We, as disabled people, identify that there is a social contagion for Persons with Disablities in Gilgit Baltistan, but what are the barriers?
Anecdotal evidence
One of the things that persons with disablities feel in all parts of the world is that someone presents anecdotal evidence that might be true to their scenario but not to anyone else’s. For instance, Ali has learning difficulties; all learning difficulties have disablities; therefore, disabled people have learning difficulties. This is not a truth. In fact, this is called a false syllogism in the school of philosophy.
In our region, mainly growing up with Hunzai Grandmothers, ‘they ‘ share stories of disabled people who might have mental health difficulties, but this is not to say they were wrong; this is to say that they might not have accessed the proper facilities or no facilities were available at that time.
Childhood memories shape your present opinions.
Because multiple millennials and older people did not socialize with the disabled populous, that’s why in Gilgit Baltistan, you see a generation of elderly persons or older adults not being able to communicate with a disabled person and vice versa, which contributes more towards a higher frequency of intellectual disablities within Gilgit Baltistan.
Please don’t assume that it is our fault.
But then, people, ‘ government officials, ‘can not be blamed because no one has tried to engage these people together within a society when you have seventy-five generations not being taught how to socialize with disabled people: the problems for PWDs arise.
Disabled rights are Human rights
Please do not judge me when I claim that despite the political upheaval, ableists are abusing the human rights of Disabled people, not knowing it is their fault. International organizations such as Amnesty International must stand up for disabled rights in Pakistan as the ableist class is just treating disabled people like how feudal lords would treat their serfs in Europe..
Together we need to eradicate this fear factor from Gilgit Baltistan society.
