By Vishani Ragobeer
DISABILITIES are not limited to a few ailments. They encompass an innumerable amount of

conditions- physical and mental, too often rendering persons helpless and faced with the grappling horrors of stigma and discrimination.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines a disability as, “an umbrella term for impairments, activity limitations and participation restrictions.” The WHO also describes a disability as the interaction between the individual with the health condition and the personal and environmental factors exposed to.
There are many care centers across Guyana which care for persons with disabilities. However, while a lot of persons assume that these centers receive adequate support, this is often not the case.

In the spirit of the Christmas season, a group of my friends and I usually visit foster homes or centers that cater for persons with disabilities to try to spread some Christmas cheer in whatever way we can. This year, we visited the Diamond Special Needs School and spent some time playing with the children and brought along a few goodies.

One unfortunate feature noticed at this school, is that while efforts are being fostered to develop the infrastructure, there is a general lack of empathy towards these children because of their disabilities.

Speaking to the Headmistress of this school, Wendy Webster, it was discovered that the school caters for students who have various disabilities, including those disabilities which require specialized care like cerebral palsy to down-syndrome.
Webster highlighted that the children attending are aged 5-18 years but the school gives primary classes from Grades 1-6 and then secondary classes from Forms 1-3. Much emphasis is placed on remedial activities and developing the students’ vocational skills so that even despite their disabilities, they would be able to provide for themselves later in life.
Perhaps the most worrying situation these children in the Diamond Special Needs School are faced with outside of the lack of adequate facilities and personnel, is that they have to share the compound with children from another primary school.

Mind you, even mature adults have trouble dealing with the special needs of children with disabilities much less younger, less mature primary school students.
The Headmistress disclosed that there is often some conflict between the two sets of students since there is a common playing area in the middle of the two schools and a common vendor to which both sets of students buy their goodies from.
Due to the inability to communicate ‘normally’ some conflict arises between the two sets of students. She said too, that most times, her children with disabilities are the ones more affected due to a greater level of defenselessness and the taunts and emotional trauma meted out. Webster attested that she has petitioned to higher authorities to have a fence constructed between the two schools, but until now, this has been an unrealized solution.
While this school is closed now for the Christmas holidays since it is only operational during academic term, consider the plight of these children and how they have to deal with this trauma when they get back to school during the new school term.

Another problem the school faces is that a therapist only visits once every week, for half-day on Mondays. Don’t you feel that having a therapist visit these children is of utmost importance?
It was explained that some children required more time and attention than others because they were unable to communicate quickly. However, due to the ratio of teachers to students- not all students would receive the special care they needed.
The headmistress disclosed that during this coming school term (the Easter term) she was expecting a therapist to be there more often, or all week if possible. She explained that while all of her children needed special care, some students had more serious disabilities than others. Ms. Webster says that a therapist was necessary to help with the speedy treatment of the children.

In addition to the lack of a therapist all week long, the Headmistress pointed out that the therapy room was in need of refurbishment.
Indeed these are children with disabilities. However, they are not disabled children. What many of us overlook, is that despite having a disability or having disabilities, these children are not disabled. These are children with dreams just as any other.
This Christmas season, while enjoying yourself, reflect on those among us who aren’t fortunate enough to celebrate the way we can. Reflect on the stigma and discrimination faced by all persons with disabilities, not just these children from the Diamond Special Needs School and strive to show some more compassion and empathy towards them.

Take some time off too, to spread some cheer with those among us who really need that extra attention and the extra cheer. There are so many Christmas drives available and even if you can’t make tangible contributions, spending some time with our little friends with disabilities is just as welcomed.