+
More

People didn't think a woman with a disability needed an education. She proved them wrong.

True
Gates Foundation

Over 1 billion people live with a disability.

Yeah, billion with a "b."

And while that means about 15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability, many individuals are still subject to prejudice and ignorance.


Accion shared one woman's story and took a closer look at what can be done to support people with disabilities in the populous, immense, and culturally complex country of India.

Image via Accion Global/YouTube.

24-year-old Reshma Babu is a successful young woman, but her future didn't always seem so bright.

Before she was 6 months old, Reshma contracted polio and lost the use of both of her legs. Not long after, both of her parents died, leaving the vulnerable infant in the care of her aunt, Parveen.

Her aunt paid her tuition and accompanied her to school each day through 10th grade. Neighbors would ask Parveen why she even bothered to educate Reshma.

All images via Accion Global/YouTube.

But Parveen never gave up, and luckily, neither did Reshma.

In a country where many people with disabilities have limited employment opportunities, Reshma was able to find a job she loves.

Reshma got a position with Vindhya, a data entry and customer support company. She works in the call center, fielding more than 170 calls a day.

Vindhya stands out because nearly 80% of their employees are people with physical challenges or vision or hearing impairments. The company began as a small, family-run business and now boasts clients like Yahoo, MetLife, and multiple Indian micro-finance organizations.

But their commitment to equal opportunity and promoting social justice is what has set them apart on the global landscape and what continues to help them exceed expectations and remain profitable.

Reshma is one of an estimated 40 to 60 million people in India living with a disability.

For a little perspective, that's five to seven times the population of New York City.

Negative assumptions about people with disabilities are so deep-seated in much of the culture in India, especially in rural and poor areas, that some schools won't even accept students with disabilities because they believe the children are incapable of the work.

"A lot of families keep their disabled children behind closed doors because they are embarrassed," said Shanti Auluck, a mother of a child with Down syndrome living in New Delhi, told The Guardian.

In addition to companies like Vindhya, many nonprofits and agencies in India are working to ensure everyone has a shot at success.

The Association of People with Disability, based in Bangalore, runs community learning centers and a school for children with disabilities, complete with interactive classroom technologies, sports programs, and art. They also offer a community mental health program and provide wheelchairs and orthotics to people in need.

Another organization, Parivaar, is a collective of parents' groups and NGOs working to improve the lives of people with disabilities throughout India. It's an invaluable resource for parents and caregivers looking to assist their children with special needs.

And last year, Indian people with disabilities got a much needed legal boost.

In 2014, India established The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, which accounts for 19 conditions and disabilities, including autism and multiple sclerosis — up from seven conditions in the 1995 legislation it replaced.

The bill confers certain rights to people with disabilities, including access to polling places, public buildings, and hospitals. The legislation also provides for 5% reservations in government offices and post-secondary schools for people with disabilities.

The bill requires ramps and other accommodations in new public buildings.

It's not a perfect bill, but many advocates are excited about the change.

"It means people with mental disabilities in particular have the right to hold a job, have the right to open a bank account, and no one can tell them 'no' because of their disability," disability rights activist Javed Abidi told The Guardian.

Disability or not, all of us want to be treated with dignity and respect.

Access to education and rewarding work are a large part of that. Supporting businesses and organizations that push for equal opportunities is a great way to do your part.

Across the globe or around the corner, everyone deserves a chance to live the life they imagined.

Hear Reshma tell her story in this short video from Accion International.

Joy

Sorry, Labradors. After 31 years, America has a new favorite dog.

The American Kennel Club has crowned a new favorite.

via Pixabay

A sad-looking Labrador Retriever

The sweet-faced, loveable Labrador Retriever is no longer America’s favorite dog breed. The breed best known for having a heart of gold has been replaced by the smaller, more urban-friendly French Bulldog.

According to the American Kennel Club, for the past 31 years, the Labrador Retriever was America’s favorite dog, but it was eclipsed in 2022 by the Frenchie. The rankings are based on nearly 716,500 dogs newly registered in 2022, of which about 1 in 7 were Frenchies. Around 108,000 French Bulldogs were recorded in the U.S. in 2022, surpassing Labrador Retrievers by over 21,000.

Keep ReadingShow less

Jason K. Pargin shares his controversial theory on lobster.

Novelist Jason K. Pargin has inspired an online food fight after his video about lobster received over 500,000 views on Tiktok and nearly 6 million on Twitter. Pargin believes that we’ve all been tricked into liking lobster and that people only like it because it’s considered high class.

Pargin is the author of the “John Dies at the End” and “Zoey Ashe” series and the former editor of Cracked.com.

"I don't think anyone actually enjoys eating lobster. I think they've just been convinced that it's a high-class food for a really specific reason,” Pargin says in his controversial video. He then describes how just a few centuries ago lobster was once used as prisoners' food and ground into fertilizer.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joy

An 8-year-old snuck his handwritten book onto a library shelf. Now it has a 56-person waiting list.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel— written by "Dillon His Self"—captured the hearts of his local librarians and their patrons.

Dillon Helbig's 81-page graphic novel captured the hearts of his local librarians.

Writing a book is no easy task, even for adult professional writers. Many would-be authors dream of a day when their work can be found on library shelves, unsure if it will ever come.

But for 8-year-old Dillon Helbig, that day has already arrived—in truly unconventional fashion—thanks to his own determination to make it happen.

Dillon wrote his 81-page graphic novel, "The Adventures of Dillon Helbig's Crismis" (written by "Dillon His Self") in a hardcover journal with colored pencils over the course of a few days. He even put a label on the back of the book that reads "Made in Idho" [sic] and put an illustrated spine label on it as well. Then, without telling anyone, he brought it to his local library in Boise, Idaho, and slipped it in among the books in the children's section.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pop Culture

This 1940s guide on 'how to be pretty' for teen girls has some surprisingly modern suggestions

In a resurfaced video from the 1940s, Mary Stuyvesant, a Ponds beauty consultant, spoke to a group of high school girls about "how to be pretty."

1940s guide on "how to be pretty" is surprisingly modern.

Often, when we think of the 1940s and the messaging that was sent to women and girls back then, we tend to imagine lessons about how to get and keep a husband. But it turns out that all messaging wasn't the same and some girls were receiving a much more progressive message about their appearance.

In a resurfaced video from the 1940s, Mary Stuyvesant, a Ponds beauty consultant, spoke to a group of high school girls about "how to be pretty." Surprisingly, the advice is rather timeless and not at all focused on becoming the best wife and mother you can be, but on learning to care for yourself. Stuyvesant refers to your physical appearance as icing on a cake and that good icing tastes nice but the cake is the most important part.

She goes on to explain to the girls that who they are as people is the cake and that's the part that needs the most attention.

Keep ReadingShow less

Weatherman rescues a chicken in a blizzard and now they're friends.

There's a little-known saying that every weatherman needs a chicken. OK, it's little known because I totally just made it up, but you have to admit, it's just random enough to make you wonder if you missed out on a weird colloquialism. But in this case, it may be a new saying because weatherman David Neal found a stray chicken while reporting on a blizzard, and they've somehow become best friends.

The chicken, now named Penelope, was running around in the snowstorm while Neal was filming, so he tried to catch her so he could make sure she was warm. Penelope had other plans and gave Neal a literal run for his money. Eventually, with the help of a bystander who was likely as confused as the chicken, Neal was able to get Penny in his arms.

Of course, he had some explaining to do once the cameras were rolling again, and he handled it like the pro he is, holding a live chicken.

Keep ReadingShow less
Today Info/Youtube

Taylor Swift "diving" below the stage of her Eras Tour concert

The highly anticipated, Ticketmaster-bustingTaylor Swift Eras Tour has officially begun. And it’s looking like the pop star is pulling out all the stops to deliver a heap of spectacle.

Case in point—a video from the “Anti-Hero” pop star's kick-off concert that’s making quite the splash online.

In a mesmerizing blend of live performance and hologram wizardry, audiences saw Swift, clad in a flowy red dress, dive into a pool built into the stage. She then swam across to emerge through waves in a shimmery jumpsuit, just before climbing a ladder and disappearing into a cloud.

Basically, it was like a romantic fairy tale brought to life.

Keep ReadingShow less