Disability is not inability

This was another day rich with exciting and challenging experiences. I guess you might expect that if you visit a school for the blind and another for the deaf in poverty-stricken parts.

We just had a short time with some of the children in the Global Care disability centre this morning. After only a few days’ acquaintance their responses to us have changed; we have discovered some of the things they like to do and ways to challenge them, and as Barbara has written in http://darton2soroti.blogspot.com, one girl whom we hardly realised could speak managed to say “Barbara” quite clearly, others are greeting us in their own ways. We are pretty sad to think that, as they aren’t coming in tomorrow, we won’t see them again. That is, unless we find a way to return soon!

We have really enjoyed getting to know James and Hannah Harrison, the young couple volunteering here for six months. We are impressed with their willingness just to be here, but the way they are learning to be in the local community and culture and to serve to the best of their ability is a real blessing to everyone.

I met Emmanuel and Eseza at the school for the blind today. I was so pleased to be able to chat to them again and to tell them how their testimonies had been shared with others to let more people know of the plight of children with disability here. And it was moving to see and hear about the loving and empowering environment created here for children who have known such rejection and worse. The school is short of funds and resources are low so here is another area where help is needed if children with disabilities are going to get a fair chance at life.

We had a similar welcome at the school for the deaf, being taken round several classrooms to greet the children and try to chat a little. Specialist teachers are hard to recruit. Also, proper hearing testing and the provision of aids are the exception rather than the rule. If they were available, a good number of children could probably attend mainstream school and learn to speak. So it is rather heart-breaking to reflect on this. There is also a great need to teach families with young deaf children to use sign language, but again funds are not regularly available to support this work: donors tend to do it for a finite period, perhaps hoping that the Government will then live up to its responsibilities and provide comprehensive services to give deaf people equality.

We all realised how ignorant we were, as we watched how blind children learn to do Braille handwriting using a template and stylus (writing from right to left on the reverse side of the paper so when it is turned over it reads left to right) and seeing them using a Braille writer. Similarly, being taught a few words of Ugandan sign language by the deaf children was somewhat humbling. I do think more hearing people should learn to sign; I might have a go at it myself.A favourite phrase round here is "disability is not inability".

As we approach the end of our trip, and place orders with our son for our home-coming meal, fatigue mixes with our emotions and tumbling thoughts. We hope we can get our heads and hearts together and help to identify realistic priorities for action when we get back.