EC Orders Political Parties To Not Use Insulting Words For PwDs
EC warns against insulting language toward PwDs in politics, mandates inclusivity measures or face penalties.
Soon there will be Lok Sabha elections and some State elections in 2024. The Election Commission (EC) has asked the politicians and the political parties to avoid using derogatory and insulting words about disability or people with disability (PwD). Usage of such words in speeches or campaigns by members of any political party or their candidates can be interpreted as an insult to the PwDs.
Common examples of ableist language are words like:
- dumb (gunga, behra) (?????, ?????) - Deaf
- retarded (pagal, sirphira) (????, ???????) - intellectual disability,
- blind (andha, kana) (????, ????)- blindness, low vision
- lame (langda, lula, apahij) ??????, ????, ?????? etc - locomotor disability,
It is necessary to avoid usage of such derogatory words and use the correct words according to the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016. ECI said that the the violation of these guidelines may lead to an imprisonment of up to five years under Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. The ECI also released a set of guidelines for political parties to “promote inclusivity and respect” towards persons with disabilities (PwDs), shedding the “attitudinal barrier” between the party and the public. Such as their public speeches, campaigns and other activities should also be accessible to PwDs, and so should their websites and social media. It also has asked parties to provide a training module on disability to their workers and include more PwDs as party workers and members. Parties should also “ensure and declare on their website that they will use disability & gender-sensitive language and etiquette as well as respect inherent human equality, equity, dignity and autonomy.” All campaign materials must undergo an internal review to ensure that they do not contain any ableist or discriminatory language.
