Parents can help fight stigma on disabled

There is great love and joy to be shared among friends and participants when people with disabilities and their caregivers come together for a united cause.

That was exactly what happened when 400 Malaysians came together recently for “Picnic in the Park” in Taman Tasik Shah Alam several weeks ago.

The non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Malaysian Advocates for Cerebral Palsy (MyCP) was responsible to put the event together.

They did this with help from others to coincide with World Cerebral Palsy Day 2015 that is held on the first Wednesday of October every year.

Around 70 families of children with Cerebral Palsy (CP), special guests, volunteers, supporters and media attended the extraordinary picnic.

The park was filled with mostly children with CP and their parents who were beaming from ear to ear, as they were given a chance to be loud and proud to be who they are in a public place.

This is a very unusual sight even today. There are still parents who tend to hide their children from the public eye when they have a disability.

This event however, was a wonderful testimony of how parents of the disabled are playing a key role to change negative perceptions about Malaysians with disabilities.

Additionally, the event was filled with volunteers who were young people. Many of them are students in the medical field.

The opportunity to mix around with the disabled (outside a hospital environment) would have done wonders in teaching them that disabled children should not only be viewed as “patients”, but as “normal human beings” – once they grow up and go to work in the real world.

One of the top highlights at the park were two short talks given by two adults – a gentleman and a lady – with CP.

Everyone were in rapt attention as the duo shared the challenges they faced from childhood until they graduated from college and university.

It raised the hope to everyone that anyone with a disability can succeed in life – provided they are given the right amount of support from their families and the authorities.

“One thing for sure, there was a big smile in each and every of the children and adults with CP that turned up to the event,” Rafidah Rafizah Ahmad, the co-founder of MyCP told me after the programme.

"We wish more people will get to know about CP and support our cause by accepting individuals with CP as part of society. After all, we are all humans – no more, no less", added the mother of 10-year old Izdihar Janna who also has CP.

The first MyCP Picnic in the Park held last year was an instant hit with the local disabled community.

MyCP which is three-years old, started as a simple online support group for individuals and families with CP on Facebook.

It gave them an opportunity to interact and communicate with each other as never before.

As it took root, more parents of CP children and adults began joining in realising that they were not alone – and that when it comes to children with special needs, there is always hope.

Picnic in the Park was the perfect way for the group to meet each other and advocate more support for people with CP.

It was a great reason for parents to bring out their children with CP and have a good time with others like them.

On each event, special games are specially organised by parents of CP children who take great pains to look into the aspects of wheelchair accessibility, safety, comfort and joy of the children to enhance their participation in the parks.

The recent smoke was a particular concern for children with CP as they are prone to respiratory related problems. Fortunately, special care was given to them, which in the end, reduced the effects of smoke on everybody.

Check out MyCP's Facebook page for more info and future events. You can also follow Janna’s journey at her Facebook page. – November 2, 2015.

* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.