Belize’s disabled seek equal opportunities
In this graduation season, many young people are looking forward to getting a job and showing their employers, friends and families what they are made of. Belize’s disabled also want a chance to prove themselves. But their struggle is not only for the chance to live independent productive lives, but to make the way a little easier for those who follow behind them. Tonight, as part of Disabilities Week, News Five is pleased to bring you the story of a student and his teacher. Both are blind, both are ambitious and both share the desire to create “equal opportunities for all”.
He is a messenger, receptionist and teacher. Victor Chan is also partially blind, but he does not see his disability as a disadvantage. According to Chan the loss of one sense sharpens all others.
Victor Chan
“See I have a little bit of sight, I can see from here to about a block down, I can see. Once it is something big like a car coming. I can pick up hearing sounds too, so probably that is what helps me out a lot.”
Chan’s blindness since birth never deterred him from his goals; he attended St. Joseph’s Primary and Stella Maris School where he improved in skills that help his teaching today.
Victor Chan
“I learned Braille and from there they handed me the machine and I went through a practical training with them and from there I became perfect on Braille.”
Hector Hoare
“I am proud of him because he is carrying on what I was doing.”
Hector Hoare was Victor Chan’s Braille teacher. Now he is doing much more for disabled students, teaching Social Studies and Music at Stella Maris School, and he has even higher goals to achieve.
Hector Hoare
“Some of them I have achieved, but one that I really want to achieve is to see that disabled persons are really proving themselves or given the real opportunity to make themselves better people or really become independent.”
According to Hoare, disabled people have had far more obstacles to overcome but because of pioneers like himself and others, their chances for success have become greater.
Hector Hoare
“Over the years disabled persons were not seen as persons who could contribute positively to society. They were always looked upon as, oh something is wrong with him or something, but today that problem is over.
As I have always said disabled persons don’t need anyone to feel sorry for them; they don’t need someone to pity them. They need encouragement. You give them a word of encouragement and they will prove themselves to you as much as they can.”
And proving themselves counts until there are “equal opportunities for all.” Arreini Palacio for News Five.
As part of Disabilities Week there will be a fun day at the National Stadium on Friday and activities in the districts.
