Empower People with Disabilities

If life is a journey, there are millions out there who would need to finish it on a wheel chair if not literally crawling.

Life in itself is already a huge challenge. Being stricken by a crippling disease triples the agony and the sad part is, it is not your own choosing. The situation forces you to face the struggles, the twists and turns without the vital parts of the human body.

Perhaps, it is a matter of perspective. Handicap hampers your mobility and prevents you from doing many things. It is frustrating but it is a reality that people with disability need to overcome. There is always a hope. It is what you can do that matters and not what you cannot.

I-witness, in a documentary by Sandra Aguinaldo entitled “Pasan-Pasan” (carried on the back), features a story about a mother who carries Vincent, her crippled son to school- School for Crippled Children. She knows the value of education especially for her son who is suffering from disability. Vincent needs to be equipped to survive the hostile environment of life.

The documentary also features Pablito, a 17 year-old guy, who's suffering from Brittle Bone Disease. He depends on a wheel chair for mobility. His brother is taking care of his every need. His brother said, “I’m trying to teach him to be self-reliant... in taking a bath or moving around. As long as I’m alive, I’ll take care of him but what if I’m gone? We’ll never know...”

I’m thankful that there are institutions that help “People with Disabilities” (PWD) like Tahanang Walang Hagdanan that offer rehabilitation and vocational training program, job placement, mobility aid assistance, sports or recreational development and community-based rehabilitation programs.

I pray that more people would continue to help these institutions help empower people with disabilities.