There are over 6.5 million people with disabilities in Great Britain alone. A disability can be long term or short term, they can be physical or mental disabilities.
Kids in The Tribe still have to live with disabilities long after their parents are gone.
Paul was the first person in The Tribe we were to meet with a disability. He was born profoundly deaf. Being born with a disability must be quite different from having one later in life. Paul never heard a noise in his life, so he didn’t miss it.
Ram also has a disability. It happend when he was very young and it’s left him unable to walk. He has been in a wheelchair ever since.
Ram has some phobia’s which may stem from his illness. He is often paranoid and he’s a hypochondriac. He nearly always wears gloves and avoids germs at all costs. Perhaps this stems from a disease he had when he was younger.
Ram doesn’t let his condition stop him from doing anything. But because he has created a Virtual Reality world he is able to enter it and walk just like everyone else. In his world he feels invincible.
A disability can sometimes be a hindrance but often it heightens other capabilities a person has. With Ram not being able to walk and use his legs, his mind has grown and he is quick to think of everything else he is capable of doing.
With all the resources available today there are less limits for a disabled person. There are much more resources available to help people lead a normal life.
Attitude to Disabled People
There will always be people that will look and stare at someone who they see is different.
Lex being his usual nasty self used to yell and scream at Paul and would get angry at him easily. Lex had no understanding of Paul’s condition.
Some people are very understanding of other people and their conditions. People are there to lend a hand, help out and understand. Unfortunately some people pounce on the weakness of someone else to make themselves feel better. To put someone else down is only hiding your own insecurities.
What should we do?
There are always going to be people with disabilities in this world and they need to be treated the same as everyone else.
They don’t need to be discarded – they all have abilities whether they be mental or physical and can be a strength in society.
Everyone in this world is special and everyone has something to offer.