My POV (The good, bad and ugly) of the Disabled 'Community' in Malaysia

The past 4 years plus (come September 07, will be my 5th year in this industry. WoW!) working at The Academy@ The Actors Studio then later at The Academy @ KLPac; thanks to Dato' Faridah, I've had the opportunity to work with the disabled, children with Down Syndrome, the deaf.

It has been an incredible experience and it is great to meet the disabled (see so many people involved in helping, supporting these groups.

(Note: Please note that for the purpose of writing - I am generalising all categories as 'disabled' person/people. If I'm talking about a particular person with a certain 'disability' it will be mentioned.

Community - meaning the disabled and also the people within their community.)

THE GOOD:

• People who dedicate their lives in working with disabled children/people or those with special needs. I know of a person who had applied for a job at Spastic Centre at age 19, she got the job and she is still there (must be in her 40-ties.) She didn't realise what she was getting into till she started work but decided to stay on all these years. There is another person who has been her whole life working with the deaf at PMY (Pusat Majudiri at YMCA).
• People whose children are disabled or need special care. It is incredible to see the parents learn how to accept the child, recognise the help that the child needs to live a more fullfiling life.
• People who volunteer their services - it is great to see a whole bunch of ladies, sit and (do a bit of gossiping) while doing some craft work that will be sold to generate income for the centers. A great stress release.
• People who volunteer but their work is involved directly with the children/people. Just like what the Taihen volunteer 'kurokos' did. It was also interesting to find a number of young girls from overseas who had come to the centre to do some volunteer work. There was one who was almost signed-up as Taihen kuroko but decided that she is more comfortable helping the Orang Asli learn English.
• The disabled people themselves, who understand their disability and recognise their disability and seek to find ways to better their lifestyle.
• The People behind the institutions i.e. the government (to the extent that they have appointed an expert from Japan to help look in developing the disabled community), people who help set-up and run centers, or help form support groups (which is still not strong enough in Malaysia), whose tireless efforts has helped to develop the disabled and their lives. I admire a friend's mom who had helped set-up Mobiliti (which provides transport service for the disabled/old at a nominal rate.)
• A special mention to the Japanese Kurokos: It was important that a kuroko knows the needs of a physically disabled performer. A questionaire was made up and each and everyone of the performers were interviewed. (Yes, they actually sat there asking if one of the performer needed any special spoon to help her eat, and they were trying to figure out the reply was - although they could have simply observed this. )

THE BAD

• People working with the disabled are sometimes not open to new ideas and concepts. They do not seem to realise that the needs of the disabled are changing and one needs to learn how to change ones mind set so they can help the development of a disabled person.
• Sadly the above sometimes applies to parents as well. One of the major problem is that they refuse to believe that their child is disabled. Two ways of approaching this is either - send them off to an institution or just keep them in the house. Both ways the child loses out for the initial care given by the parents helps the early development of the child and the care/rehabilitation/learning obtained from a centre/school will further develop a child.
• The government with its good intention has set-up a great place in Bangi - unfortunately the administration of the place is questionable as the centre Director changes practically every 6 months or so. There seems to be no continuity toward the progress or of the potential of the people learning there.
• My Favourite Project! When administration due to presure from either management or council, adopts a particular project it seems that nothing else is important. It also becomes the usual rat race of everyone wanting to be seen as working on that favourite project to win favours.

THE UGLY - The mentality of the disabled themselves. Yes this is what I perceive as the ugliest part of it all. No doubt we are all human but I feel that when there are not much opportunity the unity of the group is important. Of course when addressing the needs of different groups i.e. the needs of the blind is certainly different from a physically disabled person but there should be one voice.

• One Voice - The gift of the gab. It was very interesting to note while working with the physically disabled some people with little disablity and with the gift of the gab tended to feel much superior than others. They felt that they represent all disabled people, they fail to see that there are different degrees of disablity. With this the Taihen group, the severly disabled seemed to be very intelligent, focused and down to earth.
• 'I'm not disabled'. When we first started the Taihen project and we asked the participants to move - they instinct was to move like a non-disabled person. They felt that that is the correct way to move. It was more difficult for those who were not born disabled. When one accepts/finds oneself - their development is better and faster.