EDITORIAL
Our Olympic medallists and competitors brought credit to the Kingdom and demonstrated their able-bodied fitness in overcoming great odds to win laurels in Beijing. What a shame, then, that the victory celebrations on their return were brought to an early close and dwarfed by the bubbling cauldron of political dissent.
Fortunately, we get a second chance to honour the tenacity and willpower of our athletes today, when attention is once again focused on Beijing, this time for the 12-day Paralympic Games.
As the last of the 850 bearers carries the torch into the stadium this evening, Thailand's 40-strong team will join nearly 4,000 other disabled athletes in an inspiring display of how people successfully challenge and overcome adversity. Hopes are high for at least three gold medals, especially in the wheelchair racing and individual fencing and in tomorrow's swimming events.
At home, these disabled athletes are used to having to fend for themselves. That means coping with pot-holed pavements in such atrocious condition that even able-bodied people have difficulty navigating them, let alone someone forced to rely on a cane or wheelchair. The disabled have to contend with motorcycles straying off the road and unsecured electrical and telephone wires hanging just a few metres above their head, vending carts and other obstacles. Once off the street, the physically-impaired will encounter many simple things like toilet entrances too narrow for a wheelchair to pass through. Multi-level floors pose dangers for the blind and the elderly, and usually lack ramp access for wheelchairs. Those that exist are often far too steep for a wheelchair to roll up easily. Decorative glass, mirrors and especially poorly-marked glass doors pose serious dangers for those with impaired vision.
One of the most pressing challenges is to overcome the mindset which stereotypes and often excludes those with special needs from mainstream society. This means training people to see the individual person, not their handicap. The physically challenged want neither charity nor handouts but appropriate education, a chance for self-improvement and a place to work. Why? Because rewarding and respectable work represents the most effective means of escaping poverty and social exclusion.
For many people with disabilities, modern technology is a godsend. It means the difference between going to work and being stranded on the sidelines. The key is to match workers with the right jobs. But unemployment among the disabled is still far too high, due in part to lack of awareness among employers who are worried about the responsibility, potential sick leave and possible financial burdens. They may feel that someone with a disability cannot do the job; such an assumption very often proves false.
China has 83 million disabled people. We have about a million. Most, in either country, find it difficult to travel and hold jobs because cities have few facilities that are accessible for those using wheelchairs or crutches, or who have vision problems. But, while preparing for last month's Olympics, Beijing followed our example and made all of its subway stops accessible to wheelchairs. Where China's government has actually moved ahead of us is in requiring all new buildings to have accessible facilities, and older public buildings to be renovated to provide easy access. Now it is our turn to catch up.
The Paralympic Games in Beijing will serve as a confidence builder and should help in breaking down barriers caused by decades of ignorance and indifference. It will be a wasted opportunity if they do not.
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