government asked all citizens with disabilities to register. Now, it is
more than a year since so many of us did this very strenuous and quite
expensive exercise and we still have not heard anything from them.
All this was at our own expense and there was no 'special rate' for the
ones registering.
We provided a passport sized photograph (one of the requirements), as
well as various other check-ups, etc., which took over two weeks
sometimes of going back and forth to various government departments
including the Ministry of Health and then waiting to be assessed by a
medical team, etc. At times, we even had to do this more than once when
this team was not satisfied with something. In my case, I had to get a
Neurologist's report about the disease (Multiple Sclerosis), that I
suffer from. Probably because, I have not one disability but a number of
them and I suppose this team could not believe it! They were/are
probably not familiar with the disease.
But, after having gone through all of these inconveniences and expense,
we have not heard a squeak out of officialdom. Why? Was this just a
cosmetic exercise on their part so that they will please the 'aid'
givers out there?
The disabled of this country are no better off, than they were a year or
more ago. In fact, with the rising cost of living they are at the
receiving end of joblessness and homelessness, not to mention the ever
present hunger.
While quite a sizable population which consists of the disabled in this
country, our thuggish policy makers continue to behave insolently
towards its hard-earned tax payers and ignoring their needs.
So, all of you out there, what happens next after we register/ed? We
thought that the photograph we gave was for an ID card which would open
many doors for us, the disabled. What have you done in this one year
since we registered and many are still doing so.....?
