Which of the following is a public perception of disability?
Which of the following is a public perception of disability?
Options
Correct option: (D) The idea of disability suggests that persons with disabilities are in need of help.
The common public perception treats disability as a personal tragedy and views the disabled person as dependent, an object of charity, and someone who must be 'helped' or 'cured' rather than as an equal citizen entitled to rights and access.
Marking Scheme
- 11 mark for selecting option (D).
- 2No partial credit; MCQ is all-or-nothing.
Hint
Recall that public perception treats disability as a personal tragedy needing charity/help, not as a rights issue.
Quick Oral Answer
Public perception of disability generally sees the disabled person as a victim in need of help and charity, rather than as an equal citizen with rights — this is why option (D) is correct.
Analysis & Explanation
The public perception of disability, as discussed in the sociology of disability, is shaped by a 'personal tragedy' or charity model rather than a rights-based model.
Why (D) is correct
- Public perception typically frames disability as a deficiency that makes the person dependent and 'in need of help', reinforcing pity and charity rather than equal citizenship.
Why the distractors are wrong
- (A) is incorrect because the public actually DOES understand disability as biologically/naturally given (a 'medical model'), not the opposite.
- (B) is incorrect because the disabled person IS commonly seen as a victim in public perception, not otherwise.
- (C) is incorrect because disability IS closely linked with an individual's self-perception — society's negative view often gets internalised by the disabled person.
Exam trap
Each distractor negates a well-known NCERT statement, so read the sentence carefully for the 'not' before selecting.
Common Mistakes
- 1Choosing (A) or (B) by misreading the negation and assuming the statement describes the reverse (correct) view instead of the flawed public perception.
- 2Confusing the 'medical/charity model' of disability with the 'social/rights model' that NCERT contrasts it against.
Interesting Facts
The 2011 Census of India recorded about 2.68 crore (26.8 million) persons with disabilities, though disability rights groups argue this is a significant undercount.
The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 replaced the earlier 1995 Act and expanded recognised disabilities from 7 to 21 categories, shifting the legal framework toward a rights-based model.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is disability considered a social category and not just a biological/medical condition?
Sociologists argue that while impairment is biological, 'disability' is largely socially constructed — it is society's failure to accommodate different bodies (through inaccessible buildings, discriminatory attitudes, lack of inclusive schooling) that turns an impairment into a disabling condition. This is called the 'social model' of disability, as opposed to the 'medical/charity model' reflected in public perception.
How does public perception differ from the disabled person's own self-perception?
Public perception often reduces the person to their impairment and treats them as objects of pity needing help, while many disabled persons seek to be recognised for their full identity and capabilities and demand equal access and rights rather than charity.