Education from and for the differently-abled

Continuing our discussion on education, we wonder whether the differently-abled members of our society are provided with adequate education based on their special needs? How are our deaf, mute, blind, other physically and mentally challenged brothers and sisters being educated in our country?

We are concerned with their education especially in the light of recent experiences that provided us with invaluable lessons about how our own differently-abled can be empowered to proceed with their lives in our own society.

The first experience happened inside a subway train, on our way to school. Our attention was called by the loud sounds coming from a small baby (about two years old) seated comfortably inside a baby carriage. His young mother held a photo album in one hand as she pointed to one of the pictures with her other hand to her baby in the carriage. The baby responded with some sounds, not clear words, as his mother responded eagerly, happily with her hands, especially when the baby seemed to have given her the right response.

It took some few minutes for me to comprehend what was happening.

Then, it dawned on me that the child was differently-abled, could not talk, and possibly could not hear as well. But the baby and his mother were actively, happily engaged in animated interaction and dialogue with the mother patiently, eagerly trying to show the child picture after picture of their family members.

When the mother showed the picture of an elder sister of the baby, the baby responded with some sounds that seemed indistinct to us but which were clearly understood by the mother who remarked excitedly and happily, “very good, yes, that was your elder sister! Let’s see if you know who this one is in the next picture?” Then the mother asked, “is this your brother?” She and the child knew which sound stood for yes and which one stood for no.

We also noticed that as the mother was showing the pictures, she was trying to use hand language that she frequently repeated for her child to gradually get used to in time.

And that intimate moment of precious dialogue and learning between the patient mother and the differently-abled child caught our serious attention. I noticed that many other co-passengers in that particular train car had smiles on their faces as they recognized the informal but empowering educational process being exchanged as well as the loving, tender moment of a mother ensuring that her child will grow up confident and able to communicate through his life.

Then, I pondered, how many of our mute and deaf and their parents and families in the Philippines are given the empowering tools of alternative communication and education so that they, especially their differently-abled member, can have the confidence to grow up and proceed with their lives, and able to communicate effectively and be understood and accepted as well by all others?

The second experience took place as I was on my way to take a train from Suidobashi to the very busy Akihabara Station in the Tokyo area. I was following a lady with a cane and immediately I knew that she was blind. What caught my attention was the confidence and speed with which she maneuvered her way through the crowd. Then I lost sight of her. As I used the escalator to the train platform upstairs that would take me to my next station, I wondered where she was headed for and what happened next to her after she disappeared from my sight. To my utter surprise, I saw the same lady, already on the platform where I was headed for, very confidently waiting for the incoming train that would take us both in the direction of Akihabara!

She knew exactly where she was, she moved quickly too. She also knew when the train arrived, how to safely enter the train and I supposed, she would have no problem as well about getting off from the train at the station where she wanted to and about proceeding to her destination for that late afternoon.

For sure, she had been prepared to move about confidently from childhood. There are also infrastructural support mechanisms for the differently-abled like her in public places, even in crowded streets and train stations, comfort rooms and so on here.

I remembered how the group of Ms. Adela Avila Kono has continued to lobby for differently-abled friendly buildings and other support mechanisms in Cebu. After seeing the blind lady proceed with quick, confident steps through the crowd, through the busy train station, and across train rides, that left me praying that our differently-abled in our country can be given the same support, the same patient and loving care and training to proceed with their lives as confidently as possible.

Then, I witnessed another lady in a wheelchair. She was almost literally in a lying position in her motor-driven wheelchair. But guess what? She was on her own, travelling from Tokyo to Tsukuba, a good 45-minute express train ride away!

We pray our own differently-abled Filipinos are just as empowered, just as confidently supported through their lives!

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