Disabilities and Old Age - A Humble Request - Please Vote for "New Independence New Abilities" = People with Different Abilities.  Thank you.

Disabilities is not something that all of us are born with, some yes, but not everyone.  When a regular healthy person is disabled, the person's alongwith the familiy's lives become turned upside down, and inside out. Can you imagine that after working day in and day out, being independent, sacrificing so that the children can have a better life, busy with work, with community, with family and extended family, all of a sudden, you become disabled, dependent and helpless.  Someone compared disability with a comment that well disabilities limit the disabled, and we have children who limit us.  I cannot believe that this educated person could say that.  Sure, children limit your time, but are you still not independent, able-bodied, enjoying life, working, going on vacations, outings, have the freedom to do as you like, and live your life as you wish?  On the other hand,  the disabled, cannot do any of the above. Their emotions, their feelings, their lives, their mobility, their freedom, their minds are crashed.  They cannot go on vacations, they cannot earn, some of them live below the poverty line, do not have the privelege of going out to a good dinner, or date, cannot enjoy their children and grandchildren to the extent that they would have if they were not disabled. Try walking in their shoes for a day, try to tie up your legs for instance, and stay in  your bed day in and day out, dependent on someone to take you to the bathroom, or to provide you with a glass of water.  No one wants to spend time with the disabled, not even their own family or friends, they avoid you.  The People with Disabilities become very lonely and their spirit is so very crushed by people that they encounter, whether in the government departments, or whether in any other walk of life.They seldom get encouragement, they get told that they cannot do this or that, their spirit gets crushed eventually and they give in, and they lock themselves within.  The society, due to lack of knowledge, actually push the People with Disabilities into cages. Can you, please help them get out of their cages, can't you?  Can't you promote awareness, inclusion, and can't you please treat them as Human Beings with Different Abilities?  Please listen to their appeal and Take Action Now, Can't You, Please?

 Awarness and Inclusion

We strongly encourage the Global Community to participate in promoting awareness and Inclusion of the People with Disabilities as well as the Seniors.  These Special Needs people should not be grouped and housed in a gated community.  They would like to be included with the rest of the Society. This would encourage the participation of everyone, since we all learn from each other, the younger generation as well would learn tolerance, compassion, understanding, and with this knowledge, the People with Disabilities and the Seniors will not feel like outcasts, instead will be able to impart and share wisdom and other different abilities that they have. Who would want to live in an environment of sickness like a hospital, or a Long Term Care Centre, or a Building that housed only the sick and the disabled?  Instead living in an environment of Happiness surrounded by one's own loving family, community, friends, a natural environment, will produce good health and good will. People with Disabilities do become lonesome, they do not want to be isolated in a community of everyone being disabled or seniors. So, please, discourage the Builders to build such housing that isolates and labels people. This is a form of a terrible kind of discrimination. The Corporations, Society and the Government employees should be trained to accept these People with Disabilities on an equitable basis, since, a lot of them, maybe in a wheel chair, but, their brains are not in a wheel chair.  They want to be treated as individuals, based on their unique skills, knowledge, and different kind of abilities. You will see a big change in the lives of these Special Needs People, as well a big attitudinal change in our society. In today's world, we are building communities based on whether they are a young couple, a family, 50+, seniors, retired, People with Disabilities, and the list goes on.  Why are we allowing this type/kind of seggregation?  Due to this, the tolerance level and the understanding level of each other as human beings, is going down-hill.  We should put a stop to seggregation, and welcome Inclusion in our World. 

Basic Needs:  Income, Home, Clothing, Food, Transportation, Medical Assistance; Awareness and Inclusion in Society, in Corporations and Government Departments.

  "A Policy is a temporary creed liable to be changed, but while it holds good, it has got to be pursued with apostolic zeal. By Mahatama Gandhi.

Income - without this the above are unattainable.  It is wonderful that Canada, is such a prosperous, wealthy, and a progressive Nation. It is sad to note, however, that North America even today, lags so very very behind regarding the values, issues, and respect for the People with Disabilities and the Seniors. Although there is so much surplus, and prosperity, the People with Disabilities receive a meagre amount from the government.  Although the cost of living is going up every day, there is no increase in their payments and these Special People have to live within this amount. On top of that, there are many medical equipment and medicines, orthodics etc., that are not covered in their Medical Plan.  How can, for example, a Person with Disabilities who has to eat special food, take vitamins, require orthodics, or special equipment, or special treatments that are not covered by the Medical Plan survive on that income, plus pay rent/mortgage, utilities, taxes, clothing etc.?  Please, I humbly request all of you, to take a moment and put yourself in their shoes, take a moment and think and feel, what if it was your loved one, what then?  Where would you go? What would you do? How will your cope and survive?  Disability and Poverty and Old Age Never Ever Discriminate. Disabilities Come Unannounced, Anytime to Anyone.

Home - Every human being on this planet must have shelter, a home, because without it, lives are ruined, societies become bogged, governments become laden with all sorts of issues that they must deal with. In the harsh winters months, being homeless, specially, with disabilities,dependent, can you imagine their pain and suffering? How come, we, as a human race, cannot give priorities to these issues, why do we ignore these issues?  We are supposed to be an advanced, wealthy country?  Why are we placing more and more funds in areas that can wait, since they are not life threatening, instead understand and take action on the basic needs issues, which are life threatening issues.

Clothing - Can you imagine being without clothes? Think of the many children, adults, seniors who are also disabled and dependent who can barely cover their bodies?  Why can't there be a program to provide this assistance to these people?  I realize there are agencies, such as the Salvation Army etc., who are doing a wonderful job, but what about the government, why is there no allowance given to these people for clothing? Due to the various disabilities, for example, a person may have one limb, to accomodate that, there should be special clothing provided to fit the individual person's unique disability needs.

Transportation -  People with Disabilities deserve freedom, accessibility to all areas of their lives.  Just because they are disabled, does not mean that they do not have desires or needs. Sometimes they also feel suffocated and lonely sitting day in and day out in their places, and on the days that they are able to go out, the transportation is very limited. The transportation for the Special Needs People spells freedom, recreation, as well as provides an escape from their miserable painful, disabilities.  It also allows them to go and sit in the Mall, and see the human race, or just have coffee with someone, say Hi and receive a Hello back, human interaction and some sort of companionship or human contact so to speak. Do the People with Disabilities not have any or the same rights as any other human being? Chronic pain is something no one should have to go through, but it is unfortunate that there are a lot of people who have this problem, combined with other health problems. 

Medical - Again, there are many benefits that are deprived to the Person with Disabilities, even though the doctor or the specialist authorizes the treatments, medicines, equipment etc.  An Example: Someone suffering from chronic pain,the pain is so severe that walking or standing even for a few minutes becomes so intense, that one cannot function.  So, this is a basic need.  A disabled person puts on excess weight because of their disability, the weight loss prescribed by the doctor, is denied.  Now, don't you think that prevention is better than a cure?  If the excess weight for instance is taken care of, hopefully, that will release a lot of pressure on the body, the pain will decrease, heart disease or stroke is prevented, and other related health problems are prevented. Any kind of long term illness also affects the person suffering in emotional and mental states as well to some degree or other.  It then affects the family of the disabled, which in turn brings about disharmony, burn outs, fights, financial stress, eventually, this results in abuse of one kind or another. I cannot stress enough the effects of illness on not only the person who is already ill, and is trying to cope with it, but the family and friends as well, because all of the related stresses result in the person with disabilities being left alone, feeling lonely and depressed and deprived.  As Mother Teresa said:" Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty" There are numerous technologies now available, such as the Tele-Medicine, which should be considered as well,  video-conferencing, Tele-medicine - from consultation to surgeries, as well as remote employment technologies.  These can assist the People with Disabilities, as well as the Government by cutting down on various costs, such as care-takers.

These are harsh realities, and the time has come to face them, to deal with them, and take Action.  This process will provide assistance to an individual to achieve the highest level of their independence and regain their quality of life - physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually.  Although it does not reverse the damage caused, it in fact assists the individual to restore to optimal health.  Due to the disabilities, a large number of People with Disabilities, are more than often denied education or jobs, which has a rippling effect on the family, and thus they become a drain and an added cost to the household's finances. This in turn, effects the People with Disabilities, emotionally, mentally, physically, by manifesting in decreased function, and increased poverty.  Unless, solutions and awareness are not implemented, this cycle will continue.  As you are aware, along with the population growth, there is also the growth of people with disabilities of every age, race and class; old age also produces disabilities, more than 35% had been raped, abused or assaulted, over 70% are verbally abused.  Most of them are girls and women with disabilities, who have a less than equal chance of escaping violence and have little access to services as well are multiply abused.  People with Disabilities often endure more verbal abuse than overt violence.  They have to put up with seeing hatred, pity, or also looked at as someone from the zoo. 

Global revenues are estimated to $2.8 trillion in the health industry alone, making the health industry to be the world's largest industry, unfortunately, disabilities 
and its related issues are totally unknown by the vast majority of the public as well as the Corporations and Government bodies. The People with Disabilities and the Senior Citizens, urge you to please extend your hand as a colleague, as a peer, as a Leader, instead of extending a handout of Pity. This Attitude will ultimately accomplish more for the growth, eliminate abject poverty, and provide awareness of and for the People with Disabilities, thus producing Solutions for the ultimate sustainability of every human being.

Accessibility is a celebration of diversity.  The People with Disabilities also have every right to have an accessible barrier free life in ALL aspects, including the right to the same choices as the non disabled community.  Disability is not something that one is born with necessarily, they can be acquired due to accidents, illness (physical, mental or emotional).  Accessibility plays a major role in having these people participate in the world by having access to transportation, water supply, housing, sanitation, technology, election, as well as promoting and communicating awareness and information, such that will break down all barriers which may prevent them from having equal access for them as well as the community.  In today's prosperous and progressive age, why, why is it, that People with Disabilities are totally unacknowledged as part of the Human Race? WHY? The People with Disabilities require access to all areas of their lives in order to live out their lives with Dignity and Productivity.  Let Us Join Hands and Alter The Course Of Humanity.

  "If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich, do we want to become prisoners of our own wealth living in an oasis of prosperity surrounded by deserts of misery?"  John F. Kennedy.

  •Will You Become The Remedy For The Apathy Of All Human Beings?  Will You?

I am hopeful that, all the esteemed and respectful Voters, and Judges, will be good enough to consider our concerns. I hope that you will also consider taking the input of People with Disabilities and the Seniors, before reaching to your decisions or before implementing them.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you.

In the Spirit of Humanity,

Nina

New Independence New Abilities