Category Archives: Uncategorized

A couple of Deaf Christian people posted comments on Facebook, including Astronomy, and the comments struck wonder if they understand to believe the universe is part of God or not.

Let look at Stephen Hawking and the comments he made several years ago. “We are each free to believe what we want and it is my view that the simplest explanation is there is no God. No one created the universe and no one directs our fate. This leads me to a profound realisation. There is probably no heaven, and no afterlife either. We have this one life to appreciate the grand design of the universe, and for that, I am extremely grateful.[369][370]“http://We are each free to believe what we want and it is my view …. https://libquotes.com/stephen-hawking/quote/lbu7w4z

This quote was listed in 2011 and here is another quote listed in 2017.

“Before we understand science, it is natural to believe that God created the universe. But now science offers a more convincing explanation. What I meant by ‘we would know the mind of God’ is, we would know everything that God would know, if there were a God, which there isn’t. I’m an atheist.[366]” http://What Stephen Hawking said about God, his atheism and his …. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/03/14/im-not-afraid-what-stephen-hawking-said-about-god-his-atheism-and-his-own-death/

Stephen was an atheist for many years since he was at the college. Stephen had firmly pointed of many views about the future of humanity, Science and philosophy, disability, Religion, atheism and Politics. Note about Stephen became disability during his final year at the university in the 1960s. Stephen has got a motor neurone disease, Lou Gehrig’s disease known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and neurodegenerative disease before his death in 2018. He was 78 years old and, remarkably, he lived longer than anyone who has had the same symptoms.

Who the people are atheists? Names a few to here:-
Sigmund Freud
Fred Hollows
Issac Asimov
Sir Arthur C. Clarke
Stephen Fry
Germaine Greer
Keri Hulme
Woody Allen
Emma Thompson

Here is a question or more if there was/were word “Astronomy” list in the Bible over many years. Let explore if there is/are any word astronomy in the Bible!
In the Bible, the first word is ‘the creator of all things’ in Genesis 1:1. Astronomy is the study of celestial bodies and the whole universe includes the study of stars, planets, galaxies and other objects beyond the earth’s atmosphere. In the Bible, there are many references related to objects such as planets and constellations, for example, the morning star.

“The planet Venus is the brightest object (next to the sun and moon) we can see in the night sky. Its ability to reflect light is due to its proximity to the sun and the highly reflective clouds of sulfuric acid that shroud it. It can often see before sunrise, hence its astronomy reference as the “morning star.” It can even be viewed during the day, leading to it also being called the “day star.” http://Astronomy in the Bible. https://www.biblestudy.org/bible-study-by-topic/astronomy-in-the-bible.html

What about Genesis 1:16 – “And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars.” http://GENESIS 1:16 KJV “And God made two great lights: the …. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/1611_Genesis-1-16/

So what astronomy mean? It means ‘star formation’ under Greek, and this word allows the branch of science dedicated to studying bodies in outer space. The word “astrolatry” (worship of heavenly objects) basically on the suns, moons and stars as gods. The etymology for astronomy is from the Greek ἀστρονομία from ἄστρον astron, “star” and -νομία -nomia from νόμος nomos, “law” or “culture”) means “law of the stars” (or “culture of the stars” depending on the translation). Astronomy should not be confused with astrology, the belief system that claims that human affairs are correlated with celestial objects’ positions. The two fields share a common origin, they are now entirely distinct. We know that every celestial object and the movements to phenomena with gods and spirits such as rain, drought, seasons and tides. Who are the first people identified or as astronomists? Well, the priests in the early history between 10,000 and 33,000 years ago. The only clue found a 32,500-year-old carved ivory Mammouth tusk could contain the oldest known star chart (resembling the constellation Orion.) Another clue a drawing on the Lascaux caves wall in France dating from 33,000 to 10,000 years ago could be a graphical representation of the Pleiades, the Summer Triangle and the Northern Crown. It is more like the Ancient structures with possibly astronomical alignments like the Stonehenge for astronomical, religious, and social functions.  http://Astronomy – Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core. https://infogalactic.com/info/Astronomy

What a minute! Where does the word ‘astronomy’ come from the past? It was not listed in the Bible for we know that. Who wrote the Bible?
There are 40, and more authors wrote the chapters, over 1,500 years, and a dispute on who wrote Hebrews. Many Christian people know Moses was the first person he wrote, and John – the disciple of Jesus, was the last person. The language is not English, Greek, Latin or another language from far away like Australia and Italy. However, the three languages were known as Hebrew, koine/common Greek and Aramaic.

How easy or hard to grow pumpkins in your garden?

Late Spring 2020, I grew several pumpkin seedlings in the pots and stored in the greenhouse for germinate through warm and heat.

Late Spring 2020, I grew several pumpkin seedlings in the pots and stored in the greenhouse for germinating through warm and heat. Early Summer came along, and the pumpkin seedlings were ready for planting outside. The seedlings were only a finger length size before planting in the soil of the field.

Mm, I decided to look at the fields where there is more sunlight and protect from winds and cold. Simple I found a few places and planted several pumpkin seedlings in the ground.

Came the rains over a couple days which count our blessing to have water for the gardens. Sunshine and heat came after the rainy days and oh boy, what a scorching and humidity week!

Came the rains over a couple days which count our blessing to have water for the gardens. Sunshine and heat came after the rainy days and oh boy, what a scorching and humidity week!

Rusty came over as he finished mowing the lawn and look, mum! The pumpkin section has shot out and spread over the yard. We went walking over to inspected the pumpkin patch and our dogs for they love to walk with me. There were three watermelon seedlings there right at the gate as well. These seedlings were not big enough but the more they will receive sunlight and water and they will grow quickly. We do have another lot of watermelon plots in the vegetables garden at the back near the barn.

Oh boy! How faring, seedlings grown from finger size to a large patch after all in such short timing in several weeks?

What a delight to see the pumpkin seedlings are in the right spot with plenty of sunshine, warmth, shelter and rain!

In the previous planting were the sunflowers and they grew well except for windy spot. The only way to stop sunflowers falling over or bending over was to tie them up. I will find another site for planting and growing sunflowers away from the windy area—this project added to my gardening project plan.

Yes, we have plenty of pumpkins popping up when I go for a walk and inspect any damage by dogs or pest animals. If the vine gets too big and not feeding back to the pumpkin, I will pinch the vine’s tip so the pumpkin will produce more and bigger even fatter. No matter small or big pumpkin vines you wish for until the summer season is almost ending.

Not a great day to resume work on the 11th January 2021, (primary workplace – Methodist City Action).

Life moved a mystery way when anyone does the gardening, driving to work or to a friend’s pace even to a cafe and have a yard of chatty.

Enjoying the summer day’s chilly morning to do the cleaning up the garden and pruning the roses. Of course, must wear gloves to protect our precious skins of the hands. Approaching on to the sizeable lovely rose shrub in front of the bedroom windows, the roses’ pleasant smell floated through the window. A time prune back this rose shrub and went on to pruning and pruning until a stab into the gloves. Peeled back the glove of the left hand for inspecting a horrible stab thorn for the worst moment. The glove I wore had peeled the top thorn bit, but the bottom bit stabs into the knuckle for the worst moment. That day was on a Sunday 10th of January.

I never had been troubling of having broken thorns or thorns stabbed into my body part except my partner loathe roses around the gardens. He wishes roses should be chopping down. Why? Well, he has been riding on the ‘ride on mower’ when doing the fields needs mowing down, and he gets a few roses prickled into his body.

The hiccup of pricked broken thorn caused by the planting of broken thorn arthritis is a noninfectious inflammation of a joint due to a thorn puncturing the reciprocal and leaving residual plant matter lodged within the joint. Plant thorn arthritis typically affects only a single joint — the joint that the plant thorn pierced. 

A simple treatment was taken placed in the bathroom for I do have mild asthma and allergy.

To take care of a puncture wound:

1. Wash your hands. This helps prevent infection.
2. Stop the bleeding. Apply gentle pressure with a clean bandage or cloth.
3. Clean the wound. Rinse the wound with clear water for five to 10 minutes. … 
4. Apply an antibiotic. … 
5. Cover the wound. … 
6. Change the dressing. … 
7. Watch for signs of infection.

This detail of the treatment can be found in Mayo Clinic website if you wish to learn how to do the future treatment. I have learnt this treatment over many years. 

The next day we went on a trip to my GP as it was my GP’s appointment for I made the appointment in the previous week ago. I was given another tetanus and two other vaccinations for safety risk, just under eight years away from sixty-five years old. Of course, my GP provided a lovely antibiotic which is more powerful and ancient fashion prescription – Amoxicillin clavulanic acid (Penicillin antibiotic).

Ouch, swearing most of the times in the day yesterday and this morning. The joint knuckles are very painful when I move my third finger. Overnight, I was sleeping okay but struggling for our two dogs loves to sleep on the bed and take up space. Currently the garden jobs are on hold for the moment of the week.

“All of life is coming home. Salesmen, secretaries, coal miners, beekeepers, sword swallowers, all of us. All the restless hearts of the world, all trying to find a way home.” Robin Williams, Patch Adams

We will open the book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them ourselves. The book is called Opportunity, and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.” -Edith Lovejoy Pierce

Today we are approaching the second day of the New Year – 02/01/2021 and wondering what lives will bring everyone in the world – a better to extract the disasters, COVID 19, economy, finances and other things or prepare for the worst to come.

The year 2020 was the worst time for everyone globally, and the most significant impact was COVID19. Many people lost their jobs, their loved ones, their homes and depressed for foods and incomes to pay the bills. What about people/children with disabilities? What about D/deaf people? Have the Government agencies, Health Directors/staff, and other organisations forgotten us? Surely not all of these people have not forgotten, and they tried hard to do their best, but only small things failed within the disAbility area and elderly people’s area of the needs.

At the start of the COVID, the prime minister announced through media and many missing things in the media? The barrier is to provide a live interpreter for the D/deaf people in the community because they do not know or understand what happens. The second barrier is to provide simple information and sign language to the Deaf people to watch the interpreter on their computer/laptop/mobile about the critical tools such as wear transparent mask or use tracker scan. The people with learning disabilities to read the crucial thing in plain English language such as the level of lockdown, wear the mask, tracker scan when visiting shops and offices and wash your hands. The third barrier is how to get foods and drinks from the supermarkets, small shops such as butchery or bakery. The fourth barrier is how to pay the bills where many elderly people do not have computer/laptop/mobile to access banking online. The fifth and sixth barriers are Education, such as providing homeschooling and health needs, such as prescriptions and blood tests. The list of obstacles goes on. Many young generations are lazy, choose to ignore the warning on wearing the masks, social distance/location distance/control borders or become infected with COVID19. Perhaps overall the worst is to pay the fine like in Australia. Many desperate families and individuals wanted to get back home and refused to pay the extra cost to spend two weeks in isolated hotels in New Zealand. Many people were stuck in another country for more than six weeks to a year when their visa expired and unable to afford a trip home plus to stay in an isolated hotel. We have not heard or received any stories from the people with disabilities, D/deaf people, about being stranded away from their own country.

Around globally, many essential workers (I was one of the deaf critical workers) under the social services, health welfare service, and one of the chosen family member volunteers to do many jobs for their families and the people they support. We MUST NOT FORGET the essential workers, polices, nurses, doctors volunteers and Members of the Parliaments work tirelessly throughout 2020 and the start of 2021.

The worst things are not over. There were land disasters like earthquakes, fires, drought and flooding. There were many crimes, Terrorists, even racism like ‘Black Life Matter’ many movements related to ‘Black Lives Matter’ worldwide.

Another one to think of is the Chinese Zodiac to many Chinese people who believe the omen. Last year was the Year of the Rat and bought offend to Tai Sui (God of Age – star). Note Tai Sui star does not exist a real star in the galaxy. The Chinese astrology, people who believe in Zodiac, pointed out from January 25th 2020 lasting to February 11th, the Lunar New Year Eve will lead to the fall out/lousy luck into the coming year where people (born in the Year of the Rat) do something foolish on the New Year Eve 2020. The Rat Year was supposed to bring luck in wealth on the new day of the Year 2020. From February 12th 2021, it will be the Year of the Ox. One person – Hong Kong Chinese astrology master So Man-fung Peter says people born in the year of the rat may find themselves prone to negative thoughts and more disruptions in life. To alleviate the impact, travel more in 2020. But he did not mention about the pandemic – COVID19.

I am not a fan of the Royal family where Prince Harry and his wife decided to break away from the Royal Family and live privately away from the Media. But I do not understand why his wife is still doing it while she and Prince Harry residing in California, through their own media and the website they create and it makes no sense at all.

Yes, we lost friends, family members and several Deaf elderly people last year – most of them were unexpectedly death and natural death. I have lost the count of my closed family/friends, several family members and three Deaf elderly people so far.

With pandemic, social unrest, election chaos, it’s in the running throughout 2020 and now in January 2021. Everyones are tired of hearing more cases of COVID19 in lives and deaths in other countries. There are more opening the can of worms/the personal stories where many people do not know or heard before, which lead to racism. Late last year, journalists, right-wing people and politicians slowly start to see the violent views and choose the words/language for their people in every country. There is an urgent need to open the past of history. For example, our country – Māori people and their past in Aotearoa – New Zealand and our young generation can learn about their past in school/university. Our Deaf history is a significant part for all D/deaf people and people in the community to know about our sign language, our need in technology, culture and Education. But we need more stories from the people with disabilities, elderly people and D/deaf people on how they are doing and managing their lives through COVID19.

This year 2021, we continue to move forward and focus on doing things more positively, such as looking after yourself, keeping in touch with your loved one, growing vegetables in your own home. And start learning from us – D/deaf people, People with disabilities and our need in the communities by making equal and removing the barriers to you all.

Who knows when the COVID19 will end? Will things and people’s lives looking better and improving in 2021? Are there any jobs open up and allow workers/redundant workers to work again? Are we looking up optimistic and rosy lives?

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.  T.S. Eliot    

A wishes came true in 2014, my family shouted my birthday treat as my age to significant 50. I was thrilled but relief when I visited my go because I sprained my left ankle at Melville High School several days before my birthday. My GP declared I was fit and allowed to go for a ride in the Hot Air Balloon for I used to be a deaf Health Carer in the past and know what I am doing.

Floating, floating up toward the skies in the basket of the Hot Air Balloon. The weather was foggy first in the early hour of the morning, suddenly the sun came out through the misty and clouds as glorious outbreak sunshine streaming over the Hamilton Lake. The silent chilly winds breezing around us while we were in the basket soaring up in the skies.

It was a clear crisp morning, and I was admiring how much has Hamilton Kirikiriroa City grow so far since I was a young girl growing up in Hamilton Kirikiriroa within the neighbourly – vast farmlands, mountains and the Waikato River runs along with the city. Thinking back, the population of people living in Hamilton Kirikiriroa was around 42,212 (dated 1961), and today the population has increased to 176,500 (dated 2018). The word “Kirikiriroa” means “long stretch of gravel”, and the vast lands is approximately 110 km2 (42 sq mi) on the banks of the Waikato River and encompasses the nearby towns of Ngāruawāhia, Te Awamutu and Cambridge. Hamilton City is listed number four of the urban growth of New Zealand. But wait, an agricultural service centre, Hamilton now has a diverse economy and is the third fastest-growing metropolitan area in New Zealand, behind Pukekohe and Auckland.

Speechless and disbelief that the city of Hamilton has proliferated each year and Hamiltionains work together with the City Councils. Many years I involve with the councillors, support groups of the disAbility organisations, Health Board and many other groups as a deaf advocator. We, people/children with disAbilities/D/deaf people/children have the rights to access and making lives more comfortable and more accessible to get around the city and the rural areas.

Time goes by as we were flying in the air with wonderful awes, ahh, catching the local sight of the landmarks, looking out miles away toward mountains and many more. Hours by as it was time for landing down at one of the local farmlands while cows grazing their feeds and look at us puzzling. We were preparing for bumping and thumping while the basket landed firmly on the cow muck grounds while alone black cow watch silently at us.

My partner who travelled with the co-pilot in the ute and tracking the balloon to ensure for safety. The co-pilot was communicated with the pilot who was with us in the basket of the hot air balloon. We landed on the property of the farm between three local farms – Puketaha, Gordonton and our home Eureka without a hitch and safety landed on the ground. The pleasure of the ride was not over as we watched the men, including my partner wrapped the balloon and loading the basket onto the trailer. We headed out to The Cook Cafe and Bar in Hamilton East for the lovely prepared breakfast and champagnes.

It was a remarkable memory of the ride in the hot air balloon, and the following day it was my birthday for the family booked the 9th. But the weather was not fair on the 9th, so they shifted to the 8th, which was the perfect morning. Oh, I wish for another ride when I turn 60/70 years old! Nothing will stop me from having another ride if the price is right for us.

I was looking for a different approach to a job as a deaf distributor of the ‘Drink My Coffee’. Why not? I take the opportunity to do something other than working in the office.

I have started working my way through sending out the messages on Facebook, Twitter, and trying to complete one new website – Chooice at the moment. Perhaps I will try to put in the Linkedln site if they will approve the listing. There is only Neighbourly website, and they would not let me put on a personal Neighbourly due to the rules. They want me to put under business which cost me more than they asked. Yes, it is tough for me to decide whether I go ahead or not.

The company: Drinkmycoffee is a social enterprise to create employment opportunities for disabled New Zealanders. We are doing this by creating jobs for people to manufacture and distribute premium coffee and enabling people with disabilities to be self-employed, selling the coffee.

We drank this coffee most of the time when we are at home after a long day work, and it has got mild blend flavour like caramel and malt biscuit taste. It has no bitter or pungent taste for most people who do not like these taste.  

I made a coffee cake by using this coffee plunger grinds soaking in hot water. It came out ‘authentic’ coffee cake than the supermarket coffee product with a real taste bud. My partner makes the coffee icing to go with the coffee cake because he loves using thin icing on any cake even he used authentic cold coffee into plain ice cream, which softens and refreeze overnight.

So what are you waiting? Let buy coffee beans, plunger or espressos through me for Christmas. It is not too late to order by next Monday or come back in January 2021. https://chooice.co.nz/product/coffee-beans-in-250gm/ or through my Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/drinkmycoffeejenz/?view_public_for=113737557158379

A time to sit down for a moment to think how shall I type tonight! Another night and night put me aside until today!

There has been a sad time in the Deaf community as they lost one Deaf chap who he passed away peacefully this Monday 16th November 2020.. He was a widow for 32 years and had a daughter with her husband and two grandchildren. The daughter wished to have a family time of their own – a father, father in law and grandfather but it was not working due to her Deaf uncle sent out the messages which were not clear information the last few days. Never mind!

Spending time doing gardening helped me to wind down and forget the moment of the works yesterday. What did I plant in the vegetable garden? Sweet corns, capsicum seedling, peas and relocation the pumpkin from the greenhouse to outside. Gardening helps many people who have gone through grieving times, a break from stressful work or having mental issues such as depression, feeling anger building up inside and unable to let your anger go. I called this a ‘Garden Therapy’, which I found it very useful to get me through a stressful time when I have chronic pain syndrome from the right side of my body. The symptom I have is a Cervical Degenerative disc disease and Cervical radiculopathy, and I am learning to live with this symptom since I was diagnosed two years ago.

I knew an excellent verse from the Bible (Ecclesiastes 3. 1-13 in the Old Testament),and a viral song by the Byrds. Here are the video song clip and the lyrics.

Happy reading and hearing the song… GO FOR IT! https://youtu.be/w4qINY8KYpM

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time of love, a time of hate
A time of war, a time of peace
A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To everything (turn, turn, turn)
There is a season (turn, turn, turn)
And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time for love, a time for hate
A time for peace, I swear it’s not too late

Reflecting my memories about whether to do the garden or not, when I was a very young deaf girl lived in Hillcrest, Hamilton. My mother – Joan, was a solo mother with four children, and she does all the works around the house and in the garden. We spent our time with our grandparents over the school holidays for many years.
Joan said to me, whether I help her to do the weeding in the garden and my reply was no, but I helped her from time to time with the housework and less gardening. Joan said when I am older enough to move out and do the garden one day. I said that I am definitely doing the weeding, planting shrubs, growing vegetables and other jobs around the garden. Let wait and see what happened when I move out in the future!

Fast forward to my first home in Barrie Cres, a first-timer own a two-bedroom house with the blackberries and gorse shrubs gully down to the creek run through from the State Highway 26 1992. My home was tucked away at the end of the street just like a private home with a gully I never thought to own this part of the gully section. I drew up the plan to attacked blackberries and gorse shrubs as to extracted and replaced with native shrubs and trees. I remember getting a sizeable old goat, and his name was Jeremiah. It was a friendly goat and often got loose when I was working afternoon-evening job at the BNZ as a data entry/Bank Officer. My Dutch neighbour got a fright to see Jeremiah eating the grass off my lawn, and she managed to tie him to the clothesline until I get home. Jeremiah lived another two years until one morning I woke up to check on him, sadly he passed away. I spoke to my two neighbours – one worked at the Ruakura Research Institute Centre and the second one was a University student for I know his future wife and the family through church. Their response was left to them when I go to work, and Jeremiah won’t be there when I get home. When I got home and found a collar left on the doorstep for me as a memory of Jeremiah.

The first garden project in Barrie Cres, was a long term and formidable challenge to make it successful in 1994.

There was a landscaping layout from the top to the bottom where to meet the stream. It was laid out with ponga logs, topdecking platform with a stairway and weeding mats. I bought fast-growing trees and slow-growing trees, flaxes, bottlebrush trees, low growing native shrubs and hebes bushes.

Oh, I remember one moment four days before Christmas Eve, I was doing planting trees then I climbed back to the top. I lost my footing, somehow I rolled myself down approximately 30 metres before the totara tree stopping me. I received bruised from the neck area to feet, even arms and wrists, and there were no bones broken. I managed to climb back and rest for a bit before driving to my GP, which was not far from my home. Unfortunately, I have 2 weeks leave from work, and the manager was desperate to have me because of my high skill in data entry and the ability to target the deadline frames.

The ‘mother nature’ weather disaster struck with a violent wild wet weather. It happened overnight for I did not hear the slip or rumbling down in the gully. I checked in the early hours of the morning to find the landslip on the right side where I planted freshly new shrubs and trees recently (a couple months ago). I faxed the Environment Waikato and The Earthquake Commission for the advice, and they told me to contact Hamilton City Council for we pay our rates to them. The year was 1996 during May as it was an autumn season. I was lucky to have more shrubs and trees free from the Hamilton City Council and the task team – Force 2000 team did the planting for me. Thank you Hamilton CityCouncil.

The learning key is to plan wisely and to prevent the damage by mother nature weather. Do not start a big plan than a small plan; otherwise, you will lose the high cost of financial on garden projects. I was lucky to have several family members and a couple neighbours who have long experience with plants, landscaping and plant cuttings. I took their advice on growing seeds, plants and vegetables throughout the years. I learnt how to do plant cuttings even failed several times, but I keep trying until I have succeeded in growing.

Today (2020), I am living with my hearing partner and three dogs in the large property, and it is four times bigger than the first home. Yes, back in 2014, I first starting refresh plan on landscaping to match our lifestyle and my physical injury, which allow me to maintain less weeding, pruning, trimming and growing seedlings in the green house.

Not everyone even family members have not been to our property for years, just to look at the photos or video over Facebook. Our dogs are OK for now. The tradesmen and neighbours visited here and walk pass to their homes down at the end of the road. .

We love living here and enjoying regularly doing garden and landscaping from year to year. I am hopeful of completing the final push of the garden project next year.

Next month, there is a special day to remind you all. Have a look at the photo here.

It is on the 3rd of December and the theme is “NOT ALL DISABILITIES ARE VISIBLE”. Nothing about us, without us.

The quote from UN –

According to the WHO World Report on Disability, 15 per cent of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with disability. Of this number, it’s estimated 450 million are living with a mental or neurological condition— and two-thirds of these people will not seek professional medical help, largely due to stigma, discrimination and neglect. 

Another 69 million individuals are estimated to sustain Traumatic Brain Injuries each year worldwide, while one in 160 children are identified as on the autism spectrum. 

These are just some examples of the millions of people currently living with a disability that is not immediately apparent, and a reminder of the importance of removing barriers for all people living with disability, both visible and invisible. 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, isolation, disconnect, disrupted routines and diminished services have greatly impacted the lives and mental well-being of people with disabilities right around the world. Spreading awareness of invisible disabilities, as well as these potentially detrimental— and not always immediately apparent— impacts to mental health, is crucial as the world continues to fight against the virus. 

What we, Persons with disAbilities want you to remember and to be sure that we ARE part of the society same as you anywhere in the world. The key messages are inclusive, accessible, sustainable society, and the future IS ACCESSIBLE.

Over many years, we, persons with disAbilities are list almost at the bottom of the colonialism (Anthropology – Social, Cultural, socioeconomic) but above indigenous people. We are not equal to societies around the world such as receive little income/funding, stop us from working in the businesses, from living in a home where there are a friendly accessible environment and accessible communication like internet, video chat.

Today there are many high rise apartments without lifts in the communities, fast-growing technologies, high cost of equipment as as iPhones, power wheelchairs, large mobility vehicles, the lack of resources about people with disAbilities even Deaf people/children’s first language – Sign Language for home, work and educations, cochlear implants, stem cells or designers babies in medical areas. Who are the countries miss out and a long delay of catching up with our disAbilities in the world? Here is the quote from UN Enable – disAbilities in developing countries.

“The problems of disability in developing countries need to be specially highlighted. As many as 80 per cent of all disabled persons live in isolated rural areas in the developing countries. In some of these countries, the percentage of the disabled population is estimated to be as high as 20 and, thus, if families and relatives are included, 50 per cent of the population could be adversely affected by disability. The problem is made more complex by the fact that, for the most part, disabled persons are also usually extremely poor people. They often live in areas where medical and other related services are scarce, or even totally absent, and where disabilities are not and cannot be detected in time. When they do receive medical attention, if they receive it at all, the impairment may have become irreversible. In many countries, resources are not sufficient to detect and prevent disability and to meet the need for the rehabilitation and supportive services of the disabled population. Trained personnel, research into newer and more effective strategies and approaches to rehabilitation and the manufacturing and provision of aids and equipment for disabled persons are quite inadequate.
In such countries, the disability problem is further compounded by the population explosion, which inexorably pushes up the number of disabled persons in both proportional and absolute terms. There is, thus, an urgent need, as the first priority, to help such countries to develop demographic policies to prevent an increase in the disabled population and to rehabilitate and provide services to the already disabled.” https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/diswpa04.htm#Disabilities%20developing%20countries

Let anyone who works in the Architecture businesses, technologies, ITs, property developers, and many more, stop for a moment and start to think about us as people/children with disAbilities/Deaf people/children first. Is design plans are friendly accessible for EVERYONE in the societies or not?
Financial is no big deal if anyone who is a property developer, businessperson, want a cheaper and fast buck plan goal then turn into a quick investment financial in return profit.

It is a time to stop and start learning from people/children with disAbilities, Deaf people/children, even many elderly disabled people as well. We, D/deaf people and people with disAbilties are advocators for many years. We have the right to speak/sign louder in the societies in every country until we achieve to be inclusive and equal and won the battle. Nevertheless, the battle is not over yet for there is plenty of times to come. We are (must) not to be ignored by anyone in the Governments, City Councils, businesses, and in the societies.