Speaking at an interaction organized by National Inter-Religious Network Nepal (NIRN) with support from World Vision International in Kathmandu, the stakeholders revealed that disabled people are becoming victimized more by a society that believes in the superstition that disability is the result of the sins of previous birth. People with disability are compelled to undergo many psychological pains because of wrong religious beliefs.
Nirmala Dhital, president of the Federation of Women with Disability Nepal (FWDN), said disabled people themselves believe in superstition. She said people with a disability depend on shamanism with a belief that witchdoctor may cure their disability. In another context, Dhital said that they faced discrimination even in religious places like temples and churches. She said that they are deprived of worshipping goddesses while those religious places are not disabled-friendly. She also said many people thought of them as beggars when they reached those religious places. In order to end such religious discrimination against disabled people from the family to the society the religious leaders have a great role, participants of the interaction said. Harsha Thapa, former president of NIRN Nepal, said that they have started a campaign to end discrimination against people with disabilities in the name of religion. Mina Poudel, a person with a disability, said that religious leaders should help to make the monasteries, churches and temples, and other religious places disable-friendly and to allow disabled people to participate in all religious activities.
Bhikshu Dharma Murthi, a religious leader, said that they will take the initiative to provide religious information and communication even to disabled people.
Although the main texts of the Hindu religion emphasize the inclusion of disabled people some religious scriptures and myths (Puran) include harassment and violence against disabled people, Ram Chandra Bhandari, a Hindu religious leader said. The participants stressed the need to reform the mindset of society towards disabled people.