As someone who has no television in my house, once in a while; I turn to the mini radio in my kitchen. Sometimes, I will switch it on for few minutes while there, and then shut it off once I’m leaving. The same happened that day I overheard the male commentators phoning through to a man who I later heard was utterly blind. They were asking him how he has been managing the confinement as he lives alone. He took his time to narrative his ordeals; in particular, his need to fill out the required derogatory travel form we all have to fill and take with us if we have to go out now. He equally talked about how he would plead his cause to the police if he ran into them during their routine control. In all of this, my conclusion was that this respondent was afraid, isolated, lonely, and abandoned. Later, I heard one of the guests who was a government representative, spoke up, reassuring the man. She then announced measures they set up to help those with disabilities.
The question is, how do we connect with those with disabilities by providing platforms of safety for them ahead of time so that we do not forget them before we set up lockdowns like this? It takes something to happen, such as the uncomfortable story of this visually impaired gentleman, before those in places of authorities will react. It ought to be the other way round.
As families, we must not neglect our members with disabilities because of our preset mentality that they are the wounded. The truth is, we all are injured right now. Whether we are affected directly or indirectly, we are part of the society, and therefore, we are not swimming against the tide. As a matter of fact, as Christians, we share the messianic suffering of Jesus. The Lord will not abandon those in need, and so we must emulate Him in our actions.
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