An unexpected bouquet

An unexpected bouquet
Tuesday November 18, 2008

Truly an eye-opening read

I WISH to thank The Star for giving the opportunity to columnist Anthony Thanasayan who writes the Wheel Power column.

I have no idea when Anthony first started writing. I must have been too busy with my career and everything around me because I was an able-bodied person who could go anywhere at any time.

Then suddenly my lifestyle changed. Due to disease, disability slowly crept in since 2001. I don’t remember when I started reading Anthony’s articles but I know that it was definitely after 2002 when I started using his articles to teach my students.

Anthony being disabled, writes about the disabled and describes everything so vividly about the life of the disabled, the challenges they go through and the insensitivities they put up with, so much so, I feel he is talking about me. But then again, I know that many other disabled people feel that Anthony is talking about them, too.

If The Star has not given such an opportunity to a disabled columnist, many people like me would be voiceless. That is the power of the pen.

So, thank you for making the disabled community come to light instead of being shunned like lepers. I am sure The Star has contributed in the making of a MBPJ councillor.

I hope more disabled people will start living their life with whatever disability they have. I have been going through a lot of frustrations especially caused by able-bodied people who just don’t seem to care or understand what I am going through.

Many times, I just gave up. I felt unwanted, useless, and have no purpose in living. But Anthony’s articles are an eye-opener. They make me realise that the disabled have a right to learn, to work and to be independent.

I reckon that, all of us, the disabled, do not want sympathy or donations. What we want is the right to live among the able-bodied people.

I hope educators, employers, colleagues, family members, relatives and friends will always pave the way for the disabled to live independently. I know many able-bodied people read Anthony’s articles and some of them even use the articles when teaching.

Such people, unlike me, need not wait to be disabled in order to discover about the disabled world. They discovered Anthony instead.

JANET KOCHAPPAN,
Seri Kembangan, Selangor.