Student speak - Social construct

MA social work in disability studies and action, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), MumbaiAs a person with a disability, I always understood it to be an individual, biological phenomenon. However, my MA degree made me rethink and I now understand that disability is a social construct. Prior to my Master's, I pursued a Bachelor's in physiotherapy at the National Institute for the Orthopaedically Handicapped, Kolkata.I was not happy with physiotherapy as a discipline due to its limitations of not being able to cure patients completely at times. Further, I wanted to go beyond the medical aspects of disability and understand its social dimensions and work towards policy formulation for the differently abled.While looking for Master's options, I came across several courses related to health management at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).I spoke to alumni, not to find out the kind of jobs they landed, but to know what they learnt. After researching, I found that my interest in understanding how an individual with disability operated in society aligned with the MA social work in disability studies and action and, hence, pursued the course.We were We were introduced to social theories in the first year, with students from all MA social work specialisations attending classes together.In the final year, our curriculum primarily focused on disability studies where we looked at the issue from gender, human rights, psychological and legal perspectives. Over two years, participants are required to undertake rigorous fieldwork.In the first year, my field projects explored issues around disability, livelihood and human rights.The purpose was to find intersectionality among disciplines through practical work. For the rural practical component, I visited a few villages in Odisha to interact with the differently abled.In addition, I volunteered for an NGO working in the slums. As a volunteer, I set up a support group of mothers of children with disabilities in an area with the lowest human development index in Mumbai.The curriculum allowed me to engage with other departments as well. I also made a short documentary on disabilities among children, with help from the School of Media and Culture Studies at the institute.After completing my course, I plan to join the Tata Steel Rural Development Society as a development trainee.