A Different Ability

On December 3 of every year, the whole world celebrates the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). Wikipedia describes disability as “an impairment that may be cognitive or developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, or some combination of these”. From all indications, disability affects, in a substantial manner, a person’s life and may occur at birth or during a person’s life time. According to World Health Organization (WHO), “disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions”.

There are generally recognized, six types of disabilities. They include physical, visual, hearing, mental, intellectual and learning disabilities. Physical disability - physiological, functional and/or mobility impairment; visual disability - a condition where an individual has just 10% or less of normal vision. People generally, refer to people with visual impairment as blind. People with hearing disabilities are described as deaf, meaning they suffer from very significant loss of their hearing. Mental disabilities can take many forms, and are generally classified into six categories: schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorder, eating disorder, personality disorder, and brain disorder. Intellectual disability is diagnosed when a person’s ability and capacity to learn is significantly below average. Learning disability refers to a condition where a person experiences difficulty in the interpretation of what they see and hear.

People with disabilities are among the most marginalized groups in the world. They suffer from poor health, lower educational opportunities and achievements, less economic opportunities and participation and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities.

All of us have come across someone or persons living with one disability or another. We have them in our homes and families; in our neighbourhoods and communities; in our schools and workplaces; hospitals and churches, etc. We probably, look at them with pity, contempt or with a desire to help and support them. Living with disability is tough. People living with disability have confessed that they suffer from societal stigma which leads to indifference, hostility, isolation and discrimination. Bullies find them cheap prey and criminals target them too and they rarely get justice for evil acts committed against them.

But that someone is living with disability doesn’t make them less human. They are not only protected by natural laws but they have human rights too. The society may treat them badly but the time has come for the people of God to stand up and be counted for fighting for the protection and empowerment of people living with disability. As a teenager, you can befriend them and love them instead of showing your pity or even horror; become their ‘defender’ by keeping the bullies and criminals at bay; become their advocate by promoting and supporting causes that will impact them positively and empower them.

I have very fond memories of Adeboye Abioye (1972-2016). Boye, as we loved to call him, was the Founder of *Theseabilities Foundation*, an NGO dedicated to the pursuit and actualization of the rights and recognition of disabled persons in Nigeria. Sadly, Boye died on September 14, 2016 at the age of 44. Boye lived with physical disability. He’d lost the use of both his legs and was on a wheelchair but Boye was never bothered by any stigma associated with his disability. He was a very sociable person. There was no dull moment with him. Boye possessed a different ability. He couldn't use his legs, but he had other faculties.

Boye graduated from the University of Lagos with a first degree in French. Through his Foundation, Boye influenced building construction designs to provide facilities for the physically-challenged in Lagos State. His advocacy led to the passing of the Lagos State Special People’s Law in 2011. Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan appointed him as a member of the National Council on MSMEs.

In my interaction with Boye, I found him to be a very brave young man. When I asked him the story behind the name of his Foundation, Boye said, “We all have different abilities”. It wasn’t about what he’d lost (legs), but about what was available (life, hope, God). Boye had an unshakeable faith in God.

David said in Psalm 18:39, “You gave me strength for battle”. People living with disability are daily, fighting the battle of life and need God’s sustainable strength to persevere and to win. All over the world, while many of them have had their conditions worsened by brutal persecution and crippling poverty, many others have triumphed over their situation and circumstances. For some, their victory has come as a result of their determination to find their ‘available abilities’; to draw on divine strength; and to grab the opportunities provided, no matter how little.