Inclusiv’e Voices with Ngaugongbe Hega

Meet Ngaugongbe Hega, a 30-year-old social worker and freelance special educator from Jalukie in the Peren District of Nagaland. He lives with a locomotor disability due to post-polio syndrome. Ngaugongbe holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from Nagaland University and a Diploma in Special Education in Visual Impairment from Montfort Centre for Education in Meghalaya, under the National Institute for the Empowerment of Persons with Visual Impairment (NIEPID), Dehradun. In his free time, he enjoys traveling and cooking.

Ngaugongbe's early childhood was relatively normal. However, at the age of one and a half, he contracted polio, which significantly impacted his early education. He didn't begin formal schooling until the age of 7, facing delays due to the challenges posed by his disability. Despite these initial hurdles, his early years were similar to those of any other child. He successfully completed his schooling at the Government Higher Secondary School in his hometown, where he adapted to his circumstances. It was only later, upon entering St. Xavier College, that the full impact of his disability became apparent.

During his college years, Ngaugongbe started recognizing how his disability had subtly undermined various aspects of his life. It limited his mobility and participation in activities that others took for granted, leading to exclusion from many college activities. The perception of his physical limitations made it difficult to keep pace with others, and his circle of friends remained quite small. His involvement in public activities was severely limited, not due to a lack of effort on his part but rather a lack of appreciation and recognition for his contributions.

In 2017, during his BA 5th Semester, he began to learn about his disability and other different disabilities through an NGO working for persons with disabilities. This exposure introduced him to many friends who understood his limitations and potential, energizing his spirit of belonging to the community. With a Diploma in Special Education, he gained better exposure to connect and network with people of different disabilities and abilities while gaining teaching experience.

Currently, Ngaugongbe works as an Inclusive Education Resource Person (IERP) under the Department of Education, Government of Nagaland. Additionally, he serves as the President of the Differently Abled People’s Organisation (DAPO) in Peren and as the Joint Secretary of Nagaland State Disability Forum (NSDF) in Kohima, Nagaland. He represents his Disabled People’s Organisation as a member on the District Disability Committee, District Disaster Management Committee, and Accessible Election Campaign.

In his words, Ngaugongbe describes living with a disability as 'a difficult and often sorry existence.' Society often views individuals with disabilities as unproductive, and many public places remain inaccessible, further isolating them from social inclusion. The weight of these challenges can be overwhelming.

However, he also acknowledges the positive changes and reforms that have taken place over time, making life somewhat better for people with disabilities, including himself. While progress has been made, he believes that there is still a long way to go to achieve a fully inclusive and accommodating society for individuals with disabilities.

Ngaugongbe’s understanding of Reasonable accommodation and Accessibility needs:

Accessibility, to Ngaugongbe, means ensuring the right and appropriate accommodations according to his needs to live a meaningful and dignified life by actively participating, contributing to society, and benefiting from it. He emphasizes that reasonable accommodation entails ensuring access to fundamental services and facilities for individuals with disabilities within a specific environment.

Residing in a valley, Ngaugongbe provides context about specific locations like Jalukie and Dimapur Valleys, which have unique geographical topography and terrains, setting them apart from the rest of the hilly areas in the region, particularly in terms of accessibility. Although Ngaugongbe has adapted to harmonize with his surroundings, he sheds light on a variety of accessibility challenges in Nagaland, addressing different aspects of life.

Ngaugongbe relies on axillary crutches as his assistive aid to enhance his mobility and carry out daily activities. These crutches are a vital part of his accessibility tools, allowing him to navigate his surroundings with greater ease. While sharing about the choice of crutches, he adds, "Using crutches with rubber tips on smooth floors increases my risk of falls, which is why I prefer surfaces with a rougher texture. In my hometown, I actively avoid crutches with rubber tips to ensure my safety and stability. The choice of crutch tips and the ground surface plays a crucial role in maintaining my balance and preventing accidents."

Ngaugongbe's specific accessibility requirements revolve around the installation of elevators or lifts for access to different floors and levels of a building. This enables individuals with locomotor disabilities like him to reach classrooms, offices, or other workspaces situated on higher or lower floors in buildings. He emphasizes the challenging nature of using staircases, particularly in government buildings that often lack railings on one side, further complicating his support and safety during the use of staircases, making ascending and descending more manageable for those with limited mobility. He recounts a personal experience during a visit to the Directorate of Public Works Department office building, explaining, "During my visit, I noticed that there were three lifts in the building, but unfortunately, all three of them were out of order. This left me with no choice but to use the staircase to reach the ground floor, resulting in a mishap as there were no railings on the staircase, causing me to fall from the midlanding to the ground floor, leaving me with severe injuries."

Traveling within and between towns and cities in Nagaland presents unique challenges for Ngaugongbe. In the state capital, Kohima, where one would expect more accessibility options, there are no reservations for persons with disabilities (PwDs) on public buses operated by the Nagaland State Transport. This lack of inclusivity forces PwDs and senior citizens to stand and travel, highlighting the need for greater sensitivity and awareness among the general population. As a result, Ngaugongbe, like many others, opts for taxis as a more comfortable alternative, despite the higher cost compared to buses. He highlights, "For a taxi ride, I am required to pay a fare ranging from Rs. 200 to 300, while the cost of bus rides is significantly lower, typically falling in the range of Rs. 30 to 40. This discrepancy in transportation costs poses a significant challenge for me and others in similar situations, making commuting less affordable and less accessible, thereby underscoring the pressing need for improved accessibility in the public transport system."

Ngaugongbe's workplace accessibility challenges extend to his role as a resource person within the Ministry of Education, Government of Nagaland, focusing on schools. He explains, "My daily responsibilities require me to travel around 3 kilometers between schools. However, when the weather takes a turn for the worse, especially during rain, my ability to work is hampered. Slippery areas, landslides, and strong winds pose significant obstacles, forcing me to pause my work. These weather-related challenges underscore the importance of making workplaces, especially those in the public sector, more accessible and accommodating for individuals with disabilities, ensuring their safety and productivity even in adverse conditions."

As a special educator, the nature of his work demands communication with his clients for training and rehabilitation. He describes the connectivity challenges that he encounters, saying, "I work with children typically aged 3 to 7 or 8 years, and they are located in remote areas. Communicating with their parents often becomes a challenge due to these connectivity issues, creating obstacles for effective communication and support for my young clients."

Ngaugongbe also discusses the crucial role of tourism in Nagaland as a significant aspect of the state's culture and economy, especially during the famous festival from 1st to 10th December when many global tourists visit. However, even during this peak tourist season, challenges persist. Tourists often prefer taxis over city buses due to the poor maintenance, lack of punctuality, and unhelpful attitudes of bus services. These challenges paint a vivid picture of the transportation condition not just in the capital city of Kohima but also across other districts in Nagaland, indicating the pressing need for improved accessibility and public transportation infrastructure for Ngaugongbe and others in similar situations.

Ngaugongbe's advocacy extends to religious spaces, public areas, sports arenas, and more. He highlights regional variations and difficulties for people with disabilities. He is optimistic about the positive changes taking place in Nagaland State under the leadership of the current Disability Commissioner, who is a person with a disability herself. This leadership is gradually raising awareness and fostering progress. His ambitious vision includes the establishment of a Disability Rehabilitation Center in the district, aimed at promoting a holistic approach to the well-being of individuals with disabilities. With determination and the ongoing momentum of change, he hopes to see this vision realized within a year, marking a significant step forward in improving the lives of people with disabilities in the region.

Ngaugongbe Hega's unwavering dedication, enriched by his profound grassroots involvement and firsthand experiences, vividly reveals the ground realities faced by the disability community in Nagaland. It also emphasizes the necessity for interventions in the region-specific implementation of accessibility standards. His journey resonates with a passionate commitment to the community, demonstrating the transformative power of persistent advocacy efforts to enhance the lives of all individuals, regardless of their abilities. His message is clear: accessibility is not a privilege but a fundamental right, ensuring that everyone has equal opportunities to flourish?and?thrive.

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