Disability Invisibility and Stigma and Representation and Inclusion

• We have to address the lack of representation of people with disabilities in arts, music, dance, cinema, theater, and media.
• We are not visible and when we are featured, we are often shown negatively stereotyped.
• We are depicted as objects of pity or as superheroes who have achieved great successes.

Both of these scenarios are not what represents the majority of disabled people. Due to lack of awareness, there is a stigma attached to disabilities and certainly, there are misconceptions around how we are supposed to live our lives.

There is a need for a balanced portrayal of disabled people as individuals and disability as part of everyday lives. Different modes of media can play a more constructive role in making society inclusive for all and successfully integrating disabled people in all aspects of societal lives.

Through humor, retrospection and empathy, we can address the most difficult questions around disability and initiate conversations we as a society generally avoid.

• Our goal is to create a more empathetic and patient society which is only possible by spreading awareness and sensitizing people on everyday challenges disabled people face.
• We want to strongly imply that disability doesn’t mean less abled.
• We have to change the perceptions of disabled and non-disabled towards disability for thorough and real inclusion

Puneet Singh Singhal is the neurodivergent founder of 123ssstart