature boards.

One of the first steps, as noted in the conclave, included replacing existing terminologies found in the Naga languages with welcoming expressions. For greater reach of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act, 2016, it strongly recommended starting a collaborative initiative between the PwDs Commission, NGOs and the respective literature boards towards translating or summarising the provisions of the Act in the various local Naga and non-Naga languages, including Nagamese. The RPwD Act is the overarching legal framework on disability rights in India.

One of the speakers, Dr Alem Sangtam, Associate Pastor of the Dimapur Sangtam Baptist Church, recommended roping in the literature boards of all the tribes/communities. Dr Sangtam, who is also the President, Nagaland Theological Colleges Association and Chairperson, Sangtam Literature Board, added that collaborating with the church can go a long way in making language disability-inclusive, friendly and inoffensive.

Delivering the keynote address, SCPD Deithono Nakhro stated that disability-inclusion first demands understanding ‘disability’ and its diverse needs. While it is generally referred as one collective unit, she said that it actually is made up of a diverse people with a wide range of needs. Persons with the same of type of disability can be affected in different ways, “And this is something that people need to understand,” she said.

As per the 2011 Census, Nagaland was home to 29,631 PwDs (16,148 male and 13483 female). She however maintained that the figure is a conservative estimate with many other unaccounted for.

Admitting that Nagaland has made “some progress” in the field over the past few years, she added that the state still has a long way to go. In a place where the church has great influence, Nakhro said that the church can do a lot in bridging the gaps not only in terms of making the church more accessible to PwDs but also in generating awareness and communication aspects.

She said that the people combined should work towards breaking down barriers faced by the PwDs, which is not limited to physical barriers alone but also attitudinal and institutional barriers.

Generally, accessibility is viewed in terms of physical structures but the SCPD asserted that the issue demands dispelling misconceptions and negative attitude and transforming laws, policies, strategies or practices that unintentionally discriminate against PwDs.

Describing disability inclusion as “including PwDs in every aspect of daily life,” she added that it needs full time inclusion and not episodic pity.