Cerebral Palsy Discrimination Still a Problem

Ignorance and Thoughtlessness still result inOccurrence
Discrimination against Cerebral Palsy VictimsMost victims of cerebral palsy discrimination, however,
Rajiv Rajan recently made headlines for cerebral palsynever make the news. Ask anyone who has been
discrimination when he was asked to disembark fromdiagnosed with cerebral palsy about getting a job, and
an Air Sahara plane. Because he wasyou'll hear story after story of cerebral palsy
wheelchair-bound and suffered from some of theemployment discrimination. Even walking down the
symptoms of cerebral palsy, which can include lack ofstreet, many people mistake the seizures and spasms
muscle control and movement, seizures, spasms, visualfor drunkenness. There have been cases where a
and hearing problems, and hyperactivity, they believeddisplay of the hyperactivity that accompanies cerebral
that it was a risk to have him on board, and requestedpalsy has resulted in some thinking that they are high
he produce either a certificate showing he was fit toon drugs.
fly or another individual to accompany him. Since heEducation, Putting Aside Assumptions, Key to the
had neither, he missed his flight to New Delhi, where heSolution
had business to conduct.Organizations such as United Cerebral Palsy (UCP)
When Air Sahara refused to let him on board, he triedand Scope attempt to educate the public to decrease
with another airline, SpiceJet, and was refused again.this type of discrimination. Only when people are
To add insult to injury, Air Sahara called the police, andeducated about the possible symptoms a person with
even when police vouched for him, airline officials stillcerebral palsy and similar diseases might show will
refused to welcome Mr. Rajan aboard.discrimination begin to diminish.
For Most, Cerebral Palsy Discrimination a Daily