Feedback

This page contains feedback received in respect of the article A Bahá'í's View of Disability and is printed here with permission. I have arbitrarily listed them under the following headings:-

• Special Children
• A View from Bangkok
• Disabled Artists - Mixed Feelings

Special Children

From Jean Huffman

Hi Paul

I linked to your page from The healing through unity newsletter. After reading your article A Bahá'í perspective of disability, I thought you might be able to use this poem on you site somewhere. It was given to me many years ago shortly after my youngest son was diagnosed with multiple severe learning disabilities and developmental delay. I refer to it often to keep a perspective on the blessings I have received as a result of loving and raising him. I don't know who the author is I can only hope that he/she would want it to be shared with all who need it. in addition, speaking as a mother of a disabled child, the caring for and raising up is a true labour of love and I have never personally viewed it as a burden, only a wonderful learning opportunity. According to the labels of society, he is "mentally disabled". Labelled by a society too "spiritually disabled" in my opinion to see that he is clearly miles closer to God than they are, in his wonderful inherent honesty and compassion, he is unable to grasp the concepts of lying or hatred or prejudice. How foolish are they who look at him with pity. He is a shining example of these perfections! He will give freely any thing he has to any one in need with no thought of himself, sometimes to the degree that I sometimes have to stop him.

A meeting was held quite far from earth. "It's time again for another birth." Said the angels to the Lord above, "This special child will need much love. His progress may seem very slow, Accomplishments he may not show And he'll require special care From the folks he meets way down there. He may not learn or laugh or play; His thoughts may seem quite far away. In many ways he won't adapt, and he'll be known as handicapped. So let's be careful where he's sent, We want his life to be content. Please, Lord, find parents who Will do this special job for you. They will not realize right away The leading role they're asked to play. But with this child sent from above Comes stronger faith and richer love. And soon they'll know the privilege given In caring for this gift from heaven. This special charge so meek and mild Is Heaven's very special child 

A View from Bangkok

From Sara Drydan in Thailand

Dear Paul,

I hope that you don't mind me writing to you. I have just read part of your website which I came upon as a result of receiving some mail on the Bahai mailing list and I felt that I just had to talk to you.

First let me tell you about myself. My name is Sara, I am English but live with my husband and children in Bangkok. I have lived in Thailand for 9 years now and spent much of my time teaching pre-school here. I love kids and so in my spare time have been volunteering at a home for mentally and physically handicapped children. Now you will understand where this is all leading to!

I was greatly inspired by your website - you are a good writer and I think an inspiration to anyone who reads your writings. It was so nice to see so many Bahai quotations relating to the subject of disabilities.

It was so uncanny because the day I read your website, I had just returned from the FESPIC Games - the Far East and South Pacific Games for the Disabled. I had taken two of the children from the home I visit as I hoped the visit might inspire them to try and get the best out of their lives.

Well the day was fantastic. Firstly the University where the event took place was completely wheelchair friendly - there were ramps everywhere and bathrooms and telephones adapted for disabled people. There was also a wheelchair bus which transported the athletes to different locations within the campus. It was my dream of how society should be for disabled people. I should add that in Thailand to suffer from a disability of any kind is a social stigma. It is a sign that you have not been a good person in your previous life and so are now paying for it. Consequently the disabled are shunned by society and kept out of sight for the most part. There are many Government homes which receive only meagre funding

for disabled people and the homes can only provide very basic care. I guess they are on a par with life in Victorian England although with any outside funding that we can help them acquire, life is improving each year that I live here.

Now you can see why I was so thrilled that these games were taking place in Thailand. It gave the disabled people of Thailand a chance to come out and show their fellow Thais just how much they could do. In actual fact Thailand did very well in the games and had it not been for the presence of China, would have picked up the most medals. But as I said, I think they achieved a lot more than that - they made their fellow countrymen aware of their existence and hopefully will be more fully integrated into their society in future. At least this is what I and no doubt many disabled people are hoping right now.

During the day I spent at the games, I met many wonderful people. I might add I have never seen so many disabled people gathered together in one place before. The atmosphere was wonderful and it was great to see the enthusiasm and competitive spirit between the athletes. I am going to try and send you some pictures of some of the events which I cut out from the newspaper. I thought you might be interested to hear about this.

I too have a website - I'm afraid it is very "amateurish" but will at least show you a little about the kids I visit and myself and my family. My homepage can be found at: https://www.members.tripod.com/~saras_home/

Another thing I can identify with you is on your mother's illness. My father-in-law suffered the same illness and died in his mid 60's. I sometimes think it is the cruellest way for someone to die as it is so hard on those left behind. But you are right - we knew that although his body was suffering, his soul was still strong and on a very few rare and precious occasions, we caught a glimpse of the man he used to be. It is on moments like this that you wish you could freeze time and make it last for ever. Still we know he is better off now as you do with your mother. I guess it must have been really hard for you at that time though.

Well I hope that you will find time to write back to me and tell me more about your life. I don't make a habit of writing to people I don't know but like I say, your page inspired me to write and tell you about life in Thailand and how they view disabled people.

With best wishes

Sara Dryden

Disabled Artists - Mixed Feelings

From Jan Jasion in Poland (includes my reply)

Dear Paul,

How are you doing. Long time no hear. LOved your article. This is s a quick note. Don't like taking time out at work for private stuff. Recently I was at an exhibition at the National Museum of paintings by artists who painted by their mouth and/or feet. Many of the paintings were good and absorbing. But I have mixed feelings about the artists using their disabilities to promote their paintings. Should be this be extended to pianists singers and maybe accountants. Let me know what you think/feel.

Dear Jan

Tricky one. I have a good friend (from school days - 1 arm, no legs) who has raised three children on an income earned through busking in London. This is frowned upon by some folk who see it as exploiting his disability. BUT:-

1. He is good at what he does
2. If people give more because he is disabled (possibly), does he ask them to? No. Is the "problem" then his, or theirs?
3. If physically able people can earn their living in this way, should my friend be barred from so doing just because he is disabled? Disabled people are already "barred" from doing so many things others take for granted just by virtue of their disability, let alone the prejudice of others.
4. Would his critics rather he and his family just lived on state handouts hidden away out of sight somewhere?

I have seen some very good paintings by disabled artists - certainly comparable to that achieved by able bodied and a lot better than sheep in formaldehyde or a pile of bricks that the daft ****** of the art establishment chose to recognise as art. If you ever want to see a living example of "The Kings New Clothes" syndrome you need look no further than the pretentious twits who run such exhibitions.

If, having lost abilities others take for granted a person, through dint of hard work and practice, manages to develop a skill sufficient to produce work of at least passing beauty, I have no problem with their earning a living in perhaps the only way open to them. My one caveat would be that it IS of reasonable quality. If it is less than that then it becomes closer to begging, which for reasons you will understand, I could not endorse.

This then begs the question: If the art is good, do they need to "advertise" it as having been done by a disabled person - should it not stand in it's own right? This is where it gets a bit of a grey area. I would offer the following arguments as to why, on balance, I think it IS acceptable.

1. If a child had produced something worthy, one would not think twice of mentioning that it was by, say, Josephine Morley aged 10 (child prodigy). You would do so:-
2. 1. because you would tacitly be saying: "Look isn't this good for someone of that age."
   2. you "could" be ensuring that the audience made allowances for the fact. i.e. this wasn't done by an adult who had been to art college, earned her degree and had honed her skills over many years.
3. Just as it is acceptable to have an exhibition of a certain school of painting, is it not equally acceptable to have an exhibition of art by people who have overcome physical limitations? (There are any number of exhibitions by people with mental/spiritual limitations!!)
4. Beethoven's music is beautiful, wonderful to the nth degree and stands in its own right as a work of genius (to the nth degree) but isn't it good to know that this was achieved by someone who was deaf?! Does it not increase one's wonderment and appreciation of such an achievement?

Similarly I think it does "add value" to a painting or to the music of say Evylyn Glennie to know that it is achieved in spite of and possibly *because of* physical impairment.

If, as I say, they give value for money then more power to their elbow, foot, mouth or whatever, says I.