January 15th, 2015 by Rachel | Tags: Disability, Peace Corps | No Comments »
A group of people with disability met on a Sunday afternoon to discuss current disability issues.
I have so far interviewed over 70 persons with disability for my Community Needs Assessment throughout the Mezam division which basically means Bamenda and villages surrounding Bamenda. I have not only met with people with disability in their homes and workplaces around the town, but also I have met people with disability at a rehabilitation center, school for the blind, club meetings, and a school for people with special needs. While I continue to hear about many disabilities being caused by accidents and quinniamax injection, many being unable to get water and shop for food due to disability, and many not finishing school, I have noticed another pressing issue. Yesterday, I visited a school for people with special needs where I met a number of people of variety ages who are mentally challenged. When I asked the staff members what was the cause of their disability for each person, and for most persons with disability, they responded that the “child was born that way,” I asked them if any of them had a specific name for their condition such autism. They said “No.” I asked them if they have heard of autism, and they looked confused, and said, “No.” I asked my work supervisor, Samuel, who was there with me if he has heard the term, “autism” and not only did he say yes, but also explained almost correctly what it was.
From my interviews so far, for most people with disability who acquired the condition from birth or not related to accident or injury, they do not know the exact name of their condition. In the United States, for most people, when we are diagnosed with a medical condition, we hear a fancy name for our condition such as macular degeneration, muscular dystrophy, arthritis, or Usher Syndrome, which is what I have. Some including myself even know the exact genetic mutation that caused their medical condition as genetic testing is available in the United States and is covered by a number of medical insurance companies. My work supervisor commented to me after I asked him about the knowledge of autism in Cameroon, “Many do not know the name of the cause of their disability.” I then asked my work supervisor if he knew the exact cause of his blindness, and he did. To be honest, I don’t remember the name because the word was so fancy. However, for most blind people whom I’ve met, they do not know the cause. As I mentioned in a previous post, one said that he believed that his blindness was caused by “spirituality.”
Knowing the exact name and cause of disability is incredibly important as it helps ensure that they receive the most appropriate course of treatments or rehabilitation.
While speaking on the topic of power of knowledge in disability, I met a father of a three year old girl who was born with club feet but is now cured at a rehabilitation center called St. Josephs Children and Adult Home last week. I asked him how he knew that there was a treatment available for his daughter’s medical condition because I have unfortunately met more people with club feet who have never been treated. He told me that a sister (nun) at a church told him about the treatment. He said that if she had not told him about the treatment, his daughter would not have been treated. He never knew that it was possible.
Then I met 28 year old gentleman at a school for the blind that is also located at St. Josephs Children and Adult Home who became blind two years ago from glaucoma and was learning braille at the school. He already has a Bachelor’s degree in microbiology and is hoping to find a job that can accommodate his newly diagnosed medical condition. Because so many have never heard of medical rehabilitation according to my survey results so far, I asked him how he learned about the school for the blind and the services that they could offer to him which included learning how to read braille and using the white cane, he told me that heard an advertisement on the radio for the school.
Today, a met a mother of a three old son with Down Syndrome. She shared with me about how she didn’t accept her son at first, but after going on the internet and meeting other parents of children with Down Syndrome and autism through Facebook groups, she now fully embraces her son. She told me that the internet has made all the difference in helping her realize that her son can still lead a fulfilling life and providing her information on what she can do to ensure that her son can reach his fullest potential. She also added that she has subscribed to newsletters from Down Syndrome-related organizations so that she could learn as much as she could about what she can do for her son. She told me that she is going to have her son attend a mainstream school starting this September because she believes that he should still have the right to access education. She said that when the time comes when school is not working out for him, she will figure out how to ensure that he can still get education. When I told the mother about how I was surprised that staff members at a school for children with special needs are not familiar with the term “autism,” she told me that is unfortunately a normal encounter in Cameroon, and this is why internet has been so important to her. It’s important to note that I asked the mother what is her education background. She not only finished high school but also has a college diploma.
These stories further confirm the power of education and awareness that can change people’s lives. This means that I should look into how my work partners and I can help improve in spreading the knowledge of disability and its services in Cameroon. To be fair, the United States still has room for improvement too. For example, only five percent of all people who are qualified for cochlear implants, the technology I use to hear, are using the technology today in the United States. The number one reason for the low percentage is lack of awareness.
