I Am Not Disabled, But Creatively-Abled!

A special child is someone who can also be creatively abled, but is more than their talent, needing much the same as any other child in their life.

“My capabilities are stronger than my disability.’’ — Luke Watson

Not every child is a gifted learner; some are ‘special’ learners. We have heard people saying that we should be sympathetic towards them, being helpful , not making fun of them, taking extra care of them…but do you know sometimes, if the same care and concern goes overboard, the special learners can dislike this gesture?

People, in fact have used these special kids or people as a way to earn money. I would like to share my personal experience:

In a centre for special children there was a 14 year old boy who suffered from ADHD (Attention deficit hyperactivity syndrome) and Dow Syndrome (also known as Trisomy 21). Despite this, he was an amazing dancer. He had learned to channelize his hyperactivity into dancing but he also wanted to study. But he was kept with kids of the playgroup just because he was a special child in that centre. His I.Q. was quite enough for him to be in higher grades and give exams through NIOS, but most of the time that centre would send him for dancing at charity functions to get donations, and not pay any attention to his education.

Please understand I am not saying he shouldn’t portray or showcase the talent he possesses to the world but at the same time he also needs to be educated to be independent in his life for his better future. As we know in all schools academic as well as curricular and co-curricular activities are given importance, but there should be a balance of everything. But he was deprived of it while his talent was used just for fund raising for the centre on the name of paying the fees for the children who cannot afford.

But he himself wasn’t given that liberty. His mother, who belonged from a lower economic strata was asked to pay Rs.2000 per month which was taken in the form of donation not even fees. When the mother would ask the authorities as to why her child was kept with playgroup kids, she was told “he is a special child, he can’t learn, send him to a vocational centre if you don’t want him to be with playgroup kids.”

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The mother’s heart broke – she knew her child had the potential to study but she lacked the support from her family, she lacked funds. Somehow I met her through my sister who was working as a Physiotherapist in the same centre. We went to many schools for his admission. Some schools denied admission just because he was from a lower economic strata. I am glad though, that there is one school that took him under their care and trained him not only in academics but also encouraged him to pursue his passion for dancing, and now soon he will be appearing for his 8^th standard exams through NIOS.

It is surprising to know that people have forgotten the very existence of humanity, and that a human being can go to any extent – like using special children as well for their selfish monetary advances and ignoring the future of such children. As a matter of fact the special children/people are the ones who are normal and us the so called – ‘normal and abled people’ are turning into ‘the disabled humans’ because there is far more humanity in the special people rather than us – the ‘normal’ people.

Image source: pixabay

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