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AKTIVITI ACS - JANUARY 2004 If you
believe that all human beings - Marina Mahathir - |
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YOUR WORTH A well known speaker started off his seminar by holding up a $20 bill. In the room of 200, he asked, "Who would like this $20 bill?" Hands started going up. He said, "I am going to give this $20 to one of you but first, let me do this." He proceeded to crumple the dollar bill up. He then asked, " Who still wants it?" Still the hands up in the air. "Well," he replied, "What if I do this?" And he dropped it on the ground and started to grind it into the floor with his shoe. He picked it up, now all crumpled and dirty. "Now who still wants it?" Still the hands went into the air. "My friends, you have all learned a very valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money you still wanted it because it did not decrease in value. It was still worth $20." "Many times in our lives, we are dropped crumpled, and ground into the dirt by the decisions we make and the circumstances that come our way. We feel as though we are worthless. But no matter what has happened or what will happen, you will never lose your value...." Dirty or clean, crumpled or finely creased, you are still priceless to those who DO love you. The worth of our lives comes not in what we do or who we know, but by WHO WE ARE. You are special - Don't EVER forget it." Probably for you and I, we can easily relate to the above narrative. But how easy is it for a person with disability? If we concur that disabled people have the same worth, then we are disrespecting them by hiding them away, making decisions for them, denying them their rights etc... People with disability are not born with lower self-esteem, but have developed them by the way our society treats them. Our society has limited their ability and worthlessness to fully participate in the life activities one takes for granted each day. Can you imagine a child being turned away from kindergarten enrolment because of his or her developmental delays? With an early start of being rejected, what will become of this child? Can you imagine, the criteria for entering special class in a public school is that the child has to be trainable and independent? The criteria are so subjective that you can imagine the stress families go through in "fighting the system"? Can you imagine how it is for a person who is born slow to be always compared with his siblings by parents, scolded by teachers, started by the public and teased at the workplace? Can you imagine a women with intellectual disability bathing with bathroom door ajar just so that the family members can "keep an eye" on her? Why have we subjected people with disabilities and their families to become beggers for (health, educational, training, employment, transport etc...) services? If everyone is indeed of equal worth, then people with disabilities should be accorded adequate support, equal privileges and opportunities to ensure their worth and their rights as a fellow human being in our society. PROPOSED PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ACT Much has been depended on the charity of our neighbours, goodwill of the society and occasional policies from the government when it comes to solving the problems faced by people with disabilities. However, it remains a deep concern that people with disabilities and their carers are still being discriminated in all aspects of life due to the absence of a legislation to protect their basic rights in Malaysia. As a coalition member of Societies of and for People with Disabilities and NGOs in Penang, Asia Community Service is actively involved in a signature campaign to support and expedite the proposed Persons with Disabilities Act to be passed at the nest Parliament sitting in 2004. The details of the proposed PWD Act is available on the website (www.dsapenang.org/signaturecampaign). Please log-on to support us in this campaign. FIRST STEP CENTRE Meet our four graduates for this year - Kailyn, Mursyid, Hooi Chin and Micheal. They have been our greatest challenge. Micheal had encephalitis and Hooi Chin has epilepsy. Kailyn and Mursyid who have Down Syndrome, are also hearing impaired. One thing they have in common is they all have a set of concerned parents who need much support and encouragement as the four of them venture out to "school" in 2004. At this point of writing, 2 of them are able to indicate toileting needs, while the other two are still learning. We hope that the teachers and schools will accept them for who they are and be able to see their difficulties as challenges. HOW A CHILD LEARNS If a child lives with criticism, he learns to condemn. If a child lives with hostility, she learns to fight. If a child lives with ridicule, he learns to be shy. If a child lives with shame, she learns to feel guilty If a child lives with tolerance, he learns to be patient. If a child lives with encouragement, she learns confidence. If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate. If a child lives with fairness, she learns justice. If a child lives with security, he learns to have faith. If a child lives with approval, she learns to like herself If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns to find love in the world. NEW SUPPORT CENTRE FOR COMMUNITY LIVING "Exciting" is a good word to summarise the past few months at Pulau Betong. We received a grant from the Lions Club International Foundation in July through the cooperative effort of the Lion Club of Nagoya Minato and Lions Club of Georgetown Penang. And thirteen new and old members of ACS Atepping Stone Work Centre started to occupy the new building in August. Three months of orientation to the new place and I can say that they are slowly but surely settling into their work routine. The 4 work section are
We are awed at the steady stream of visitors from the local community popping by almost daily. The visitors in return, are awed at the products churned out by our members. All these add up to the excitement of positive awareness being created. CAMP & BUNGALOW STAY In mid-December, 21 adults with intellectual disabilities from ACS Step Training Centre and ACS Stepping Stone Work Centre came together in a joint 3 days 2 nights camp and bungalow stay at the new site in Pulau Betong. Supported by volunteers, they pitched tents, enjoyed beach games and BBQ; walking in the rain, playing football, riding bicycles; and singing and dancing each evening. If only all of us could be as youthful and energetic.
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_________________________________________________________________________ A Non-Profit
Organisation Providing Services To People With Special |
