DR RADICA MAHASE
Chances are if you talk to any parents of a child on the autism spectrum or any special needs, they will proudly tell you all the things that their children are good at, their strengths, despite the challenges. Too often as a society we tend to focus on the negatives of disabilities, the things that persons with special needs and disabilities cannot do, as opposed to the things that they excel at. When they excel at something we consider is as the exception rather than the norm, and we glorify their accomplishments as if it’s something that only happens once in a while.
This is partly due to deeply ingrained misconceptions which exist in our society – misconceptions that arise because of a lack of understanding and fear of those with disabilities. The little efforts made to achieve real inclusion only make it worst. Consequently, what we find happening is the situation where the approach is to "fix" persons with disabilities, to make them appear more "normal" and to fit into a world of "normal" people instead of looking at their individual strengths and appreciating the value they bring to our society.
This attitude is most obvious in employment. Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states, “recognise the right of persons with disabilities to work, on an equal basis with others; this includes the right to the opportunity to gain a living by work freely chosen or accepted in a labour market and work environment that is open, inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities.” Despite being a signatory to this, in TT, the chances of persons with disabilities having access to employment opportunities are very low. Employers believe that persons with any kind of disabilities will not be productive in their workplaces, will be difficult to deal with or will "cause trouble’ for their businesses.
[caption id="attachment_989392" align="alignnone" width="450"] We don't focus enough on the talents and skills of persons with disabilities.Photo Courtesy - Rahul's Clubhouse -[/caption]
According to disabilities rights attorney Ted Kennedy Jr, “Persons with disabilities present business and industry with unique opportunities in labour-force diversity and corporate culture, and they’re a large consumer market eager to know which businesses authentically support their goals and dreams. Leading companies are accelerating disability inclusion as the next frontier of corporate social responsibility and mission-driven investing.”
Businesses in our country fail to realise that employing persons with disabilities can bring excellent work ethics and unique skills on a level that might not be present with neurotypical individuals. According to Elijah, who is 25 years old with a learning disability. “I have been trying to get a job for the past five years. I have my CSEC and CAPE passes as well as computer skills and I have applied to many places. I got called for a few interviews but once they learnt that I have a disability, that’s the end of all my prospects. I con
