World Disability Day – 3rd December

The annual observance of the International Day of Disabled Persons was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly on the 14th of October 1992. The observance of the day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilize support for the dignity, rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. Since then, the world has been commemorating the 3rd of December as World disability Day. Even in Nagaland, the government has been taking note of the day and recognizing the various issues related to them. However there is a lot that needs to be done in this regard.

Awareness
Locally we have to create more awareness among the civil societies, churches and the NGOs to come forward to support the cause of these special people and their various needs. In Nagaland many parents are still unable to come out in the open about their children and this is one major area of concern. The society has to come up with ways to encourage and accept such people so that parents will not be wary of opening up about their children. Also as parents, the challenge is to accept the situation that God has placed you in and not be disheartened. It has to be understood that if you do not take up the cause of your child, no one can.
The Church can in fact be a great source of encouragement to such parents and people affected by disability. In Mizoram the church has for so many years been initiating efforts to help people with disabilities by keeping one Sunday afternoon service of every month specifically to recognize the needs of people affected by disability and donating the contributions of the service towards their needs. This is indeed a novel initiative that can be replicated even in Nagaland where majority of the population are Christians. A step towards this end will automatically embolden parents to come to terms with their crisis.

Assessment camps and surveys
There is an urgent need on the part of the government to especially organize assessment camps as any intervention can only be done after the problem is diagnosed. Many parents in Nagaland are at a loss as they do not know what is ailing their child or the name of the problem that they are tackling. If early assessment is done then a lot of options will be made available to the parents. At the moment parents need to take their children to major cities outside the state for any assessment and specialized intervention.

So what are the various disabilities then?
Disabled people do not form a homogeneous group. For example, the mentally ill and the mentally retarded, the visually, hearing and speech impaired and those with restricted mobility or with so-called medical disabilities all encounter different barriers, of different kinds, which have to be overcome in different ways.

The following distinction is made by the World Health Organization, in the context of health experience, between impairment, disability and handicap:
 a) Impairment: Any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function.
b) Disability: Any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being.
c) Handicap: A disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or disability, that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal, depending on age, sex, social and cultural factors, for that individual.

Measures should be taken for the earliest detection of the impairment followed by necessary curative or remedial action, which can prevent or reduce the severity of disability so that it does not become a lasting condition. Disabilities are again of different kinds, some of the general ones are as follows:

Autism -
Autism is a complex developmental disability that typically appears during the first three years of life impacting development in the areas of social interaction and communication skills. Both children and adults with autism typically show difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities.

Cerebral Palsy -
It is a term used to describe a group of disorders affecting body movement and muscle co-ordination. It occurs as a result of damage to the developing brain, particularly to the motor areas controlling co-ordination, posture and balance.

Down syndrome -
Down syndrome (DS), also called Trisomy 21, is a condition in which extra genetic material causes delays in the way a child develops, both mentally and physically. Children with Down syndrome tend to share certain physical features such as a flat facial profile, an upward slant to the eyes, small ears, and a protruding tongue.

Learning Disability -
Learning disability is a disorder that affects the student’s ability either to interpret what they see and hear or to link information from different parts of the brain despite an average or above average intellectual capacity. These limitations can show up in many ways e.g. as specific difficulties with spoken or written language, Co-ordination, self-control or attention. Such difficulties extend to schoolwork and can impede the process of learning to read or write, or do to do mathematics.
Attention deficit
Hyperactivity disorder -
Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a medical condition characterized by difficulties with inattention or hyperactivity and impulsivity. Symptoms of inattention, or hyperactivity and impulsivity must be severe enough to cause impairment in the daily functioning of the person in at least two settings: at home, in school, in the community or in the workplace.

Mental retardation -
Mental retardation is a term used when a person has certain limitations in mental functioning and in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself, and social skills. These limitations will cause a child to learn and develop more slowly than a typical child. Children with mental retardation may take longer to learn to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as dressing or eating. They are likely to have trouble learning in school. They will learn, but it will take them longer. There may be some things they cannot learn.

Hearing Impairment -
Hearing Impairment or hearing loss is a full or partial decrease in the ability to detect or understand sounds. It may be caused by a wide range of biological and environmental factors.

Visual Impairment -
Visual impairment is vision loss that constitutes a significant limitation of visual capability resulting from disease, trauma, or a congenital or degenerative condition that cannot be corrected by conventional means, including refractive correction, medication, or surgery.

Speech and language delay -
Speech delay refers to a delay in the development or use of the mechanisms that produce speech. Speech as distinct from language, refers to the actual process of making sounds, using such organs and structures as the lungs, vocal cords, mouth, tongue, teeth, etc. Language delay refers to a delay in the development or use of the knowledge of language. Since language and speech are two independent stages, they may be individually delayed. For example, a child may be delayed in speech (i.e., unable to produce intelligible speech sounds), but not delayed in language. In this case, the child would be attempting to produce an age-appropriate amount of language, but that language would be difficult or impossible to understand. Conversely, a child with a language delay typically has not yet had the opportunity to produce speech sounds, it is therefore likely to have a delay in speech as well.

Proactive measures
Parents need to understand that if the child is slow in reaching any of their developmental milestones, they need to get their act together to help and work with their child. You may visit the child specialist or the pediatrician who may recommend some specialist for you. In Kohima concerned parents can get the assistance of a special educator at the Hope centre to work with such children.  
Though people with disabilities have lots of health concerns and issues related to socializing, it is paramount to realize that early intervention in terms of special education, physiotherapy, speech and occupational therapy can train the child to be an independent person. It has been proved by neuroscientists that the best years for intervention is before 4 years during which period the child has the potential to learn 50% of what he can learn in his entire lifetime. Therefore as parents you must realize that you can do a lot for your child to ensure that he or she has a meaningful life.
Parents need not be discouraged by the situation but should rather fight for the cause of the child to bring out the best in their child. In history we also have great men who were born with special needs but achieved great heights owing to the support that they received.
Thomas Alva Edison was born on Feb 11, 1847 in a middle class family. Edison had an unusually large head and skull coupled with other developmental disabilities such as hearing loss and speech difficulties. In fact, he did not start speaking until age 4. He was even suspended from school for a poor academic performance after his teacher lost hope to train him. Edison was sent home by the teacher saying that “he was too stupid to learn”. However his mother believed in him and did not give up on him. She home schooled him and he developed a keen interest for science and literature. At the age of 15, he was offered the position of a telegraph operator that allowed him to improve his working efficiency. His greatest invention, the incandescent electric light bulb stands unparallel in the path of human civilization.
There are also many laws to protect and care for people with special needs of which we should seek to learn more so that your children receive the benefits of such laws. It is very important for parents of special children as well as persons with disability to be informed in order to fight for rights that they are entitled to. Many of these privileges are subject to misuse due to the ignorance of concerned persons and parents.
It is important that the Naga society consciously regard this issue and take up the cause of these voiceless people as they are also as much citizens as any other persons. The fact that we are Christians also calls for us to address this issue as Christ himself would surely have.
Enable
Time Life Office
Room no 17, Red Cross Building
Kohima.
Mobile: 9862587822

Enable is a group of affected parents, well wishers and educators working for people with special needs. Interested parents can contact the group at the above address or number.
Come and also participate in the “Walk for Change” from MLA Hostel junction to the Heritage, Old DC Bungalow at 8 am today which is being organized by Enable.