Albinos need help but they are not disabled
29th September 2010
EDITOR: On Tuesday, The new Vision published a story entitled "We are disabled, albinos say". Albinism is a congenital lack of the melanin pigment in the skin, eyes and hair which protects one from the sun's ultraviolet rays.
EDITOR: On Tuesday, The new Vision published a story entitled "We are disabled, albinos say". Albinism is a congenital lack of the melanin pigment in the skin, eyes and hair which protects one from the sun's ultraviolet rays.
I would rather the petitioners’ emphasis was put on meeting the special needs of the albinos than categorizing themselves as disabled. It is possible to mentally disable a person by categorising them as so. This would stigmatize the albinos even more.
Being disabled is a strong statement that comes with feelings of stigma than possibly realized by the petitioners.
There is need for medical counselling but most of all public awareness on albinism and its challenges in order to curb stereotyping it further. Joseph Katete, the chairman of EFPA’s idea of a school for the albinos is a good idea considering all the challenges they face in the available education system.
However this would further isolate children with albinism. The Ministry of Education would better be helped with ideas on improving the lighting in classrooms for the current structures in schools to meet the special needs of the albinos. One would think there is enough stigma of albinos from cultural perceptions and myths in East Africa.
In Tanzania, as well as in some other African countries, albino body parts are considered valuable for wealth and luck! It is also believed that one can get wealthy through fishing with the hair of an albino! On the other hand, building on the positive achievements of some of the albinos like Al Shayma Kwegyir who is an MP in Tanzania, could go a long way in building on the positives that life can bring, rather than alienating alibinos as disabled.
Disability is not a badge of honour but a sort of helplessness (though not inability) that calls for aid and empathy.
Name withheld
I would rather the petitioners’ emphasis was put on meeting the special needs of the albinos than categorizing themselves as disabled. It is possible to mentally disable a person by categorising them as so. This would stigmatize the albinos even more.
Being disabled is a strong statement that comes with feelings of stigma than possibly realized by the petitioners.
There is need for medical counselling but most of all public awareness on albinism and its challenges in order to curb stereotyping it further. Joseph Katete, the chairman of EFPA’s idea of a school for the albinos is a good idea considering all the challenges they face in the available education system.
However this would further isolate children with albinism. The Ministry of Education would better be helped with ideas on improving the lighting in classrooms for the current structures in schools to meet the special needs of the albinos. One would think there is enough stigma of albinos from cultural perceptions and myths in East Africa.
In Tanzania, as well as in some other African countries, albino body parts are considered valuable for wealth and luck! It is also believed that one can get wealthy through fishing with the hair of an albino! On the other hand, building on the positive achievements of some of the albinos like Al Shayma Kwegyir who is an MP in Tanzania, could go a long way in building on the positives that life can bring, rather than alienating alibinos as disabled.
Disability is not a badge of honour but a sort of helplessness (though not inability) that calls for aid and empathy.
Name withheld