This study investigates cultural beliefs about physical disability prevalent in a rural community in India. An equal number of respondents (n = 32 each) of Allahabad district were drawn from families having a child with a disability and those having no member with a disability. Interviews were conducted to study disability related attitudes, perceptions and practices. The results reveal that the families with disabled children expressed fatalistic attitudes and external dependence, that is, expected external agencies to cater to their rehabilitation needs. The implications of these findings for developing rehabilitation programmes in rural areas are discussed.
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