January 12, 1999
WE CARE: Ready, willing and able The sportsmen and women competing in the Fespic Games highlight the fighting spirit of the disabled. We Care this week honours their courage by featuring a story on the dedication of one wheelchair-bound man in Nakhon Prathom who has set out to encourage others to live life to the full Nilubol Pornpitagpan Pictures by Pongpet Mekloy What do most Thais do when they have a handicapped member of their family? They tend to keep them at home, depriving them of social contact and letting their other abilities wither. That unfortunate state of affairs is what Teerawat Sripathomsawad discovered when he started a project to trace handicapped persons in his home province of Nakhon Pathom three years ago. "The physical disability itself makes travelling difficult for them and their families," explains Mr Teerawat, president of Nakhon Prathom Disabled Club which aims to encourage disabled people to live a full and dignified life. "Going out requires a lot of support from their family. Often, their relatives don't want to to take them out because it's too troublesome. "Also, the handicapped themselves do not want to add to their families' burdens. They end up isolated, accepting their fate and letting their abilities wither away," says Mr Teerawat, who gets around in a wheelchair. Due to the difficulties of transportation, the disabled are often cut off from a normal social life, rehabilitation programmes and educational opportunities, he adds. The problem is particularly severe in rural areas where the disabled generally do not know of their right to receive welfare services from the government. The education of many children is also cut short because most schools still shun disabled pupils due to prejudice, he says. Mr Teerawat's mission is to encourage them to try to lead a normal life, to learn about their rights and to explore career options. These are the same lessons he learned himself during the three years it took him to adjust to life in a wheelchair. A healthy and athletic third-year student in the Physical Education Faculty of Chulalongkorn University, Mr Teerawat's dream of being a varsity sportsman was shattered by a tackle in a rugby game in 1980. He could not get himself out from under the scrum of players pressing down on him and he passed out. When he regained consciousness, he found himself in a hospital bed, paralysed from the neck down. With the support and encouragement of his family, he found the strength to face life in a wheelchair and to fight for the dignity of handicapped people. "It wasn't easy the first year. I had to hide my tears," recalls Mr Teerawat, who now runs a small shop selling gifts and comics in Sam Phran district. It took six months for him to learn how to sit up, and after one year, his neck was still not strong enough to support his head. He tried to go back to his studies, but with scant support from teachers and no facilities for disabled access at the university, he found it too difficult and quit. "I lived in darkness. I didn't know how to live my life in a wheelchair," he says. Talking to a wheelchair-bound friend, who is an accountant, inspired Mr Teerawat to adjust himself to a new way of life. Although his legs, hands, arms and body refuse to move, his mind is fine, and he tried to enrol to Sukhothaithammathiraj Open University. He was rejected for being unable to sign his name on the application form. But he did not give up easily. After three years of determined effort, he was accepted in 1984. He completed a law degree in 1988. During his first three years of living as a disabled person, Mr Teerawat learned how helpless a person can be in that situation. "It's torture," he says. So he decided to find a way to support other handicapped people who were less fortunate than himself and who did not have their family's support. First, he tracked down disabled people living in his province to find out how they lived and what support they needed. He started the survey by himself, but his weak physical condition limited his field work. He then courted cooperation from various government offices such as the Department of Public Welfare and the Public Health Ministry via its hospitals. "These agencies also wanted a record of disabled persons. They have some records from those who contacted them. But they don't have enough staff to go to villages to make a complete list," says Mr Teerawat. As travelling to the city was inconvenient and costly for many disabled people, mobile units were set up where they could register closer to home. Official registration entitled them to free medical check-ups as well as wheelchairs and crutches. After a three-year campaign, some 2,700 disable people registered in Nakhon Prathom, but it is estimated that there are as many as 5,000 living in the province. Then Mr Teerawat persuaded the Non-Formal Education Offices to provide mobile units with volunteer teachers to give weekly classes for the disabled in various areas. "Now there are 481 disabled students studying under the programme. The success of Nakhon Prathom Non-Formal Education Office has inspired offices in other provinces to follow suit," he says. As more disabled people learned of his work, Mr Teerawat gained allies. Together they established the Nakhon Prathom Disabled Club in June 1996 to organise regular activities promoting the rights of the disabled as well as education and career opportunities. The most difficult part of their work, they say, is to change the attitudes of the families of disabled people. "Some are overprotective and won't allow the disabled to come out and have a normal life," says Mr Teerawat. "They have no idea how a better education and skills-training can change the life of their disabled loved one." A case in point is 14-year-old Kanittee Meeklongbaeng. After the Mathayom-1 student lost the use of her legs in an accident 11 years ago, her parents who are manual labourers took her out of school and kept her at home for seven years. Only after much persuasion did Ms Kanittee's parents eventually soften their resistance and let their daughter continue her education. In 1997, she undertook computer training at the Sirindhorn Centre and now, at 25, works as an operator in a company in Nakhon Pathom. She enjoys going to the office and meeting new friends, and is also studying for her high school diploma with the Non-Formal Education Office. "I'm so happy to be back in society," says Ms Kanittee, who hopes to continue her studies in computers, "Pi Teerawat encouraged me to come out and get to know the outside world. I know that disabled people like us can live normal lives if society gives us the opportunity." There are many other success stories. Somkid Nitsomboon was crippled from polio when he was a baby. For 30 years, he stayed home, but meeting the members of the club gave him new inspiration. After spotting a tricycle designed for physically-handicapped people, he ordered one for himself. Mr Somkid now enjoys going out with friends and has formed a work group to produce frames photographs for sale. Charan Chaisaeng, 22, insists on completing her basic education through the non-formal programme. Even though she gets around on crutches, she's determined that it's better late than never to complete her schooling. Chantima Tosakorn, 20, also contracted polio as a child and didn't attend school. But for years after she learned to walk again, she still stayed at home in Sam Phran district to help her parents on their fruit farm. Through the club, Chantima tried her hand at archery and soon found she was good at it. She is currently competing for Thailand at the Fespic Games and also completing her high school diploma with the Non-Formal Education Office. The change in attitude among many disabled people and their families makes all the hard work done by Mr Teerawat and the club committee worthwhile. "I'm happy to see our effort can make a change to our disabled friends. We don't want to be a burden to our families and society," says Mr Teerawat. The Nakhon Prathom Disabled Club holds monthly meetings to update new-found friends on their rights and where they can study and take training courses. "We act as coordinators for them. We contact the state and private agencies for the support they need. We also run a home visit programme for new cases," says Mr Teerawat. The club receives funds from the Office of the Committee on Rehabilitation for Disabled Persons, under the Department of Public Welfare, to support its activities. It also occasionally get financial aid from the private sector. But Mr Teeranart suggests that any persons wishing to provide financial support should direct their donations to the the Office of the Committee on Rehabilitation for Disabled Persons. "This way the donors can help the disabled throughout the country," says Mr Teerawat. Another project in the pipeline involves wheelchairs and crutches. At present, only hospitals in the city distribute them and the travel expenses are high for those living in remote areas. Mr Teerawat would like to see such equipment available in community hospitals to ease the disabled's burden. The ex-athlete says he still loves to watch sport on the television. "I'm happy to play a supporting role, giving others the chance to play." And he's cheering loudly for his compatriots competing in the Fespic Games. "The games provide opportunities for the disabled to express their hidden abilities." A final piece of advice: "If the government is go to start any new projects, please include disabled people in them too. Don't limit our ability. We can do much more than sell lottery tickets." Info for donations: Name of organisation: Nakhon Prathom Disabled Club Address: 23/15 Moo 1, Ta Talad, Sam Phran district, Nakhon Pathom 73110 Contact person: Mr Teerawat Sripathomsawad Tel: (034) 32-4966 If you cannot contact them, send your cheque payable to Post Publishing Public Company Limited (For Disabled Club, Sam Phran). Send it to Mrs Kusuma Mintakhin, Editorial Manager, 136 Na Ranong Road, off Sunthorn Kosa, Klong Toey, Bangkok 10110. Her telephone number is 240-3700 ext 3224-5. Please also include your name and address with your cheque so we can send you a receipt.		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