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.
Looking round my house, it is almost impossible to count how many individual items I have but it’s easy to find 10 items I do not need. If I asked 10 colleagues, friends and families for 10 items they do not need and sell them at a car boot sale I bet I could raise £150. Four people organising a boot sale (with items from ten of their friends) could raise £600. This is slightly more than the COINS Foundation paid this week to repair a water pump at a school in Zambia.