Divided on name, experts & activists united on better access for disabled
Times of India | 3 December 2025
Kolkata: While there is a debate among activists and experts on whether persons with disabilities should be called ‘disabled' or ‘specially abled', they are united in the cause of better access for them ahead of International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Wednesday.
"Language shapes our attitude, so the terminology is important," said psychiatrist Jairanjan Ram. "It reflects the way we think and look at people with disabilities... People may argue it's merely semantics, but it's not. By naming it Disability Day, we are clubbing them as an inferior group. Many differently abled people are actually more efficient than the rest, and they deserve to be recognised and referred to with due respect."
But disabled rights activist Nandini Ghosh does not quite agree. "We cannot say ‘specially abled' as everybody has special abilities. By saying ‘specially abled', we are somehow negating the experiences of discrimination faced by disabled persons," said Ghosh, assistant sociology professor at IDSK, Kolkata. "We cannot separate the experiences of discrimination from a disabled person. A person who is disabled remains so, and until we remove all the structures of discrimination and marginalisation, we cannot avoid calling a person disabled. The political nature of the term ‘disabled persons' or ‘persons with disabilities' is important."
Ghosh, a member of the Disability Activists' Forum, West Bengal, added there were a few demands for better access, such as proper centres to count the numbers and proper financial allocations to improve access. "Physical accessibility is necessary, but digital access and attitudinal access are also important for the rights of disabled persons," she said.
According to psychotherapist and counsellor Minu Budhia, founder director of Caring Minds, which educates special-needs children, terms like "disabled" or "disability" tend to emphasise limitations and are often interpreted as "no ability". "In contrast, terms, like ‘differently abled' or ‘specially abled', highlight individual strengths and capabilities. This shift in vocabulary is neither cosmetic nor about being politically correct. It is about recognising that every person has a unique range of abilities that blossom when they are taught, guided and supported through methods that match their way of learning. It is about creating environments that celebrate their differences instead of stigmatising them. It is about dignity for all," Budhia said.
Another disabled rights activist, Shampa Sengupta, said, "According to the UN definition and the laws of our country, any person who is facing barriers is termed as ‘disabled persons'. So calling it ‘specially abled' doesn't hold any meaning as anyone can have special abilities. It is not on an individual but on a larger societal system, so we think the word, ‘disability', should be used." She said accessible public transport and infrastructure were major demands to improve access for disabled persons.
Saren Panja, intensivist, RN Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences, said, "This name surely hurts the sentiments of differently abled people. It makes them feel inadequate and inferior. A physical or mental disability may restrict certain activities, but it certainly doesn't rule one out. They, too, need to be included. A system should be in place that nurtures and supports them. The change should begin with the name ."