THE INVISIBLE MAJORITY [Hardcover] Meena, C.K. and Ferose, V.R.

The book starts off, “as per WHO — 15% of the World’s Population are Persons with Disabilities”; It goes further… If at least 3 family members for each PWD, 60% of the world’s population is directly affected by disability — an absolute majority. Together with friends and families, they control over $13 Trillion in annual disposable income. Their purchasing power alone should motivate big businesses to support inclusion.The book brings out a holistic (cradle to grave) view of disability from Prevention to Early Intervention to Education — Skilling, Livelihood (Employment and Self Employment)— Family (Parents, Siblings)-Accessibility (Physical, Digital, Start-ups),Entertainment (Parks, Holiday Travel…), Discussions about Sex, Media, Various Laws - Rights, What Govt/ NGO/ Citizens can do… It covers diverse disabilities. It also compares where we are in India and what we can learn and do from other countriesWhat I liked about the book is that, it brings in experiences of various NGOs, Parents, Activists, Govt Officials and more — on what are the challenges, what are the interventions they are doing, what more can be done.It was great to read and learn from many of the Veterans in the disability space — including Shanti Raghavan from Enable India, Giftabled, Gitanjali Sarangan from Snehadhara, Meera Shenoy from Youth for Jobs, P. Rajasekharan from V-Shesh, Vidya Rao from Wipro, Pavithra Y S from Vindhya e-Infomedia, Pavithra Chalam from Curley Street, Mohan Sundaram from ArtiLab, Pankajam Sridevi from ANZ (now in Commonwealth Bank of Australia), V R Ferose (SAP SE, Inclusion Summit) and moreWho could benefit reading this book — Persons with Disabilities, their parents (who can learn about various schools, NGOs,…), NGOs who want to collaborate, Corporates who want to increase their D&I Quotient, People in Service Industry & Govt (Healthcare, Banks, Police, …) and anyone who is interested to know about Disability and Inclusion…Personally, it gave me a much broader view of disability. It also gave us (those in WinVinaya Foundation) the confidence that we can do so much more by learning, collaborating and doing things on the ground.Thank You — C K Meena and V R Ferose for taking the time to write this book and share your knowledge.

The book starts stating, 'According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) form the largest minority in the world – close to 1.3 villains or 15 percent of the global population.' I know those figures are unbelievable, but that's an obvious ignored fact. I, personally, am a person with a Disability I.e. Multiple Sclerosis. The book is very well-written and touches upon all the important points starting from the evolution of the Rights to the present needs. It's peppered with anecdotes which drives the point under discussion to the reader very well. The call to action in the disability sector is elucidated in the book, and I completely agree. Highly recommend this book for its detailed and nuanced take on the needs of the neglected population. We can be exponentially more productive if this untapped populace is welcomed to the workforce by making the policies, infrastructure, facilities and most importantly, the awareness among the common mass.

Absolutely brilliant, absorbing, informative and comprehensive. At the same time it narrates the stories of individuals with disabilities in an engaging manner with the right attitude about their struggles and successes. It looks at disabilities from various points of views -- that of the person with disabilities, the caregiver, the government, NGOs and hiring organizations. The amount of research that has gone into it is extremely impressive and the breadth of the issues it covers is amazing. Gives great insight into the true meaning of inclusion and what concrete steps can be taken to implement it in the Indian context. An extremely valuable resource for individuals who are associated with this field as well as all those who have had limited exposure to the world of the invisible majority. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

It is commendable how the book packs so much of research and yet manages to hold one's attention. I loved the fact that an informational book can be so inspirational as well. Have already ordered a few copies for my friends. Hope the book becomes a national and international bestseller. I hope the book reaches masses, especially those who have absolutely no connection with disability. The book has the power to transform every individual as well as the society for the better. Change is around the corner.

Creating an uninclusive environment for the PwD’s by the so called “normals” is the real disability :( This is the most comprehensive book on the disability spectrum in India. Has many real life stories making it an engaging read and proposes approaches to make the world more inclusive.

Read to know all the invisible stories .Inspiring

Motivating

This book is an eye-opener. Too many of us make facile, uninformed judgements about people with impairments. We should look in the mirror too