Global Disabilities

Katie D.

October 2, 2011 - 7:24 PM

For the first time in my years at the UO, I enrolled in a weekend class. My one credit "Topics in Global Disability" class began yesterday morning and ended today at noon. In those brief hours, we covered an enormous range of topics regarding disability activism and the questions of inclusive development practices in the US and abroad.

The course was wonderful. Susan Sygall is the CEO of Mobility International USA (MIUSA), which is one of the leading organizations dealing with global organizing for the human rights of people with disabilities. Yesterday we not only got to hear about the direct work being done in communities worldwide, but we also had guests for the afternoon: nine Jordanian women with disabilities.

I have been interested in disability issues for years, beginning when I was a child. My godfather and his wife raise service dog puppies, and I was always extremely interested in what a working dog can do to help a person with a disability to navigate the world. Then, at the UO, I met and befriended two women with disabilities who are part of the campus community. I also worked with the American English Institute and was a sighted guide for two blind women, who were studying English at the UO. It was fascinating to work through language barriers and to navigate the campus from the perspective of a blind international student.

Despite these previous experiences, I still know very little about activism in the disabled community, or many of the issues that students and community members face due to disability. So I jumped at the opportunity to take this class, and am so glad that I did.

For one thing, I learned a lot of statistics. I learned that people with disabilities make up the largest minority in the world. Most individuals spend part of their lives disabled, due to illness, injury, or age. But despite the enormous prevalence of disability, there is an enormous amount of work to be done to reach full inclusivity for those who have physical disability, learning disorders, mental health problems, and other illnesses or injuries that impact their daily lives.

According to the World Health Organization, one billion people worldwide are living with a disability.

The nine women from Jordan spoke with us about issues of education, employment, and health for the disabled community in their country. They had amazing stories of perseverance and individual strength, as well as speaking powerfully to the community and support they give each other as part of a national movement for human rights and equal access in Jordan. They spoke to the difficulties experienced in mobility and communication, and the lack of accommodations they have experienced in their academic and professional lives. They were in the US for one week, studying disability services and laws in the United States, and attending skill-building workshops through MIUSA.

In addition to the power of their words, there was an amazing sense of strength in the room. Half of the women were in wheel chairs, many of the others were deaf. Several spoke some English, but the majority of communication was translated into Arabic. For the full group, Susan Sygall would speak, and this would be simultaneously translated into American Sign Language, Arabic, and Arabic Sign Language. In the small groups, we often had to communicate in four stages as the interpreters passed along the questions and answers.

This short weekend class is something that I will carry forward for the rest of my academic and professional career. These issues are extremely relevant in our cities and our classrooms, and are often forgotten in international development efforts. From now on, I will keep questions of disability issues in mind when addressing all questions of human rights: poverty, discrimination, gender issues, education, migration, etc.

I also will always remember those Jordanian women, traveling halfway around the world to build the global community of disability activists. This is a community that is taking such courageous action for their own rights. They deserve the support of allies in the non-disabled community. Allies like me.