One Little Finger

by Malini Chib

This is the autobiography of Malini Chib―a woman who defied all odds to emerge victorious in spite of a crippling disability and an indifferent society; who dragged herself out of the limits of her condition. This is the story of Malini′s search for independence and identity, and her zeal to live a full, meaningful life despite the lifelong disability of Cerebral Palsy. She recounts her experiences from childhood to adulthood, her struggles with motor skills and speech, managing day-to-day activities, and the apathy and indifference of people towards her and others who are disabled. She educates herself, learns to type with her little finger and speak through the Lightwriter. Finally, she works through unfavorable social systems and attitudes to get a career as an event manager.

Genres: Disability, Indian Literature, Autobiography, Nonfiction

228 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Pooh Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Malini chib.
"I have learned to love and accept that Life is Beautiful as it is. It is not always easy, but definitely beautiful." (Malini, Chib, One Little Finger)

One Little Finger: The title of her autobiography holds a significance place in her life. Her one little finger which was stronger than her other fingers, she worked with this one Little finger and typed her 50,000 words long book by correcting her words for 2,50,000 times with that one little finger. what a dedication and spirit. She made me realise, how one can live her/his life to the fullest despite of the odds, one needs to find courage to be independent and moreover to make best of the life which we are given.
About the book:
Her book starts in 1966, India where she was born to a upper middle class wealthy family. Her father was working with TATAs and her mother was educated who was also coming from an influential family. Malini was a first child, to her parents and during her birth because of some oxygen issues which gave her this lifelong disability. Malini throughout the books talks of differences between England and India. How in England she actually got humanly treatment while in India she was treated as an object. Her parents went to many doctors but in india Awareness related to Cerebral Palsy was not much at that time. Because of this, her parents decided to move to London and leave everything behind in India. Her England Journey holds a very special place in her life as here she learned everything which made her independent. In England, Malini had uncles who worked as physicians and her aunts who were studying there, In England too, they had a family and everyone in her family came forward to support her. Here she went to Roger Ascham school, she learned her basics, she learned to write, to read and to do basic chores. In England she received an Education which changed her life forever. Physicians and people in England had totally different outlook for cerebral palsy, they were more aware and more concerned towards the disability. They helped malini to be her own, they treated her like a Child and specially not the way she got her treatment in India. England taught her alot. she was grateful for the English doctors and teachers. but after 7 years she had to come back to india with her family which she didn't wanted but eventually they came back to bombay.
After returning to India, her mother (Mithu Alur) who also took course in special education in England established her own spastic society for disabled people which now Known as 'ADAPT' (Able disabled All People Together.)
Her mother and she along with many other people are today working towards this cause and helping many to find a life in which they too can live on their own independently. Malini chib, despite of all odds today is working with Oxford book store and her NGO, she is an inspiration and her autobiography is a must read book.
Happy reading.
A review by Pooja Lakhera.

[Nandini Reddy Dayal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you really see people with disabilities? I don't mean see as a vision issue but see in the same way we view peope without a disability - as people, one who thinks and feels and one who has everyday needs. I know several people who don't which explains the apathetic way we design our spaces and conduct ourselves in relation to them. To say that Malini Chib's story is inspiring seems a rather insipid way to celebrate this terrific woman. We have a lot to thank her for too because it was her disability that brought Spastics society to India, new laws on disability, changed rule of marathons and more sensitization on how to behave towards disability.

I absolutely love her thought, "Everyone is inter-dependent" - exactly so why measure only persons with disabilities to present a superhuman form of independence which most able people cannot display.

I think what I admired most about her journey is how easily her family moved, adapted and created opportunities for her to dive into new experiences. At times reading her experience made me wonder if I would have had the mental strength to deal with the situations she faced.

[Amrutha Subbukrishna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must read for a lot of reasons: one, it creates awareness about the inaccessibility of our surroundings for disabled people in India, second, it discusses the life of a person with disability is the wider context of disability studies, and third, it makes people realize that disability is a difference just like any other. In any interaction between disabled and non-disabled people, the latter usually assume the disability negates any other qualities which is untrue and strains the interaction. Any person should be recognized as a human first, disability second. Malini Chib describes her own experiences with discrimination and the obstacles that she had to overcome to establish her individuality. My favorite chapter was Reflections where she introspects on questions that are really pertinent: what is normal? who is normal? who defines what is normal? and others.

[Niya · Rating 5 out of 5]

really inspirational..........

[Ashish Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

As Abraham Lincoln had said to his son, who was studying in a boarding school, ‘The best steel goes through fire.’ Malini Chib is a steel. “One little finger” by Malini Chib is a wonderful autobiography that force you to think about disable person’s life.

This is parable of humanity,inspiration or in a word one can say existentialism. The way she was coping with adverse situation like a obstinate, always being empowered.

Once she had gone for Diwali shoping. The shopkeeper banned her wheelchair in his shop saying that shop is so narrow and wheelchair not allowed. It was leading shop in Breach Candy, Mumbai. She had left feeling humiliated and after few days almost 50 people gathered with wheelchair and demonstrated outside of the shop. It caused immense publicity and attuned. Her activism started from here then she did so much to empower disable persons.

In India, the Persons with Disabilities (PWD) Act was passed in 1995. Her mashi and dad were instrumental and were a part of the formation committee.

Salute to her parents,family and friends they are valiant. they were always being there for her.

Read it….

[Rajnish Agarwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! It will inspire many as it did to me !0

[Ariffa Jarena Banu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Where there is a Will, there is a way...

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow such an immersive biography. I wish this book would be more accessible so more people could read about Malini and learn more about her life as a disabled person.

[Sohini · Rating 2 out of 5]

simplicity is what defines this book. Although the author was among the few privileged dfferently abled people,given her background,yet it touches you. however this book fails to throw light on how disabilities affect different strata of d society-the rich as well as the poor. just gives a singular perspective. but all in all a good read.

[Manju Ido · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is inspiring me and she is taking about freedom too.