Table 2 Burden vs Agency construct: Inability-Ability

Inability

‘She is totally disabled…. he is the kind of a disabled person who is paralyzed, she spills saliva.’ [CHW1–1]

‘if the child is not moved to another place then he will remain at the same position.’ [CHW2–1]

‘the child is not able to do anything. The child cannot even eat.’ (CHW4–1]

‘you call him and he just looks at you. … he can’t say any word. He just hmmms ‘mmm mmmm’ that how he talks.’ [WG2–1]

‘… he is not normal you can put him in the same category with the mad people.’ [CHW2–1]

‘a disabled person is one who is not complete others lack parts of the body due to stroke’ [CHW6–1]

‘… he is blind and when he goes to the garden he can dig and also fetch water with the other children.’ [CHW10–1]

“When he is hungry he will give you a sign. He will wait until you are looking at him then he will show (gestures eating with his hand), then you will know that he wants to eat” [CHW3–1]

‘F- said he went to school to class eight, he trained in a profession, and he was employed.’ [CHW5–2]

‘…regardless of the disability, people with disabilities can learn in school.’ [CHW6–2]

‘They have abilities, though not as the others but they have abilities.’

[CHW11–2]

‘They know how to work. When they ask for a job, don’t look at his disability. Look at his abilities; look at what he can do.’ [WG7–2]

Ability