Dept of English, AMU organised session to mark International Day of Persons with Disabilities
Aligarh: To observe the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the Raleigh Literary Society and PhD Discussion Group of the Department of English, AMU organised paper presentation and discussion session recently.
Prof Seemin Hasan presided the session which generated a stirring discussion in which students and research scholars and other members of the faculty put forth their views and suggestions.
Ms Khushboo Singh, Research Scholar, presented the first paper in which she elaborated on the social stigma attached with disability and various terminologies surrounding it. Her presentation also touched upon the representation of disabled characters in films and fiction. Research Scholar Ms Ruma Ahmed, described disability studies as an emerging discipline and presented statistical data based on studies in the field.
The discussion fore-grounded the need for generating discourses on disability. Points were raised on gender-based differences in experiences of disability, redefining disability and normalcy and rethinking the terminology around it, accepting and normalising disability, accessibility and equal opportunity for the disabled in all spheres of life, considering legal rights for the disabled, questioning language as an instigator of stigma around disability, representation of disabled characters in fiction, disability as a result of national conflict, goals of Disability Studies, among others.
The discussion session was followed by an address by Prof Mohammad Rizwan Khan, Chairperson of the Department of English. He hailed the presenters as well as Raleigh Literary Society and PhD Discussion Group for their collaborative effort in organising the event. He highlighted the need for individual discipline to support persons with disabilities.
The concluding remarks were presented by Prof Seemin Hasan. She summed up the discussion and underlined the need of introspection to identify lines along which reform is needed.
The paper presentation session generated a stirring discussion in which students and research scholars as well as members of the faculty put forth their views and suggestions regarding disability.
Ms Ambreen Khan, President of Raleigh Literary Society paid the vote of thanks.