Disabled with abilities: The ultimate test<\/p>\n
Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Disabled people face denial and discrimination daily from their
\nfamilies, society and even the government. They must also deal
\nwith a lack of public facilities, public services and
\nopportunities. Most people would buckle under the pressure.<\/p>\n
But for Nine Rahma, who is blind; Mita, who is deaf; and Opy
\nwho is a paraplegic -- their high spirits and bright ideas have
\nenabled them to overcome their limitations.<\/p>\n
Nine, has had blurred vision since she was born 26 years ago
\nand is currently an active campaigner for the prevention of drug
\nuse and a volunteer counselor for young people with HIV\/AIDS. She
\nhas to get in and out of buses for her work though she has
\ntrouble recognizing which bus to take.<\/p>\n
\"I often have to ask someone near me to read the bus number
\nand route as the conductor rarely shouts out the route and they
\nare never patient enough to wait for me to read it,\" she
\ngrumbled.<\/p>\n
A graduate of Jakarta Teacher's Training College (IKIP), Nine
\nis eager to offer her assistance in the rehabilitation of drugs
\nusers and to counsel HIV infected people in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"What these young people need is someone to listen to them and
\nshare their stories with. They never mock me or look down on me.
\nThey accept me the way I am,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Nine is known for her cheerful and humorous nature and she
\nprovides counseling through music. During her sessions, she asks
\ndrug users or HIV infected people to close their eyes and express
\ntheir feelings when they listen to the music.<\/p>\n
\"Sometimes they scream or cry but I encourage them to let it
\nout. It makes them more relaxed and open in sharing their
\nproblems,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Her physical condition has inspired her session participants
\nto be grateful for their physical condition and to make use of
\ntheir potential in a productive way.<\/p>\n
Nine works as a volunteer. She never expects any payment for
\nher assistance.<\/p>\n
\"I'm sure someday there will be a school or institute that
\nwill hire me due to my ability,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Nine has been turned down many times to teach at regular
\nschools as the school authorities were afraid she would not be
\nable to handle the students.<\/p>\n
She is now contemplating an offer from a noted psychologist to
\nwork as a counselor in his office.<\/p>\n
As for 31-year-old Mita, she has had no trouble getting a good
\njob and is currently a lecturer at several private universities.
\nHer hearing impairment did not impede her pursuit of a masters
\ndegree from the Bogor Institute of Agriculture.<\/p>\n
Mita is able to communicate by lip reading and her pretty face
\nbelies her disability.<\/p>\n
\"You know, I'm actually looking for a soul mate. I wish I
\ncould marry a normal, healthy man. Is it possible?,\" she said,
\nsmiling.<\/p>\n
Things are rather different for 26-year-old Opy. She has just
\nbroken up with her boyfriend as his family could not accept her
\nlimitations.<\/p>\n
\"His parents and siblings were shocked seeing me in a
\nwheelchair. They told him to stay away from me as he would be
\nburdened by me for the rest of his life,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Opy, however, can deal with the situation; she is used to
\npeople feeling sorry for her. Opy was paralyzed from the waist
\ndown following a car accident six years ago.<\/p>\n
\"Actually, it wasn't the accident that caused the paralysis. I
\ncould have saved them if I had trusted the doctors. Instead, I
\nwent to a traditional healer who kicked my lower back to
\nstraighten the nerves in my leg. All the nerves in my legs were
\ndamaged,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Opy has spent most of her time since then in a shelter for
\nparaplegics in East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Her small house is located in an alley where the pavement is
\nbumpy. Inside her house, she has to ask someone to hold her if
\nshe wants to use the bathroom. She has no access to any public
\ntransportation from her house.<\/p>\n
\"I can't stand being looked upon with pity. I decided to stay
\nhere (in the shelter) until I get a good job,\" Opy said.<\/p>\n
The shelter enables paraplegics to be independent. Every room
\nand bathroom is designed for wheelchair access. The shelter also
\nprovides occupational therapy and trains paraplegics to make
\ngreeting cards and to knit, among other things.<\/p>\n
Opy used to work at Gambir train station in Central Jakarta.
\nBut her Rp 300,000 salary was not enough for transportation --
\nshe had to go by taxi -- and diapers, which cost her Rp 5,000
\neach.<\/p>\n
\"I had to wear diapers because no one would help me go to the
\nbathroom. I couldn't enter the bathroom alone because it's too
\nnarrow for my wheelchair,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Nine, Mita and Opy are just a few of the disabled who have
\nmanaged to develop their skills despite their limitations. In
\nIndonesia, there are still millions of willing, capable disabled
\npeople who are waiting for the chance to contribute to society.<\/p>\n
Perhaps someday, they will get that chance.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/disabled-with-abilities-the-ultimate-test-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }