Bollywood star John Abraham urges fans to support disabled people during COVID-19

Action star John Abraham has taken to social media to urge the public to support people with disabilities during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“It is very important people with disabilities are not left behind”. This important message was shared by action star John Abraham on his social media profile. Abraham, who has spoken out on many important social issues, said that people must lend a hand to those with disabilities who are facing difficult times during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 47-year-old star shared a message by Deaf Child Worldwide and Handicap International on Twitter. This was his tweet which was also shared with a picture of the guidelines to support people with disabilities.

With the number of #COVID19 cases increasing every day in #India it is very important people with disabilities are not left behind and get the support they need. As coronavirus spreads, people with disabilities are at heightened risk. Approximately 30 million Indians live with disabilities and face barriers in their daily lives. – John Abraham, Actor

Abraham highlights challenges facing disabled people

The star went on to talk about the specific challenges faced by people with disabilities during the pandemic.

“Physical distancing and self-isolation are impossible for people with disabilities who depend on the support of others to dress, bathe and eat. We need to ensure their right to protection and safety during the ongoing pandemic”, he said.

The star also shared a picture with the guidelines for handling children and adults with disabilities, directions for community members, workers and officials so need to be on alert for warning signs.

Guidelines must be accessible

“Disabled people and their carers need to understand how the virus is transmitted between people and what they should do to reduce the chance of infection, e.g. physical distancing and hygiene. As the lockdown is enforced, we have to be aware of how this might affect some disabled people e.g. an autistic person who finds confined spaces indoors very disturbing will need to spend time standing outdoors”, added the star.

He also urged that public communication measures be made accessible for people with disabilities. “Please take measures so that disabled people can also understand your messages, e.g. braille for the blind or sign language or written text for the deaf. As essential supplies are distributed. For example – food, masks, gloves and virus testing, we need to ask ‘will disabled people be able to obtain these?”.

Abraham, who is also associated with the National Association for the Blind, has spoken in the past about the need for better support and infrastructure for people with disabilities.

Also Read:

• Disabled people side-lined during COVID-19, inclusion needed going forward: NCPEDP