Abstract: An individual is part and product of his own social environment and so is a person with disability. The relationships, attitude and behavior patterns are vitally affected by the nature and extent of the harmony or disharmony of an individual’s relationship with the family members, relatives, friends, community members, workplace colleagues and employers etc. The social stigma still attached to persons with special is prevalent in society which not only restricts their activities but also damages their psycho- emotional well being as persons with special are less handicapped by their own disability than by the social attitude meted out to them in every sphere of their life. The individual who is differently abled often does not know when he/she enters a social situation whether he/she will be an object of curiosity, pity, sympathized with, helped, patronized, exhibited, praised for his abilities, avoided or actively rejected. This develops the feelings of inadequacy, anxiety, insecurity and frustration among the person with special needs and makes their day to day life a challenging job. Thus society’s attitude and behavior play a crucial role in the inclusive development of disabled persons. The present paper is an attempt to understand the various societal stereotypes and stigma towards women with special and its impact on their all round development. This paper will also discuss the various challenges faced by them based on social stereotypes in Jammu District.

Keywords: Disability, Stereotypes, Discrimination, Prejudice, Exclusion.

| DOI: 10.17148/IMRJR.2025.020507