There are a lot of ‘invisible’ people in our society – people who, for one reason or another, don’t get the same level of attention as others. These people still live, love, and exist like other Guyanese; they just do so on the edges, sidelines, and cracks of ‘formal’ society. People with disabilities are one such ‘invisible’ group in Guyana. Disabilities include both physical and mental deficits, some of which may be more obvious than others. Some people are born with a disability while others develop/occur later in life due to illness, injury, accident, or the aging process. The fact is that disability is part and parcel of our existence – a condition that, in the blink of any eye, could afflict any one of us who might currently not be experiencing any disability.
People with disabilities in Guyana still face a great deal of challenges on a daily basis, more so than other Guyanese. Yes, there is a National Commission on Disability. Yes, there are schools for children with special needs. Yes, Guyana has signed numerous international treaties regarding the rights of disabled people. Yes, some progress has been made over the years; one positive change has been a shift to a rights-based approach instead of the limited medical model that had prevailed previously. However, a great deal of work still needs to be done to provide Guyanese with disabilities with the best quality of life possible.
Part of the problem lies in how people with disabilities are viewed by others. Some scorn or avoid them, unable or unwilling to acknowledge them as full-fledged members of society still. Some are uncomfortable around others with disabilities, unsure of how to act or treat them. Some are caring and empathetic, but often that’s not enough. Too many Guyanese with disabilities continue to suffer disproportionately, unable to access education, healthcare, employment, and other social goods.
Children with physical disabilities – such as blindness, deafness, musculoskeletal disorders etc- usually have no mental disability and can perform just as well or better than their peers academically. This should be obvious and not need stating, but unfortunately some people still hold the uninformed belief that a disability in one area means that disabilities exist in other spheres as well. Training of teachers on how to successfully handle students with physical disabilities, and how to integrate them into mainstream classrooms is woefully lacking. A national study on