Unseen Disabilities

I teach at the Open Air School in Durban. This is a very special place where children with all sorts of disabilities can be educated within (or to) their limitations. While most of the disabilities can be seen – the wheelchair, the white cane, the walker, the crutches etc. there are many disabilities that cannot be seen. These are the children who have Aspergers, diabetes or cancer to name a few.

Recently I have become reacquainted with an ex-pupil from way back. She has posted many items on Facebook where her spelling and grammar have been suspect. During one of her recent posts, she confessed to be a victim of Dyslexia – yet another unseen disability. I applaud her for her ability to look her disability in the face, publicly acknowledge it and tackle it. Immediately her lack of supposed writing skill became very unimportant and I was able to see a remarkable lady who has a keen perception of life and its vagaries.

She is appalled that people judge her and others like her because of a preconceived notion of what is acceptable in the written word. But yes we do and it is up to you, Amada, and others like you to make us understand what your condition means.

Personally, I cannot conceive what it means to have any disability. I suppose for us to understand what a person is about we would have to walk a mile in their shoes.

While I can’t conceive what it is like to live with their problem I am empathetic about it. I can empathise with them and the more I learn about their problem the greater my understanding and empathy will be. In order for this to happen, I need to have a broad mind and be ready to accept whatever knowledge I can and the person with the disability needs to do all they can to make us aware of what it is like to live with it.

Fortunately, in our age and time, there is more knowledge and there are many things that can be done for a person with a disability. Just look at what the late Stephen Hawkin achieved – things that would have been unheard of in another time.

Nowadays Dyslexics can write – there are spell and grammar checks that help them overcome this condition and free them to be as expressive as their inner being is screaming for them to be.

I salute all with disabilities – “You are a better man than I am. Gunga Din!” (Rudyard Kipling)

© Vera Alexander