Approaches to working with Disabled people
Posted in Disability on January 20th, 2007 by Jorge – 1 Comment| to take advantage of Disabled people | to work for Disabled people | to work on behalf of Disabled people | to work with Disabled people | to work one step behind Disabled people | |
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| Disabled people… | are a market. | are ill. | suffer illness and/or disorders. | are oppressed. | are good people. Their bodies work differently. |
| The problem is a result of… | Disabled people not participating in the global market. | fate. | illness. | stigma, unjust social, political and economic structures that disempower people with differences. | living in a situation of difference. |
| The feeling of the helper is one of… | delight. | superiority. They are less fortunate, less capable, less intelligent. | sympathy. | solidarity. | empathy and friendship, and being in a position to learn a lot. |
| The way to give help is to… | sell products. | raise and give money. | rehabilitate and cure. | tackle the causes of stigma and injustice. | respect their way of life and to learn from them. |
| The practical action of the helper is to… | set up a local company to market products. | provide funding. To diagnose and to cure. | teach people how to prevent and treat disorders. | campaign together. To share available resources so that, together, we achieve something better. | share the available material and human resources to help them do what they want to do. |
| Helpers look at people in need from… | behind the sales desk. | above. | in front. | their side, we stand together. | a little behind them, waiting for them to take the initiative. |
| As a result of what we do, we expect… | to obtain revenues. | gratitude. | gratitude, an enthusiastic response. | to give and receive mutual support. | nothing. |
| Our relationship is… | business. | benevolent. | teacher / pupil. | partner. | friend, learner, enabler. |
| Example from the world of disability: | Companies sell overpriced rehabilitation devices and assistive technologies. They protect their interests with patents. | We provide doctors, medicines and rehabilitation hospitals. We prescribe devices. We meet their basic health needs. | We teach people how to be good therapists and caregivers. We teach them how to use their devices effectively. | Together we challenge the concept of normal, we campaign against restrictive patents on assistive devices. | We work together to learn more about contextual barriers and to develop appropriate technology. |
Adapted from Approaches to working with people in need, Anamed.
