Writing histories of disability in India: strategies of inclusion

Abstract

Existing historical understandings of disability are dominated by European and American experience and tend to assume Judeo‐Christian ideas of stigma and exclusion are universal norms. This paper emphasises the unique experience of disability in India and the role of poverty, gender, caste and community in compounding the marginalisation felt by people with disabilities. It argues, with Kudlick, that ‘disability’ is as important as ‘race’ or ‘gender’ as an analytic tool in the historical understanding of oppression and disempowerment. Moreover, the paper sees reclaiming history and insisting on inclusion of the experience of disability in the writing of Indian history as a critical factor in affirming the right of Indians with disabilities to full social and economic participation. Finally it emphasises the need for ‘disability history’ to look beyond colonial and post‐colonial welfare paradigms and to investigate disability as an aspect of rights based history.

Keywords:

• disability history
• India
• social inclusion
• capability theory

Acknowledgements

Sincere thanks to John Alexander and Victoria Loblay for valuable discussion and to Catherine Kudlick for her encouragement.