The Disabled Need Opportunity, Not Sympathy

It was the first day of my college at Kathmandu University. I was pretty excited. I woke up early, dressed up and prepared myself for my first class. It was around 7:30 in the cold morning, I caught a bus to Dhulikhel from Baneshwor stop. I seated myself at the right side window seat. I glanced at my mobile phone and it already showed 7:46. I was pretty scared for my first class, I didn’t want to be late, and because ‘first impression is the last impression’ I believe. Bus stopped for nearly 10 minutes at Koteshwor. Sun rays smoothly trying to pierce off the filthy morning, I could feel the warmth and I doze off. Suddenly my head stroke with the window pane and I gained consciousness. And in a hurry I again glanced at my mobile, and it showed 8:35. Bus stopped for a while at Suryavinayak stop in Bhaktapur. I was trying to comfort myself and suddenly my ear caught someone’s cry. I stood alert but I could see nobody around. I heard him continuously crying “hajoor…namaa-ste…namaa-ste…hajoor…” Since a group of people were rushing inside the bus, my eyes couldn’t catch who he was!! After a while when road cleared out, I saw an old man with defected legs sitting by the roadside and begging for money. He had all his teeth broken except few in the upper jaw of his mouth, that made him rarely clear with his words. That unpleasant view literally stroke and left a churn in me, I then stared at the people’s face that were passing by him, many of them gave a very sympathetic look at him and many could only see his filthy condition but nobody tried to pay concern towards his struggle. Despite of his disability, he’s still able to help himself, it’s just that he’s not able to stand on his own feet but his soul wants the same as we normal people do, that is to live an insipid less life.
I am also a daughter of a disabled father. Although he couldn’t pedal the bicycle, he encouraged me all the way since my first bike ride…he had had many obstacles in his life but we never discouraged him to make his dedications towards his family and disabled people…and I still have a deep heed towards his dedications…
After having experienced that unpleasant view during my travel, it seemed something is still lacking behind in the world of disabled people. I think the efforts buttons needs to be pushed harder, because disabled people needs opportunities, not sympathy. Never discourage them because discouragement will only help them plan to FAIL….