ANTHONY THANASAYAN November 2002 The Star Malaysia

ANTHONY THANASAYAN September 2002 The Star Malaysia

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Thursday, September 26, 2002
Deaf have their DawnBy ANTHONY THANASAYAN

DEAF people the world over have been on high gear all this week observing
Dawn 2002 or Deaf Awareness Week.

The week-long celebration - held each year in September - is meant to make
people more aware of the needs and struggles of the deaf community.

For the YMCA's Pusat Majudiri Y (PMY) in Kuala Lumpur, this month has been
an unusually busy one for its deaf members, volunteers and staff.

The 16th edition of Dawn - held from Sept 8 to 15 - featured talks and
public exhibitions on the deaf and deafness.

"The large group of the public and the deaf that turned up on Open Day on
the 15th had the chance to learn more about e-learning and the latest
communication devices for the deaf," said Steevan Eng Tian Kuan from Friends
of the Deaf - a club set up for students of sign language at the YMCA.

"Such exposure opportunities for hearing persons like myself help remind us
of the need to ensure that those living in the 'silent world' divide are not
inadvertently left out," he pointed out.

Eng had the incredible task of being the interpreter for as many as five
financial planners for the Dawn event. The task required him to spend hours
privately researching the subject before he could effectively sign them out
to the deaf.

He said he had to explain complex concepts and terms to the deaf, like
"long-term investment", "cash-flow", "sustainable income" etc. And although
it was a struggle at first, Eng began to get better at it through practice.

"Using simpler ways to explain technical terms to the deaf turned out to be
the most effective method at the end of the day," he said.

But above all, Eng came away that evening with a new realisation that deaf
persons were also concerned about plans for their future - as much as the
non-deaf.

"However, in the case of deaf persons, they have fewer opportunities to make
known their intentions to others," he added.

Deaf's views

One of the major highlights of the Dawn events was a Deaf World simulation
exercise that helped the public to literally enter the silent world of the
deaf where sounds were reduced or muted to create a mock "deaf environment"
with little or no sounds.

"I never realised how very important it was to change the (present)
environment of my home to suit the needs of my deaf nine-year old (such as
replacing ringing alarm clocks for vibrating ones) until I entered the
special deaf mock room," said Fong, a working mother.

Others like Sakunthala, a first time volunteer for the deaf observed:

"The simulation experience impressed upon me how helpful it was for the deaf
to have closed captions included in the TV screen as subtitles, especially
for long movies in which the silence on the TV set can be deafening."

"Signing the right way is crucial," said Cho M.L., a sign language student
at the PMY.

"All it takes is a slight mistake on our part to have damaging effects on
the deaf, more so in legal matters when the deaf are in court. The deaf, on
their part, are always willing to teach us. But the question is: are we
willing to learn from them?"

PMY volunteer Zuhrah Beevi said he can vouch that the deaf are "incredibly
honest and non-judgmental" in most things that they do. "So much so that it
puts people like me, who are of full hearing, to shame," he said.

"The simulation exercise is designed to provide hearing persons with a
first-hand idea of what it feels like to be profoundly deaf in a hearing
world," said PMY programme executive Ho Koon Wei who is herself deaf.

"People should understand that we deaf people have our own culture and
language that are unique from the hearing.

"We want people to approach us - not shy away or try to avoid us as if we
are some sort of plague. We are always willing to share our knowledge in
order to help the hearing world better understand us and be in tune with our
needs."

This year's theme for Dawn was Deaf in a Connected World. The public got to
explore the numerous communication and technological devices that have been
designed to help bridge the divide between the deaf and the hearing
community.

The public were also invited to participate in a Sign Language Corner where
they were taught simple signs, quizzes on deafness and an opportunity to try
out the latest hearing aids.

They also witnessed the situation in a mock home of a deaf family, where
alarm clocks, doorbells with flashing lights and games using gestures were
used.

As many as 140 hearing persons in all took part in the programmes
facilitated by 25 deaf members. The deaf showed a keen interest to learn
about the latest improvements of services for the deaf in the fields of
insurance to telephone communications.

PMY says this year also saw an increased number of volunteers - a total of
60 persons that included the hearing as well the deaf. Fundraising dinner

The Independent Living and Training Centre in Rawang, Selangor, is holding a
fundraising Malaysian Bollywood Charity Dinner this Sunday at 7.30pm at the
Klang Executive Club, Klang, Selangor.

For details please contact Ms Rina (03-60936292 or 03-60912531).

Thursday, September 19, 2002
The here and now
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN
NEWS that quadriplegic actor Christopher Reeve might be on the road
to full recovery captured the attention of the world’s media last
week.
BBC World Service radio from London reported that Reeve, best known
for his Superman films, is now able to move some of his fingers and
toes for the first time since his tragic fall following a
horse-riding accident seven years ago.
The actor says he can feel pinpricks over most of his body and is
able to distinguish between hot and cold, and sharp and dull
sensations.
Reeve’s doctors told the BBC that their patient’s progress could one
day lead to a full recovery, something the actor has always said
would happen.

Not everyone can afford the kind of therapy that actor
Christopher Reeve underwent over the last seven years to
regain his sense of touch and some movement to his fingers and
toes.
The actor, 49, told People magazine in the United States, that he
could feel the hugs of his wife, Dana and his three children once
again.
Great progress
“To be able to feel just the lightest touch is really a gift,” Reeve
pointed out to the magazine.
Reeve’s doctors said he had already made great progress.
“No-one who has suffered an injury as severe as Chris’s and failed
to have any initial recovery has regained the amount of motor and
sensory function (that) he has,” said Dr John McDonald, from the
Washington University School of Medicine in the United States.
The actor has spent about £280,000 (RM1.7mil) a year in medical
bills and has been hoping stem cell research (cells developed from
persons or animals at an early stage and developed into cells of any
type) will one day aid his recovery.
Reeve’s therapy has included a combination of electrical muscle
stimulation and repetitive motion exercises to help restart his
motor skills. He had always hoped to be able to walk by his 50th
birthday, which falls this month. But, he now recognises he will not
achieve that goal.
Reeve, however, remains optimistic about the future.
“The fact is that even if your body doesn’t work the way it used to,
the heart and the mind and the spirit are not diminished,” he said,
adding, “It’s as simple as that.”
Poor majority
The latest development regarding Reeve has once again raised some
very important issues with disability activists around the world.
For example, Dr Gregor Wolbring, Adjunct Assistant Professor for
bioethical issues from the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada,
wants to know what the scenario would be for the majority of
hardcore poor disabled persons who can’t afford the expenses
involved.
In an e-mail to Wheel Power last week, Dr Wolbring wrote:
“One needs to focus on more immediate needs, that is, how to get
disabled people everywhere functioning successfully as normal
citizens of society through supportive structures that help
integrate them with their disabilities instead of only looking for a
cure from medical science that might or might not happen.
“It’s really a matter of respecting and recognising people with
disabilities in our midst and providing them physical access and
full inclusion in every aspect of their lives.
“Disabled persons should be given a choice as to how they would
prefer money to be spent on their development, whether it be for
finding medical cures or to correct and remove the present barriers
that prevent them from living normal and productive lives.
“It’s time to stop our fixation on what we think as ‘the norm’ i.e.
people must all be able to walk without wheelchairs, have full sight
or be of sound hearing – thus the constant sensationalism and
obsession with Reeve’s road to recovery.
“Such thinking only increases the negativisms and widespread
stereotypes surrounding wheelchair users, turning them into targets
for pity than anything else. Thus, the only way out is to look for a
cure,” Wolbring concluded.
Wolbring, a disabled person himself, was in Malaysia last year for a
groundbreaking talk he gave on bioethics and disability to the local
handicapped community. The event was organised by the National
Information and Technology Council.
So what do ordinary disabled people and activists do with their
lives if they are not constantly looking out for a “cure”?
Keep on raising more awareness about themselves, of course!
Johor-born Chris Kalithasan, 35, did exactly that on Sept 1 at a
family day function for disabled persons at the Lake Gardens in
Kuala Lumpur.
The secretary of the KL-based volunteer group Service Civil
International – the only member with a disability in the committee –
Kali, as he is known to friends and family, and his team rounded up
as many as 600 disabled people from the Klang Valley for a day of
fun, food and games at the public park.
Among the highlights of the event were wheelchair games where the
non-disabled were invited to take part.
“What we wanted to do was to try and demystify disabilities among
the general public,” Kali told Wheel Power afterwards.
“The able-bodied have to understand how frustrating (and important)
it was to make the environment suitable for ‘their’ wheelchairs.
“Above all, we wanted to demonstrate that we are all normal people,
just like them,” concluded Kali, who has been using a wheelchair for
15 years, following a motorcycle accident.
Needless to say, the non-disabled lost every telematch game to the
triumphant disabled wheelchair-users that day.
But all was not lost for them as they did manage to emerge winners
at the end of the day – by learning something valuable they never
knew before.
Copyright © 1995-2002 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
Managed by I.Star

Thursday, September 12, 2002
Those dog days are almost gone
By ANTHONY THANASAYAN
A TOTAL revolution is probably the best way to describe my life, as
a person in a wheelchair, and how it has been magically transformed
almost five years ago when my three faithful canine companions came
to share my life with me.
Today, my dogs help me achieve a deep and fulfilling sense of
personal independence that I had never thought possible.
Apart from the physical and practical daily assistance I receive
from them – such as collecting my dirty laundry, propelling my
wheelchair up slopes with sheer mutt-power, or retrieving objects
from hard-to-reach places such as under beds and tables – by far,
the most valued assistance I get from them is my improved health,
coupled with a fighting frame of mind they’ve helped develop.
My hospital visits and pill-popping days have steadily declined
through dog power and my pressure sores have all miraculously
healed.
New ones that sprout up go as quickly as they come – thanks to my
expert canines that draw my attention to them so that I can have
them treated immediately. And my bouts of depression – I’m pleased
to say – are at an all-time low in years and virtually on their way
out.
With so much affirmation and positivism surrounding animal therapy
and its huge benefits today for people with all types of conditions
and disabilities, it’s most surprising, and saddening at times, when
the very people whom we think need a little education about the
issue turn out to be the ones who might actually need it the most.
Twice, my service dog (SD) and I were denied access when I was
invited to give a talk on disability awareness to a large group of
student doctors at the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre in Kuala
Lumpur.
Although the professor who extended the invitation to me fully
support service animals for the disabled, sadly, his boss was more
concerned about “some people” who might be “offended” at having a
dog in the lecture hall.
What the good boss unfortunately failed to understand was that this
wasn’t any ordinary dog or pet but one trained with a specific
purpose in mind, much like a police or rescue dog: to render aid to
the disabled where human beings cannot.
More recently, the SD concept in Malaysia suffered a major blow when
my SD and I were, once again, denied access into a seminar put
together by the Malaysian National Animal Welfare Foundation at the
Sheraton Hotel in Subang Jaya, Selangor
The topic, of all things, was Human-Animal Bond, and SDs were the
chief feature. Ironically, my SD and I couldn’t be present, which
was indeed a pity, as a display of the both of us in action would’ve
had a far greater impact on the participants than any talk or Power
Point presentation.
The animal group, however, tried to speak with the hotel personnel
who initially saw no problems with it. But they changed their minds
at the eleventh hour citing “the sensitivities of some Malays” who
may not be comfortable with the situation which could cause the
hotel to “lose business” in the process.
When the hotel folk said they would provide staff to assist me as an
alternative, I’m not sure if they realised what they were saying.
They might as well have told me not to bring my wheelchair with me
and have people carry me around from place to place in the seminar
hall!
Besides, I certainly wouldn’t want to incur the indignity of having
a stranger – other than my trained SD – to help me in the privacy of
restrooms. But this is not to suggest in any way that I don’t
support human assistance when there is a true need for it.
The incident kept me in the doldrums for days until I wrote to
fellow columnist Marina Mahathir who launched my SD programme, Bivai
Special Dogs, in August last year.
Marina replied: “I’m really sorry about that hotel. It’s silly to
say that Malays won’t go somewhere a dog has been; how do they know
wherever they go, no dog has been there anyway?
“Honestly, I hope there aren’t any disabled Malays who keep
themselves marginalised and isolated because they refused to use
service dogs.
“God helps those who help themselves. Besides, there are provisions
in Islam for emergency situations – and disability could be
classified as one.”
Apart from these extreme cases, Bivai Special Dogs have had
victories.
My assistance dogs, in recent times, have been to the United Nations
building in Kuala Lumpur to attend a press conference for the
organisation’s 50th birthday. In addition, they have been to several
churches, a local supermarket, a Japanese restaurant and the Sunway
College lecture hall in Petaling Jaya. They’ve also attended scores
of disabled meetings and been to Bukit Jalil’s Putra stadium and
even the famed Penang International Sports Arena.
Marina herself had invited my SD and I to present a talk with the
Malaysian Aids Council where after the discussions, all of us,
including Soo my Golden Retriever, gathered for a group photo – with
Soo woofing away in approval of his newfound friends.
(Incidentally, all the abovementioned events had many Malays
actively participating in them – many of whom are Bivai’s biggest
supporters.)
I plan on doing more awareness talks in future in schools, in
particular, to sensitise children – our leaders of tomorrow – about
the role of animal therapy and service dogs in the community and
homes.
Even as I write this, I’ve just been invited to attend a national
consultation meeting with Suhakam organised by ERA Consumer in Ipoh
and my SD is also invited.
Also, the Malaysian Institute of Management in Kuala Lumpur has me
down for a talk about a caring society at a leading hotel later this
month.
Not only am I going to talk about caring animals in a caring
society, the good news is that my SD is also welcome.
Early next month, the SPCA KL and Bivai Special Dogs will be
launching in a big way a special tribute to SDs and their
contributions to disabled people on World Animal Day.
A few weeks ago, a group of disabled activists and representatives
from other NGOs were at a dialogue session put together by the
Health Ministry, which was hosted by minister Datuk Chua Jui Meng
himself.
We managed to impress on everyone present – many of them top doctors
and hospital authorities – about the need, amongst others, for them
to go seriously into animal therapy as another aspect of medicine
and rehabilitation for people with disabilities.
Many of them listened in utter silence. Later, my disabled pals and
I were swamped with many of the participants and top brass offering
support for the need of service dogs in Malaysia to help disabled
Malaysians gain independence.
Afterwards, during a light moment, Chua came over and gave us his
autograph before getting his staff to have their pictures taken with
us.
Just before the flashlights popped, Chua bent over to me and
whispered: “It would be nice if your Golden Retriever was with you
right here for the picture. Say, can I borrow him one day?”
We all laughed. Indeed, what a pretty picture that would make for
all of us some day.
The columnist welcomes feedback from readers, so drop him a line at
athanasayan@ hotmail.com .
Copyright © 1995-2002 Star Publications (Malaysia) Bhd (Co No 10894-D)
Managed by I.Star.

aNt
Anthony Sivabalan Thanasayan

Director & Companion Dog Trainer
Bivai Special Dogs Training Programme
Malaysia
http://www.themalaysian.com.my/bivai

Wheel Power Columnist
(The Star, Star Two, Lifestyle, Thursdays)
http://thestar.com.my
Celebrating All Things Disabled
http://www.themalaysian.com.my/wheelpower

Air Raves Columnist
(The Star, StarMag, Variety, Entertainment, Sundays)
http://thestar.com.my
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Email: athanasayan@hotmail.com