Dear Editor,

It is a widely held unspoken view here that when someone has a disability, notwithstanding its nature, the person is by extension a handicap – and thus should stay locked away unseen in an out-of-the-way corner.

This benighted view is evident, not only in the stares and treatment by people on the streets, but in the gross disregard of officialdom for the welfare of the disabled in every sector of the society – education, transportation, health, access to public buildings, etc. A few token gestures have been made, like providing limited parking spaces for the disabled, but even these are frequently commandeered by able-bodied people.

The working world largely considers us all as crippled, unemployable burdens, regardless of our qualifications and capabilities. When we aren’t being regarded with curiosity akin to circus puppets, scorned, or mocked, we are being patronised and forced by the demands of society to work much harder than the able-bodied – just to prove our abilities. Some people even think that we are devoid of intellect and emotions.

As we celebrate 50 years of Independence – adorning the island in black, green and gold and presenting a cavalcade of expensive events as proof of our patriotism – I cannot help but wonder what the treatment of those of us with disabilities says about our measure as a people.

We absolutely do not desire the pity or sympathy of society – just to be seen as and treated as human beings – with emotions and intellect, equally deserving of existence, belonging and living our lives, as we play our part in contributing to personal and national development like any other individual. Is that too much for us to ask or expect?

Falasha Fitz-Henley

falfitzhenley@msn.com