Refusing to be Another Michelle

In 2005, when I was in 8th grade, I watched the movie "Black," a poignant drama starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji. Debraj, a determined teacher, guides Michelle, a girl with visual and hearing impairment, in discovering her untapped potential. The film unfolds Michelle's challenging journey of overcoming failure over many years to graduate from college. Debraj's unwavering support and Michelle's indomitable spirit weave a touching narrative that explores the triumph of human resilience over adversity. The film delves into the complexities of disability, education, and the transformative power of mentorship.

I personally became very emotional while watching this movie, maybe because I am also a person with a disability and was experiencing the same things while growing up in both personal and academic life. It was an inspiring movie; of course, her determination to get a graduation degree was a commendable achievement despite facing adversities. Still, somewhere I just hated to be another Michelle who took many years to complete a simple three-year degree. Maybe I was greedy enough, ambitious enough, or lazy enough to spend so many years just for a degree, but that was the fact of my life that I was about to become another Michelle.

That was the turning point of my life when I started exploring solutions for my writing problem during my assessments. My condition was almost similar to Michelle; I can neither speak clearly nor write fast and without having pain. So the conventional scribe facility solution wasn't really useful in my case. Still, it took me three more years to reach the state board to request a customized assessment with the same question, but as expected, they rejected my request for a customized assessment. Somehow, I cleared my 12th grade with a first-class.

It was time to pursue graduation, but my mom clearly said that it's time to stop your education as finding a scribe was a difficult task, as not everyone could understand my way of speech. Every time it was an emotional breakdown for me when I knew the answer, and I couldn't express myself because of my condition. She said you're dear to me, not your degrees and success; it's better to stop here.

That was the period, before getting the result of the 12th grade when I tried to commit suicide because I knew education is something I can't leave at any cost. Finally, I said to my mom, let me try something for the last time; if I fail in my efforts, then I will pursue some computer course and try to do something in that field.

Finally, I started my voice as a social activist, not just for myself but for all students with disabilities through local media houses. And yes, finally, for the first time in India, North Maharashtra University became the first university to grant a customized assessment. It was a much ahead-of-its-time decision.

It happened in 2009, while India talked about inclusion in the National Education Policy 2020. Approximately after 11 years, I was holding two degrees and a few years of work experience. Only God knows when these policies will actually get implemented in our education system. These thoughts always trouble me; how many Gausiyas are still there who gave up or are still trying harder just to get a degree or crying in the corner.

Problems that could have been solved with a single signature or technological advancement are still unsolved, leaving those students' futures in darkness, as if we're living in the stone age and can't try different approaches if one approach is not working. I mean, come on! We are almost in 2024, and we are still stuck in the stone age for these students, and it's a global issue, including developed countries.

While stories of motivation are uplifting, the urgency lies in proactive and realistic solutions to address the immediate needs of students with disabilities. It's time to move beyond inspiration and actively pave the way for a more inclusive and technologically advanced educational landscape.