Hi, yes, I completely agree with this statement. As humans, we all have our own limitations, and as we grow older or due to unexpected health issues or mental disorders, we may experience some sort of disabilities in our lives. However, the most important thing is how to develop the necessary skills to learn new abilities to perform everyday tasks without letting these disabilities affect us.

Dear Professor Muna Mohamed Alhammadi

Thank you for your extensive answer. It would mean that even people who don’t have any impairments at the instant should be keenly interested in developing instruments to support people with disabilities.

Thank you for your amazing input Professor António José Rodrigues Rebelo

I understand your point of view however there is also a position according to which a distinction of people with disabilities from the rest of society may lead to stigmatization of these people. Actually, when you write about possible remedies, you also refer to society as a whole.

I appreciate your feedback.

Inclusion as a practice has nothing to do with the percentage or number of people with disabilities in each society. In fact, in many countries, such as the Middle East, there is no accurate data about the number of people with disabilities. However, many of these countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, still emphasize implementing inclusion. When we consider the true meaning of disability, it is not limited to physical impairment or health concerns; it includes many other categories and can be either permanent or temporary. Thus, I strongly believe that the percentage of people with disabilities is increasing all over the world, and I agree that not all people may experience disability.

Dear Kamil,

The idea that everyone may experience disability at some point in their lives is a perspective often used to promote empathy, understanding, and support for people with disabilities. This perspective can help foster a more inclusive society by encouraging individuals to consider the challenges faced by people with disabilities and to advocate for accessibility and equal opportunities for all.

While it is true that disability can affect anyone at any stage of life due to illness, injury, or aging, it is important to recognize that not all disabilities are the same, and not everyone will experience disability in their lifetime. Each person's experience of disability is unique, and it's essential to respect individual differences and address the specific needs and rights of people with disabilities.

By promoting a more inclusive and accessible society, we can create environments that support the full participation and contribution of all individuals, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. Embracing diversity and recognizing the value that each person brings to society can lead to a more equitable and inclusive world for everyone.

Dear Muna Mohamed Alhammadi

Thank you for your interesting input. There are some statistcs saying that around 15% of society is people with disabilities. Do you think that the inclusion policies should be the same towards all the people with disabilities or you think that they should take into account "diversity" among people with disabilities?

Best regards, Kamil.

Dear Nur Azlina Mohamad Zahari

Thank you very much for your interesting contribution.

You have raised a very important topic of diversity among people with disabilities. Does it mean to you that it is not possible to prepare and implement one policy on inclusion of people with disabilities that will be appliced to all of them?

best regards,

Kamil.

Indeed, crafting a single policy on the inclusion of people with disabilities that universally applies to all individuals in this diverse group is challenging. Disability is a broad spectrum, encompassing various types, severities, and contexts. Different disabilities may require distinct accommodations and support mechanisms. Therefore, a tailored, flexible approach considering individual needs and circumstances is essential for effective inclusion. A nuanced policy framework that acknowledges and addresses this diversity is crucial to ensure meaningful and comprehensive support for all individuals with disabilities.

Dear Nur Azlina Mohamad Zahari

I fully agree with you. Differnet types of disability lead to different points of view in practice. Therefore it is so important to underway the so-called participatory research. To me, the most interesting group is the group of people with hearing and speech disabilities, namely deaf without speech people.

Best regards,

Kamil.

Dekat Associate Prof. Kamil,

I appreciate your recommendation. Thank you very much. I will read your articles on researchgate. Thank you for your kind sharing.

Dear Prof. Nur Azlina Mohamad Zahari

Thank you for your recommendation likewise.

I appreciate your input in the discussion.

Best regards,

Kamil.

Dear Prof. Kamil Strzępek,

The statement is very interesting and I agree to use it in my local area which is strong with religious and cultural values. I want to share an empirical story as a user of the statement on several occasions of awareness-raising movements in a small town.

10 years ago, I learned the statement from several fellow activists with disabilities. 8 years ago I started using it to build empathy and awareness (as conveyed by Prof. Muna Mohamed Alhammadi and Prof. Nur Azlina Mohamad Zahari) for several communities/organizations and government representatives in a small town in Java, Indonesia. On several other occasions, my colleagues and I often use the statement to reaffirm the presence of people with disabilities in every advocacy conversation.

In the last 5 years I have observed, at the beginning of the conversation by using simple terminology, this approach actually helps open the perspective that disability is a part of life that is considered natural and unique. It is spread by "getok tular" (word of mouth) to their colleagues. So that in addition to using a strong local regulatory system, the statement encourages the "normalization" of the presence of people with disabilities in the midst of society and government. This facilitates the realization of meaningful participation on various occasions, especially (which I have observed more deeply over the last 2 years) in local government development planning. Indirectly, intense interaction with people with disabilities also encourages non-disabled people to ask what special assistance or provision they need (reasonable accommodation).

Uniquely, the "normalization" of the presence of people with disabilities as part of a diverse society and subject of development is difficult for the local Social Department to recognize. In fact, disability issues have been handled specifically for approximately 11 years in the Social Department and the central government has provided regulatory and supervisory support for mainstreaming disability issues through the Social Ministry for the past 8 years. The Social Department is still struggling to deal with the stereotype that all people with disabilities are objects of development and marginalized communities who always need help.

It should be noted that accessibility and universal design seem to be very slow to be realized here, due to the low prevalence of people with disabilities, the cultural value of "gotong royong" to help each other and the complexity of social, political and economic conditions (Komardjaja 2001, 2010) as well as other reasons that we need to investigate further. So, on several occasions of meeting, we still use the same statement (and other special needs such as children, the elderly, and pregnant women) to encourage the ease of realizing universal design while still prioritizing the approach of cultural & religious values and local development priorities.

In this topic, I also need to reconsider and study more deeply what was conveyed by Prof. António José Rodrigues Rebelo

Dear Dewi Anggraini

Thank you for your input.

Best wishes.

Kamil.