Health Darkdaughta: November 2009

During the Nazi rule, the physically and mentally handicapped were set aside for mercy killing. In 1939, Hitler himself passed a degree requiring physicians to carry out mercy killing of patients considered incurable. Today, the new Nazis are those neglectful of the vulnerable persons or suffocate progress of human-life in general and lives of the disabled people in particular.

Society looks at them as forgotten people -whose "best fate" is extinction. In fact, they are nurtured into destitute men and women and sustained to be so by the community -inclusive of the same non-government organisations claiming to be manading their plight. Specifically within the community, the socio-economic and socio-cultural set-up and decision-making can be critically reviewed.

Moving around rural and slum areas can bring back a lot of discoveries. Among them, will be a simple fact of the physically and mentally handicapped having been tied-up on ropes for fear of being raped or stoned to death; are kept in the backyard -for being "not presentable" and above all; "frightening" to visitors or treated like convicted prisoners -whose main activity (physical and mental) is set to receiving food.

But remember, these are human beings -entitled to dignifying treatment and living. They, for example, deserve access and/or right to medical attention, to learning opportunities, to movement (play and exercise), to employment, to appropriate technology (that considers their vulnerability), access to recreational facilities, right to a healthy environment and, to participate in development of their countries.

In helping integrate them into society, different technological designs have to be developed -to help integrate disabled people -with learning aids -for responsible over the self, to be self-sufficient and at some stage; be socially responsible citizens.

Life skills -involvement self-understanding, dealing with stigma, self-management training, training in social skills, communication, negotiation, goal setting, health science basics and livelihood issues can be added as a concrete program.

Indeed, they too have a life to live and a passion for the goods of it (life). However, the community -in which they live, must care and support them as not only a fundamental contribution, but community responsibility. We could all feel obliged to help these people through not just giving tokens to those begging on streets, but also developing them to self-sufficiency.

Unfortunately, a big section lives in the most poor regions -both financially and intellectually. Some communities, besides, hardly find a dollar a day to live on, they could luck both hope and plans for the disabled dependents. If poverty struck, it would affect the disabled the most, unless rehabilitation technologies addressed their development challenges.

Otherwise, common family reaction is likely to be a matter of locking them up in the backyard as "useless" species and, as the concept "survival for the fittest" develops in their minds. For a poor man's quest, finding food for the stomach will be first -while others like care for anyone -including disabled people come second -in the hope that by then, damaging impact on the handicapped ones might not be severe.

It is the category of the elderly -who usually pick the pieces and help reduce the socio-economic damage on the disabled people -as the most energetic shun taking on such responsibility. Mainly elderly women, as though concerned by nature, are tasked with the routine need of lifting up and down of the disabled person off the wheel-chair.

Everyone's (community) engagement or responsibility towards the needs of the disabled persons counts a great deal -as any development initiative -including technological ones -ensures their participation. And along, we make it a community value to be appreciative of them -as people to live and develop with.