I’ve been asked to say a few words about myself having blogged a few times. I am the mum of a disabled lad who, fed up with facing ignorance and barriers, studied for a degree in Learning Disability at Manchester University’s Department of Education Support and Inclusion. What I became aware of was the power of the social model of disability as a tool to overcome the exclusion of disabled people in society. Manchester University’s Enabling Education website is dedicated to information exchange to between countries of the North and South.
Poverty and disability are inextricably linked in a vicious circle in the countries of the south. What has become apparent as I read, is the way forward to reduced poverty and sustainable development is to empower disabled people and their families to become participating members of society by removing the environmental, financial and attitudinal barriers that they face.
You are right Maggie. My thoughts are that anything that is good practice for disabled people is really the right way forward for everyone else too. If we think about the best way to behave towards each other – do as you would be done by kind of idea – then our humanity is the foundation and that applies to all of us. It’s very simple but not easy to put into practice.
All best wishes to you
Juliet
Thanks Juliet. COINS Foundation have certainly set themselves a challenge in Zambia but a very worthwhile one, as you say the principle is easy it just needs a community of commitment both here and in Zambia to build the capacity to carry it through.
I found the following in my daily Bible reading this morning. “The rich think they know it all, but the poor can see right through them. ” It comes from the book of Proverbs (Chapter 28 verse 11 in “The Message” transalation). This was written thousands of years ago but is still just as true today. As soon as I read it I thought of the COINS Foundation and its approach of asking people what they really need.
And here’s a nice follow up Jim :}
“All science would be superfluous if the outward appearance and the essence of things directly coincided.”
A certain German “philosopher” 1894.