ISLAM enjoins Muslims to always respect others, regardless of their abilities, skin colour, etc.
We are urged not to hurt their emotions and feelings as this would lead to disharmony.
Allah says in the Quran, Verse 2 of Surah al-Maidah: “… help one another in righteousness and piety, but help not one another in sin and rancour”.
Islam, as a way of life, is prolific in its teachings and legacy, as well as heritage, when it comes to the treatment and management of people.
People with disabilities are individuals who have a broad range of impairments along with specific issues and needs that
correspond to the type of disabilities they have.
They are a part of society and deserve all the facilities, rights and respect the others receive.
Disabilities come in different forms.
Some individuals may have physical impairments and limitations that restrict their ability and strength.
Others may have disabilities that are not obvious to us. As such, we cannot use the same yardstick to deal with them.
People with disabilities may look normal outwardly, but the fact is that they are special and require special treatment with a specific approach.
Why do we need this special approach in the first place? Because there is none that can help us to deal with people who are differently-abled.
Such an approach or standard operating procedure (SOP) would guide us to respond to them with the dignity they deserve as human beings.
Furthermore, such an SOP protects us from inappropriate behaviours towards them.
The SOP also protects people with disabilities as it upholds their sense of dignity, respect and rights as humans.
The SOP will act as a platform for people with disabilities to seek legal or ethical redress.
Khairul Azhar Idris ,Fellow, Institut Kefahaman Islam