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Window to the world of the disabled
By Anthony Thanasayan, 18 Nov 1999
Used with permission from Star Publications (M) Berhad
PICTURE this: I get invited to an elaborate "equal opportunities for the disabled" concert-cum-conference only to find that the emcee and main speakers are all able-bodied! Only a few disabled people end up taking part in the main event.
What an irony.
The theme of the conference on disabled self-advocacy underscores the need for active participation from people with disabilities.
Yet, time and again, the talks are almost always presented by able-bodied speakers.
An easy way out of such a situation is to point out that there are no disabled persons who are qualified to speak on such matters.
But the fact is, have we done what is necessary to groom disabled people to become leaders--and speakers--in the first place?
Often it's the little things that we do each day which add up to greater significance for disabled individuals in our society.
Dignity & Services (D&S), an advocacy group for people with learning difficulties, is an apt example of the case in point.
Although this group is mainly run by able-bodied people, they have managed to draw a fine balance with regards to many of the fundamental concerns I have just raised.
Quite frankly, their achievements in recent years have been most remarkable.
Take, for example, the high tea organised by them several years ago. Instead of able-bodied people dominating the occasion, everything was disabled-centred.
The smiling ushers who greeted us were people with learning difficulties.
So was the lounge-pianist for the evening, who couldn't read a single musical note yet put up an enthralling performance, playing totally by ear.
Who would have imagined such a marvellous sight was possible!
Even the seating of the guests was cleverly planned. They had a person with learning disability seated at each table so that the patrons and other guests could mingle and get to know them individually--and vice versa.
This year, too, they published a book comprising 20 short articles written by persons with learning difficulties, with the youngest aged 13 and the eldest, 28.
The book, conceived two years ago, is befittingly called Difficult But Not Impossible.
The cover of the book depicts a flight of steps leading up to the light in the horizon. It was designed by Eugene Wong Fyot-Yong, 24, who is also a person with learning disability.
The staircase symbolises the many unfair obstacles people with learning disabilities have to face daily in a world that takes little or no notice of them. Theirs is a long journey to self-determination and a sense of dignity.
Parents and caregivers were specifically instructed not to assist them when they authored their pieces. You can see this was achieved from the way their insightful stories are written--with smudges, cancellation marks here and there, poor grammar, incorrect sentence structures and spelling, etc.
But the book challenges readers to look beyond these flaws and concentrate on the underlying message behind each story: that people with learning difficulties are no less than you and I. Except that they have been placed in extraordinary circumstances.
Perhaps what sets them apart from most of us is that they have a natural appreciation for the basic aspects of life. For instance, 22-year-old John Cheah values his best friend who spends quality time with him and is able to make him laugh. And 16-year-old Loo Yan Han relishes the great outdoors while 19-year-old Komala Valli finds enjoyments in doing household chores. Mohd Hakim, 13, raves on about Jolok his pet cockerel.
Several of the other disabled authors have expressed their joy in finding meaning in life through their respective religions.
The book has given people with learning disabilities a rare and fabulous opportunity to express themselves--and for others to know more about them.
There is a personal touch to the book as the stories are written in the authors' own handwriting and their photographs are placed beside their stories.
The book effectively debunks many common myths about people with learning disabilities, such as their being incapable of enjoying life to the fullest.
It is rich with accounts of their hopes, joys, likes and dislikes, adventures and aspirations, even their disappointments.
They speak of the pleasure of accomplishing simple tasks that we often taken for granted, such as crossing the street, taking the bus on their own, or helping with household chores.
They describe the joy of going on family outings or playing with their pets.
Difficult But Not Impossible is your window to the world of people with learning disabilities. It is, I think, a splendid book to add to your collection.
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