IN THE FACE OF NEGLECT

Two years ago when I walked the streets of Kolkata, India, the hardest image for me to comprehend were the disabled children roaming the streets looking for their parents.  My heart sank because I knew that these children would either continue to live a life of poverty or die at a young age.  And that could easily have been me.

I was born in Kolkata in 1983 and contracted polio thereafter. My mother was very poor, unable to pay for the medical bills. She knew that if she brought me back home, there was a strong chance that I would die before turning one.  My mother did the only thing she could have done and that was to leave me in the hospital. Her sacrifice and love provided a better life for me.

Almost two years have passed since my journey to India.  As I reflect on my experiences there, one question holds strong in my mind: why are there were so many neglected disabled children? The following is a brief overview of a multi-faceted problem.

DISCRIMINATION

Indian children with disabilities face prejudice and abandonment and are often denied access to health, education, and rehabilitation services.  In the Middle East and India, where the poverty rate is higher, children with disabilities endure the battle of discrimination from political and cultural norms, as well as religious beliefs.   In India, where Islam and Hinduism are the prominent religions, many still believe in the cast system. Though the Indian government made it illegal to have cast systems, many of the country’s people still recognize it. Such a system leads to further discrimination against the middle class and the poor (O’Keefe, 2007). Generally speaking, children with disabilities that are from poorer families are considered to be non-existent or excluded from the general population. Peter (2007) says the point of exclusion is evident in the estimation that 98% of children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend school.

There is also discrimination within the family. Parents will focus more attention on their able body children because those children can help provide for the families needs (O’Keefe, 2007).  Able body children therefore have an increase in opportunities for both education and employment.

WHAT’S NEXT?

In the weeks to follow I will break down and analyze the services with-held to these children, as well as take a closer look at the political, cultural and religious belief systems that play a critical role in the neglect of disabled children. Join me as I embark on this journey to uncover and reveal this largely non-discussed problem.

For more information on the work Global Breakthrough does for children with disabilities: click here

Want to get involved? click here

Article authored by: Regis Storey