|  From
time to time a person springs into my life that makes me think.
Doug Hay is such a person. Doug proudly states he was born
in 1958, in The Year of the Dog, according to the Chinese
calendar, to Scottish parents of the "Orange" persuasion
(Capitalist / Protestant, and of farming stock). Doug's disability
is not Cerebral Palsy, he's of Arthrogryposis ("It's
a joint thing" he once told Nandor Tandoz of The Green
Party), but he has associated with Cerebral Palsy people all
his life.
At birth he was left to die in an oxygen tent and when he
stubbornly refused to oblige, the experts of the day had to
quickly formulate a plan B.
Part of that plan was to send him to institutions like the
Cerebral Palsy unit at Rotorua's Queen Elizabeth's hospital
and Pukeroa a southern Hawkes Bay home for the disabled.
These were the days when surgery ruled supreme, where wayward
limbs were corrected so that the disabled would fit into society,
as best they could.
As an adult, Doug has spent many an hour reflecting on the
good, the bad and the ugly experiences of his childhood and
adolescence. In his youth the medical model predominated where
a cure, or at the very least control over your disability
was top priority thus allowing disabled persons a more "normal"
life. Doug firmly believes that the social model of disability
is the way to go. This model proposes that systemic barriers,
negative attitudes and exclusion by society (purposely or
inadvertently) are the ultimate factors defining who is disabled
and who is not in a particular society. It recognizes that
while some people have physical, sensory, intellectual, or
psychological variations, which may sometimes cause individual
functional limitation or impairments, these do not have to
lead to disability, unless society fails to take account of
and include people regardless of their individual differences.
"Disabled people must take charge of their own resources
because they are living with their impairment and therefore
process the knowledge on the best way to break down the barriers
and negative attitudes" said Doug.
"I formed the Disabled Liberation -Aotearoa to push the
boundaries, to make people sit up and take notice, especially
the professionals, - both within the Disability Sector and
at the highest level,” he said.
For more information about Disabled Liberation –Aotearoa
email Doug Hay doug_ug@hotmail.com
or Bruce Hubbard sociology@ihug.co.nz
Ross Flood
Editor
rflood@cpsociety.org.nz |
|
I have seen a lot of positive attitudinal changes in my
life time but as we all know there are still certain sections
of society who pay lip service to the needs of the disabled.
To brighten up your day, follow the link below which leads
to an award winning YouTube video, that portrays a world
where the non disabled are the pitied minority.
In the opening scene a typical office meeting in Britain
discusses how to enforce an Act of Parliament that outlaws
disability discrimination in the workplace.
We do whatever the law requires us to do,” said the
young executive. “Hearing aids, ramps. Whatever we
do we just need to keep the costs down,” he added.
The young executive is appointed to look into the matter,
on the basis that he has a disabled cousin. However his
superficial preconceptions of disabilities are dramatically
challenged, when he is magically zapped into a world, where
everything is geared towards the disabled.
Whether you are disabled yourself or from a family associated
with a disability you are bound to see scenes resembling
you life experiences.
Good for a laugh; excellent to know that these experiences
happen to other people as well.
Please note that the video is in two parts. The second installment
is also highly recommended.
Click link below to go to video (broadband recommended
:) )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
FZfOVNwjFU0&feature=related
Ross Flood
Editor
rflood@cpsociety.org.nz
|