Monthly Archives: Jun 2019

For the richer or the poorer life out there!

poverty-india-      two sides of lives in the city

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Watching the tv series – Les Misérables, I read the book by Victor Hugo and saw the performance through Opera Theatre. The story by Victor Hugo many years back in 1862, he wrote many stories on what he saw through his life by the nature of the law, justice, politic, religion, architecture and urban design of Paris and many other views. Hugo was a French poet, novelist, and dramatist of the Romantic movement. There was a movie called ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ around 1956, which I recalled watching this movie. Hugo wrote this story around 1829 and finally completed in1831. Of course, several earliest films were dating back to 1905 – Esmeralda.

Today many people are facing poorer than richer in societies around the world. It was partially blamed to wars, financial crash, drug wars, climate global changing such as unable to grow fruits and vegetable due to storms, flooding or drought, job cuts and many other issues. On the other hand, a small number of people became more prosperous by achieving more financial such as winning lotto, inheritance from the family, business growths or as a drug lord.

In the past, we have: –

  • French Revolutions,
  • Industrial Revolution and Strike
  • The Great Fires – Rome 64 A.D, London 1212, 1666,  San Fransico 1906, Chicago 1871, and Boston 1872,
  • Poverty such as inadequate access to clean water and nutritious food, little or no access to livelihoods or jobs, conflict, inequality, poor education, climate change, lack of infrastructure, limited capacity of the Government and lack of reserves.
  •  Famine from the 15th Century to present including the Great Famine 1845 in Ireland, The Netherland, England and to other countries.
  • The Black Death – in Eurasia and spread to Europe from 1347 to 1351, then in Asia, North India and Uganda. Again repeat in Kyrgyzstan, China, European and the Middle East.
  • Cholera, bubonic plague, smallpox, and influenza
  • Sharemarket Crash, financial loss during the Depression Years
  • winning the lottery to gain wealth or business growth

What about people/children with disabilities’ lives in the world? Many of them are more likely to be economically disadvantaged, making them more vulnerable to crimes. People/children with disabilities have less access to health systems such as health care services, finding difficult in education without helps/support person.

The main barriers are: –

  • accessibility to anywhere such as public buildings without the ramp
  • the need for fair housing such as  flashing fire alarm lights for D/deaf, Hard of Hearing people,
  • Public Transportation such as lower ramp buses, seating area for the wheelchair
  • High unemployment
  • Disability Awareness
  • Communication – sign language for D/deaf and Hard of Hearing people/children, interpreters

  • social barriers – Differences (inequalities), in gender, ethnicity, race, religion, health or socioeconomic status, between individuals or groups that prevent them from achieving or accomplishing their goals, or deny their opportunity to access resources and to advance their interests.

Not everyone who has a disability is rich or wealthy while the other half of the people with disabilities are worst off or less worst off BUT they have a good heart and happy with their lives.

Take Richard Branson, Bill Gates, Stevie Wonder, Stephen Hawking, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt or Ralph Braun. They have living experience with disabilities. These people sent out many messages to the communities and to the Disabled Organisations in order to help other people/children with disabilities.