The Sunday News
A mother’s pregnancy brings about so much joy which is overwhelming to the entire family. Everyone looks forward to the day the child enters mother earth. Preparations are made and from the look of things there is uncontainable excitement due to anticipations people have. Days go by and that long awaited day finally comes.
A child is born however, from the look of things it seems as if what was being anticipated is not what they are seeing. A happy day turns to a dreadful one full of disappointment. A child is born with disabilities.
From the very beginning he is rejected by those who should be embracing, loving and naturing simply because it’s not what they wanted. The child is not viewed like any other children but an object or curse.
Every birth of a child is accompanied by celebrations, instead in this case there is sorrow as this is believed to be the works of the ancestors who have punished the family. In other words the child is not from God. It’s as if a certain specie or an alien has entered this universe. As days go by the entire community hears about the dark cloud hanging over the family.
Some wish if only the mother had miscarried while some associate this birth with bad luck or misuse of traditional medicine.
It’s as if it ends there but more stories and assumptions keep emerging. Some turn to the mother of the child and accuse her of adultery, which is why she gave them birth to such a child, a first in that family.
The child is kept in the house locked up not to be seen by anyone. Some wishing it doesn’t live long. Locking up the child is a sign of embarrassment as the outside world should not see such a shame! Nothing productive will come out of it as it is not capable to do anything which serves the child right if it stays locked up. After all it’s a bastard’s child!
Over the years the child is deprived his right to education, let alone freedom to mingle, socialise or acquire basic needs.
Instead he grows up knowing that he is useless and a good for nothing person who will never get anywhere.
Ladies and gentleman this is the plight of people living with disabilities, it’s what some have grown up knowing and what the society has believed and adopted. However, let me tell you, I maybe disabled because that’s what you see before you, but if you see beyond that you will see that I am differently abled. Many unpleasant things maybe said but my spirit is unconquerable and will never die.
Boundaries have been set but each day I live to defy them, proving that nothing whatsoever can be a limitation except my mind, and for as long as I can keep on fighting this battle I am willing to do with all the strength in me. Though I maybe seen as useless and unproductive, trust me I have so much to offer which you never thought I could do but this is possible if you change your mindset about me.
I am often discriminated against simply because I was created differently, but my outer appearance is a reflection of my beauty. After all my ability exceeds my inability. It is only when there is transformation of the mind that you can be a witness to all this.
Let it be known that a community is like a fruit salad. It is those differences in attributes, skills, competencies and physical beings that make us succeed through comprehending each other to showcase these differences to create an inclusive and beneficial society for all. It all starts by changing your mindset to make this a reality.
This article was written to celebrate the International Day of People With Disabilities, which is celebrated every year on 3 December.
