Category: English

A different outlook on the disabled and a ‘normal life

Take a moment to think about who you are and where you belong. Then ask yourself, “When was the last time I felt left out?”

For some people, this feeling may be more recent than you would think.

Like many ideas around the world, a person’s influences and experiences will alter their perspectives. And with the current endeavor for human acceptance on virtually all levels, the sense of what is ‘normal’ and whether a disabled person is ‘normal’ is a controversial topic that often sparks heated arguments.

But each person, whether conscious or subconscious, has a sense of what they believe is ‘normal’.

Yet this is not a bad thing, the acceptance of others and the belief of what is ‘normal’ do not have to clash. By recognizing that someone is different and may not be what you are used to is part of why accepting others is so important.

It is argued that, on a psychological level, prejudices are in fact a part of human thinking.

Caused by the situation that a person grows up in and lives in, the slightest prejudices are bound to form as a result of the norm within their social group.

However, norms within a social group are malleable. So are a person’s prejudices malleable as well? The answer depends on the person.

Christian Crandall, a psychology professor at the University of Kansas, says that “to be a good group member, one must adopt the prejudices that the group holds and abstain from those prejudices that the group frowns upon.”

So if someone were to join a new group of people, would their prejudices change? In most cases is not a question of if, but when.

Christina Lau, a paralyzed mouth and foot painter, was not born disabled. On April 2, 2005, she was spending her time in Malaysia, heavy rain on the roads caused her car to skid and lose control, resulting in an accident that paralyzed her from the waist down and damaged her fingers to the point where they are virtually useless.

Source: https://www.myactivesg.com/team-singapore/athletes/l/christina-lau-lay-lian

(“I felt like I was a burden to my family” – Christina Lau)

But before the accident, she was a prison officer, and thoroughly enjoyed playing sports and doing physical activities. The accident left her unable to do the things she loved, and she fell into deep depression.

To learn more about Christina Lau and her life she came to UWCSEA and talked about the experiences and obstacles she has faced in her life.

Throughout the session, she spoke about treating disabled people with respect and understanding that they can do things for themselves, but also giving them help when they need it and understanding when it is right or wrong to try help a disabled person.

Her story inspired the students to look at disabled people in a new light and to consider disabled people are more capable than they may seem and the same as an able person. The message she was trying to convey was just, but her delivery of it was contradictory.

Her continuous use of the word ‘normal’ when referring to non-disabled people seemed contradictory to the idea that she was trying to convey about disabled people being just as capable as a non-disabled person.

Christina Lau has been forced to make a change and join a social group of people she has not belonged to before. But being a non-disabled person before her accident has made her change her outlook on her life.

Her use of the word ‘normal’ when referring to non-disabled people might indicate her previous prejudices on disabled people. She also believed that she would be a burden to her family when she first became disabled.

But her change into a new social group has moved her to join the struggle to push for the full acceptance of disabled people as fully capable workers.

In recent years the world has seen immense progress in the acceptance of others, but we still have a long way to go.

Some countries remain firm with what they believe is ‘normal’ and in certain countries disabled people are looked down upon as workers, giving them a difficult time in their daily lives and feeling accepted in the country.

While the push for acceptance around the world is quickly gaining speed it could use all the help it can get.

Now I’m not talking about starting protests or holding enormous rallies, but if each person just took a moment to think about their own perspective and keep an open mind before meeting someone disabled it could go a long way.

If each person just took a moment to think and ask themselves, “When was the last time I felt left out?”, the acceptance of disabled people would soon be a dream turned into reality.

The story of Christina Lau’s car accident and the obstacles she has overcome and continues to endure to reach this point in her life has shown me how people can achieve great things and go great lengths as long as they persevere and remain determined. The car accident that occurred on the 2nd of April 2005 changed Christina’s life forever, being paralyzed from the waist down and losing control of her fingers has caused her to make great changes in what she considers a “normal” life. She has managed to become a certified mouth painter and regularly creates works of art by using an interesting and unconventional method. She has also recently taken up playing table tennis, as she loved sports before the accident, and she is training to compete against other disabled people to make herself known to the world. The session has helped me understand that no matter the obstacle someone may face dedication and commitment to overcoming that obstacle will always prevail, Christina Lau is living proof of this.

http://mfpa.com.sg/artists/christina-lau-lay-lian/

The session has inspired me to aim higher and try to achieve something greater. Her story has helped me understand the different attitudes and difficulties disabled people face regularly in everyday life, but as long as a person’s willpower is strong they can achieve their dreams and do something exceptional with their lives.

The session with Marc Nair helped me to understand how a poet works, where they can get their inspiration from, as well as how they can integrate other aspects of art into their poems. Learning more about Marc Nair himself and the type of work he has done over the past 10 years was very interesting, he also mentioned that he doesn’t often write about himself in his poems as he believes that there is only so much you can write about a single person. Rather he writes about things that intrigue him and that he believes will provide a reader with some interest and insight into the world. The majority of the session was dedicated to listening to some of the poems he has written, I most enjoyed seeing the similarities and differences between his work. The diversity of his work is impressive, he often includes satire in his work in the form of a poem or a song. Each of his poems has a deeper meaning that both mock and question different aspects of the world, and each of his poems challenge the reader to think about the topic at hand. The session has helped me to understand the different forms of poetry, and how a simple poem can evoke a meaningful response.

The session has inspired me to look for the subtle connections that can be made within a piece of writing or between two or more different pieces of writing. It has also helped me to understand that good writing often leaves the reader with something to think about at the end. However, I am still unsure as to how or what is the best way to leave the reader with something truly meaningful to think about so by the time they finish reading, they aren’t yet finished thinking about it.

Steve Dawson is a journalist with a sportscaster for Fox Sports Central Asia. He has had a great passion for sports since he was a child, this passion is what has driven him to become a sportscaster. Prior to becoming a sportscaster, he was an accountant, however, his university thesis on the economics of boxing gained the interest of some people working in the sports and television industry which has led him to his career in sportscasting.

The session with Steve Dawson was both engaging and educational. I did not know what to expect coming into the session with Steve Dawson which made me all the more curious. To discover that we would be learning interview techniques from someone who is highly experienced in this field was a great opportunity. He taught us about how to ask the most effective questions, as well as how to listen for the best answers. His tips on interview techniques have given me much to think about and an insight into what separates a good journalist from a great journalist. I believe that his teachings will stick with me and will be very useful in the future.

His session has helped to advance my thinking as a writer and improve my skills as a journalist. However, the session has also left me questioning whether there are alternative methods of interviewing that are just as effective or if there are other aspects of interviewing someone that will allow me to become even more effective as a journalist. I have been inspired to rethink what I know about being a writer and a journalist and explore what steps I can take to improve my knowledge and skills in these areas that I am still unsure about.