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FAMILY’S PERSPECTIVEON
SOCIAL INCLUSION
2nd Joint Asian Conference of International Council for Education of Visual Impairment and Deafblind International
at Ahmedabad, Gujaraton April 5-7, 2013
|Pauzagin Tonsing
Centre for Community Initiative (CCI)Churachandpur, Manipur
www.communityinitiate.org
“People said to me, ‘What sins have you
committed to be cursed with a disabled
child?’ and I stay clear of the
society to protect myself and my child.”
Born as individual but come together and form a group – family, friends, society, community, etc. Forming group means belonging, sharing,
participating, adapting, connecting, opportunities, security, etc
as we are social being
In a society where a person with disabilities is looked upon
as a retribution for past misdeeds, how would the
person and his family ever have a place in a society? How
would they fit all in in one size fits all society?
To expect the unconditional love of parents and family from a society which has not been sensitized on the issues of
disability, more often than not leads to disappointment and
frustration for the parents and family members.
It was upto the family to help create an inclusive society for
their children.
However, some parents of persons with disabilities have a
concept that they are to be pitied and need others help, in which case they usually feel “unable” and have a low sense of self-
esteem.
Yes, the experiences of living with a differently-abled individual is a
uniquely subjective one. The family’s role in creating an
inclusive society will depend on whether they view disability as
an impediment or as a variant of ‘-ability’.
With parents viewing disability as a variant of ‘-ability’, they must get the world to try feel
and try imagine as parents and family do!
Only then can many many more try to do something...
I, for one, a doting father of a boy with visual impairment of 7 years ...
for all my care and closeness know as good as nothing of what my dear son
is going through, and nothing whatsoever about what he wants out
of life! But, let me take you to the case of our struggle for including us in the
society
impediment
In 2006, we start visiting other parents of children with disabilities at their home. Then, we began an
informal group meeting, who shared and discussed the various hardships we faced in caring our
child.
The group provided the much needed moral support and
confidence where we found comfort in our common
experiences.
A campaign was begun to make parents break away from their fear of society’s scrutiny and put their
child’s needs first.Parents who look disability as an
‘impediment’ are counselled.
As there is no service or support where we can seek advice in the
District, we empower ourselves by obtaining information through
books, internet and random mails to various organisation who gave
us valuable advice.
Later, it was felt necessary to make the larger society aware of our
experiences. make people aware of the challenges that
we are facing make them empathize with our
circumstances, and not to stigmatize Make them understand disability,
So we approach CBOs through various means
Yes, they were looked upon with sympathy and kind words and words like ‘blessing in disguise’
were used to infer to them. It has impact to some extend though CBOs and civil society
has limitation.
By 2009, things became less bleak as a result of the campaigns
and people became more receptive to the idea that it is a part of their social and moral
duty to help persons with disabilities.
In 2010, one major break through was the help extended by the
church which is the single most powerful institution and most
influential in the society.
Video ClipTuailai 2010 which coincided with World Disability Day
(December 3)First time in the District, Persons with Disabilities are
given platform in such a conference
As the parents became more aware of the need of a school
where we can send our children, by the beginning of 2010, around 10 parents who were genuinely
interested in starting such a school began a campaign
The traditional perception of disability as opposed to the
scientific explanation still persisted within the community and the
campaign for starting a school was looked upon with scepticism and
ridicule.
However, with the support and constant encouragement of intellectuals with liberated thoughts and the District
Administration, a school for the ‘malsawmte’ (blessed ones), THE MALSAWM INITIATIVE
(A School for Children with Special Needs)
was started in 2011.
So, i would not be standing here had not God blessed me with Malsawm,
And i stand here because of other parents of malsawm joined hands
Due to which the society could feel their moral duty towards malsawmte
And make malsawmte as one of them.
To conclude,
People said to the mother that they would take the girl for
practising choir while she is not in the school and take her to church
on Sunday.
“People said to me, ‘What sins have you
committed to be cursed with a disabled
child?’ and I stay clear of the
society to protect myself and my child.”
THANK YOU
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