494 chapter 52
Often it takes someone with a disability to see beyond the outside of another disabled
person to the unique qualities inside. So it often happens that disabled persons take other
disabled persons as partners—although their disabilities may be quite different. However,
as disabled persons gain greater acceptance and participation in the community, loving
relationships and marriage between non-disabled and disabled persons become more
common.
Often there are not many chances for disabled young persons to get to know and become
close to other youth. Therefore, such opportunities can and should be sought or arranged.
The types of opportunities and how they can be arranged will of course differ from one
community to another.
Chances should be provided
for disabled young people, even in
wheelchairs, to go to ceremonies,
dances, and public events that
other young people attend. A
community rehabilitation program
can arrange games, parties, and
other activities to which both
disabled and non-disabled young
people are invited, and in which
they can participate equally.
The need for full integration
It must be remembered that
opportunities for a close, loving
relationship are only one aspect
of leading a full, accepted, and
participating life in the community.
The more that can be done to
bring about greater integration and
participation of disabled persons in
the life of the community, the more
everyone will learn to look beyond a
disability and see the person. When
this happens, it opens up many new
possibilities.
Family Planning
A community rehabilitation program finds enjoyable ways to
bring disabled and non-disabled children together. Here the
village children have been invited to the birthday party of a
disabled child. They take turns, blindfolded, trying to break
a ‘piñata’ (a papier-mache toy filled with candy and nuts).
(PROJIMO/Richard Parker)
Disabled girls and boys should be given the same information and opportunities as non-
disabled young people to avoid unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections
such as HIV. Making such information and methods available may be of special importance
for participants in a self-run community rehabilitation program. For different methods of
family planning, see A Health Handbook for Women with Disabilities, Chapter 9, or Where
Women Have No Doctor, Chapter 13. (See p. 642.)
Disabled village Children