Learn from the disabled

Last Saturday, valentine’s day (although I’ve never celebrated valentine and have no reason to start now ;p), we conducted a movie screening and discussion. It was our routine activity, actually. But this time, it’s special. Special because I initiated the topic, and because I have ‘conflict of interest’ in the topic and because it ‘moved’ me in a peculiar way.

So the movie was about a visually impaired teacher Ann Sullivan and a deft-blind student Hellen Keller. The movie leads to a discussion about special needs student and their right to education. We invited Mimi Lusli (trainer in Hellen Keller International) and Parto (headmaster special school “Ar Rahman) as resource persons. It was a fruitful discussion.

I’ve been working with Mimi for 3 months now, but I’ve never listened to her story. I didn't know that she became totally blind when she was 17. Imagine that? I would be devastated if were her. I even cried on my sweet seventeen birthday because I was having chicken pox. I looked so horrible I though it was the end of the world! I thought no boy would be interested in me, or wanted to date me or went to a party with me. You know, girls’ stuff! I was ashamed and felt sorry for myself.
Looking back now, my misery was nothing compared to her. Well, my scar diminished over time. But her sight… is gone forever.

During her school time, she had to study three times harder than us. She must have her material read out for her, and then she answered the problems with braille, and then she must convert it again to latin script (so the teacher could understand her work). It strucked me how she tried not to force or blame the situation. Instead, she tries to adjust her condition with the given situation. She didn’t demand facilities to support her, she created ways to survive.
While me.. my complains to the situation and constraints are countless.
Sometimes I just gave in and found no reason to fight. I ‘demand’ the situation to change to my favor.

I, once again, feel ashamed of myself.

foto caption:Yansen (rawinala student)