Orang Kurang Upaya....

When I hurt my back, sometime ago, the first time - June 2006, I was called 'Orang Kurang Upaya (OKU)' by one of my colleagues in the office. Well, I used to just take it as a joke, because I knew he didn't mean it as an insult, but he was merely having fun, fooling around with me with such names. But do you realise that in our midst, we come into contact with a lot of people (whether known or unknown to us) who are handicapped. What I am suffering is merely an injury, which will get better (God-willing!), provided I do everything necessary to take care of it (i.e. chiro sessions, physios, proper sitting posture and so on). But some people are born with disabilities. Some very serious, others not as bad. This story that I read below, opened my eyes in a very sad way. Whether we realise it or not, the handicapped are in some way or the other discriminated. This discrimination does not necessarily come from the schools, offices they work in and so on, but by us - individuals. When was the last time you gave up your seat on the LRT or buses for a handicapped person?

So, please read the story below and realise that these people who are handicapped did not chose to be handicapped. THEY HAVE TO BE TREATED EQUALLY! There should be no further talk on this issue. Imagine if you have a handicapped one of your family? How would you feel if that person is discriminated?


Someone Who Understand

A boy noted a sign “Puppies For Sale” got off his bike and said to the owner, “How much are the pups, mister?” “Twenty five dollars, son.” The boy’s face dropped. “Well, sir, could I at least see them anyway?” The man whistled, and in a moment the mother dog came bounding around the corner of the house tagged by 4 cute puppies, wagging their tails and yipping happily. At last, another pup came straggling around the house, dragging one hind leg. “What’s the matter with that puppy, mister?” the boy asked. “Well, son, that puppy is crippled. We took her to the vet and the doctor took an x-ray. The pup doesn’t have a hip joint and that leg will never be right.” The boy dropped the bike, took out a fifty-cent piece, and pleaded, “Please, I want to buy that pup. I’ll pay you fifty cents every week until the twenty five dollars is paid.” The man replied, “But, son, you don’t seem to understand. That pup will never be able to run or jump. That pup is going to be crippled forever. Why would you want such a useless pup as that?” The boy paused for a moment, then reached down and pulled up his pant leg, exposing an iron brace and leather knee-strap holding a poor twisted leg. The boy answered, “Mister, that pup is going to need someone who understands him to help him in life.”

God bless!