As an ofset of woke culture that came from a need for inclusivity of the marginalized, there are times when we go too far in the opposite direction. I'm talking about consideration that borders on condescension. We see it the Babil Khan memes, the tropes of "I have a black friend so I can't be racist", and especially towards people with disability. This was brought to my attention by a series of sight-impaired content creators who opened up about the etiquettes of guiding them — less pushing them towards their destination and more letting them use your arm as a compass. But In any case, it's always best to ask how you can be of help than assuming how to know what a person with a disability needs.
This discomfort is sort of an overcompensation that disguises itself as allyship but ends up being, more or less, from the same place of ignorance that bigotry is rooted in. What separates it from true empathy is that it isn't empowering but dehumanising.
So that is why, when we talk about something like the Paralympics, it isn't about pity or a fetishized inspiration that says, "Look what they can do despite everything" but simply celebrating the "Look what they can do". This isn't to negate the shortcomings and challenges people with disability face, especially in spaces with low accessibility. It's just a matter of allowing them the same privilege of dignity that able-bodied people enjoy. Some of my favourite bits by stand-up comedians with a disability is when they poke fun at their disability or at those who pity them too much, because it's irreverent and subverts the power dynamics of ableism.
The Paralympics are another equalizer that does so through sports. The games started on August 28 and will go on till September 8. The Paris 2024 Paralympics are filled with exciting events like wheelchair fencing, para equestrian, blind football, and more.
What's even more thrilling is that it's only day 6 and India has won more than twice the number of medals we got at the Olympics. We have 15 medals so far - 3 golds, 5 silvers and 7 bronzes. If our algorithms are any similar you must already have witnessed the spell-bounding performance of para-archer Sheetal Devi. Scoring a perfect 10, the 17-year-old is the first female armless archer in the Paralympics. She won the bronze along with archer Rakesh Kumar in the mixed team compound open archery event.
Among the gold winners are Avni Lekahara, who won the gold in the women's 10 m air rifle event, badminton player Kumar Nitesh and javelin thrower Sumit Antil.
We may be inclined to fall into our ableist patterns and "be grateful for what we have" when we look at the Paralympics but let's not forget, these are still professional athletes who exist in an entirely different realm of human potential, disability or not. If you are looking for a reason to watch the Paralympics, let athleticism and the pure adrenaline-spiking fun of competitive sports be yours.
Follow the Paralympics Committee of India here for updates.
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