Final answer:
The authorial purpose of 'You Need to Go Upstairs' is likely to raise awareness, provide resources, and inspire empathy for visually impaired individuals, not to discourage them from living independently.
Step-by-step explanation:
The authorial purpose of "You Need to Go Upstairs" was most likely multifaceted, aiming to engage the audience in different ways. However, option (a), 'to discourage blind individuals from living by themselves', does not align with the intent of the text provided.
Given the context that the author wanted to raise awareness about challenges faced by visually impaired individuals (option b), to provide information and resources for blind individuals to live independently (option c), and to inspire empathy and understanding among the general population regarding the experiences of visually impaired individuals (option d), it would be counterproductive to discourage independent living.
The text and initiatives like Dare2Dialogue highlight the drive to promote inclusion, challenge conventional thinking, and foster dialogue around the subject of disabilities. The narrative and the specific scenes described emphasize the goal of making the reader experience the characters' conditions, which indicates a purpose to empathize and understand rather than discourage. This approach, along with other strategies mentioned, demonstrates the writer's intent to effectively challenge societal norms and promote positive change in the perception of individuals with disabilities.