Klaus Doring

Monday, November 5, 2007

Social weaklings and handicapped people

Refusal and compassion characterize society’s attitude as regards social weaklings and handicapped people. It’s a topic which one gladly drives out, represses or tries to forget.

Even in different groups, some segments of society are distant to them. The socially discriminated and handicapped people don’t correspond to performance, work, capacity, stress and competition in our life. Options like these - well, that’s how people do it.

The anti-social slum inhabitant has not accepted his responsibility, and the anti-social confidence trickster, certainly not blind and without having difficulties in walking doesn’t believe in us. Finished.

The bobo, the alcoholic, the without means gentleman of the road - so what! Did everybody not select his own living conditions? In plain English: The ideals of success, ability, efficiency and competitiveness in our performance-oriented society describe such fringe groups as “standard violators”, flop or slacker. But remember: a tax evasion is more costly than a social welfare client.

The social weakling appears as a monotonous mass through the glasses of prejudices. But, the “typical poor man (woman)” can’t be finding as little the “typical homeless person”.

Hindrance and handicap drive many times into poverty. Prevailing opinions is that poverty is going for a fault. The affected people draw back themselves with a terrible sense of shame. I learned in Germany to communicate with handicapped people “as normal as with NORMAL people”. Every time in a mall here in Davao City when I met the same Filipino in a wheelchair, I tried to smile at him. After eight years, he smiled back and watched into my eyes.

Have you given notice already, that most handicapped people fell isolated from their surroundings, because most non-handicapped people try to overlook or fail to notice their handicapped neighbor. I am sure, it took a very long time that this wheelchair-driver tried himself to go out to this mall. Honestly, meeting a handicapped person becomes sometimes a bashful but also prejudiced situation while giving (or trying to give!) the appearance of normality. Handicapped people suffer more, because non-handicapped people try to avoid any communication, because they might say or do something wrong.

How can we take remedial action?

Let’s give “such people” autonomies and acceptance from kindergarten or pre-school already. Let’s increase more livable offers for organization of especially handicapped people’s leisure time! Guys, walked around and inspect restaurants, entertainment centers etc. and find out “if a handicapped person is really able to join”. Hinderness after hinderness for them. On the other hand, social weaklings and handicapped people don;t hinder, hamper or prevent us from living in a society with a much philanthropist face. They are human beings like you and me.

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