Stargazers' camp puts blindness in a new light
People with disabilities need to be seen as individuals with their own unique talents
A few weeks ago, I attended the Stargaze Camp for All and the Blind, an annual event organised by the Social Welfare Department in partnership with non-profit bodies and volunteers from the private sector. To me, this camp is a highlight among the many events I attend, because it helps its participants challenge old, tired thinking on "disability" and "possibility".
As the name suggests, a central feature of the event is stargazing for the blind. How can people who are blind gaze at stars, you may ask. The answer: through a Braille star map jointly produced by the Space Museum and the Shine Skills Centre of the Vocational Council. Narratives on the various stars were provided in Cantonese, with interpretation in sign language and English available.
So with some ingenuity and collaboration, the line between the possible from the impossible was redrawn under a starry sky.
What is preventing us from making this a permanent reality? Too often, people with disabilities still face significant barriers in accessing equal opportunities. This stems, in part, from lingering stereotypes and prejudices about disability.
An Equal Opportunities Commission survey conducted in 2010 indicated there was still a strong belief that having a disability implied a form of incapacity or dependence on others. For instance, one in four respondents felt people with a physical impairment would not be able to enjoy a happy and fulfilling life. More than half indicated that only simple, repetitive tasks were appropriate for workers with disabilities.
Such misconceptions have serious implications for their employment prospects. The stereotypes persist despite the remarkable success achieved by people with disabilities, from Hong Kong's own outstanding Paralympians to physicist Stephen Hawking.
