[Disability-vn] 3 International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Being blind in a remote village of India

[Nguyen Thi Lan Anh]

International Day of Persons with Disabilities: Being blind in a remote
village of India
 [image: Manisha Sethiya]

   - *By Manisha Sethiya<http://blogs.independent.co.uk/author/manisha-sethiya/>
   *
   - Notebook <http://blogs.independent.co.uk/category/notebook/>
   - Saturday, 1 December 2012 at 6:00 am


   -
   -

 [image: disabilities1 225x300 International Day of Persons with
Disabilities: Being blind in a remote village of
India]<http://blogs.independent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/disabilities1.jpg>Disability
probably isn’t something you think about very often. It’s something that I
think about every day. And today, the International Day of Persons with
Disabilities <http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1597> provides
a chance to reflect on how our world can become more accessible and
inclusive for disabled people. It’s a moment to think about what progress
has been made, and what still needs to change.

I’m 16 years old and I’ve been blind my whole life. There are many barriers
that I’ve already overcome, but also many that I still face as a disabled
person.

The biggest barrier for me is getting around. I live in the Barmer district
of Rajasthan in North-West India. It is very sandy here, so mobility
becomes very challenging. Only a few of the buildings in my village have
had ramps installed, and there is still a lot of work needed to ensure
roads and buildings are made accessible. For me and others with visual
impairment, it can be tough to get around and so this makes me dependent on
my parents. Through one-to-one training from a
Sightsavers’<http://www.sightsavers.org/>partner, I’ve learnt how to
use my cane to navigate, which has really
helped. But still, on rainy days it becomes very difficult. And of course
being a girl, safety is another issue. I often end up feeling isolated and
dependent on others as family members need to accompany me around.

My village is in quite a remote area, so it can also be hard to stay in
touch with the news. Many advances in technology haven’t yet reached us,
and so it can be challenging to get support and information. I rely on the
radio and a Braille newspaper to keep myself updated. But the Braille
newspaper is published on a fortnightly basis and takes seven or eight days
to reach my village. I want to have a Braille press in my district so that
we can get more frequent, in-depth materials.

[image: diabilities3 300x225 International Day of Persons with
Disabilities: Being blind in a remote village of
India]<http://blogs.independent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/diabilities3.jpg>However,
progress has been made where I live. One of the most positive changes in my
village has been in education. I know the government has a programme
called Sarve
Shiksha Abhiyan <http://www.educationforallinindia.com/> (Education for
All) and that there is a law in India called the Right to Education
Act<http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-17687204>.
So I know that education has become a right of all children, and where it
is being enforced, schools are changing their attitudes towards people with
disabilities. Many children like me are now going to school.

My school has now got a ramp and an accessible toilet, which means that I
don’t have to go home during the school day and can attend all my classes.
I’ve found that people in my village have really started to respect me, and
they’re pleased that my brother (who is also blind) and I are studying. In
fact there are two other disabled children in my village who have also
started coming to our school. Education is what can help children like me
move forward with
life<http://www.sightsavers.org/in_depth/policy/education/16079_Sightsavers%20IE%20Policy%20Paper%202011%20-%20FINAL.pdf>.
Before I went to school I was always at home and dependent on others, but
now my life is very different. I often speak out on social issues and now
help other blind children to be more independent.

More needs to change though if education is to be made fully accessible. As
my village is in a remote location, it’s a real struggle to get enough
trained teachers to stay here – they keep changing frequently. There are
still too few teachers who can support the needs of children like me and
are also willing to live in such a remote location.

My hope is that barriers like these can be reduced – or even disappear
forever. I’m excited to hear that over the coming months, world leaders
will be deciding what the main priorities should be for global poverty
reduction in the future <http://www.beyond2015.org/un-high-level-panel> –
what to focus on, and how to make it happen. As a person with a disability,
I think there should be two areas of focus; employment and gender.

[image: disabilities2 300x225 International Day of Persons with
Disabilities: Being blind in a remote village of
India]<http://blogs.independent.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/disabilities2.jpg>First,
there is a huge need for the development of skills amongst people with
disabilities, including education, training and job coaching. Employment
brings independence and much needed income. One day I would like to be the
district magistrate.

Second, special attention must be given to women with disabilities. Many
women in my area are confined to the household. They have important roles
in caring for their family and home, but they remain dependent on male
family members for financial stability. I hope that the needs of women with
disabilities will be addressed.

But perhaps the greatest barrier of all is people’s attitudes towards
people with disabilities. I’ve so often experienced prejudices that have
hindered my participation in society. If we could tackle this barrier, the
rest would come tumbling down.
http://blogs.independent.co.uk/2012/12/01/international-day-of-persons-with-disabilities-being-blind-in-a-remote-village-of-india/

Lan Anh

-- 
Director
Action to the community development center (ACDC)
11 D2-2, Ngõ 95 Chùa  Bộc, Đống  Đa, Hà Nội.
Tel: 04 3564 3053
Fax: 04 3564 3052
Email: lananh at acdc.org.vn
Web: http://acdc.org.vn

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