Background
According to the social model of disability, “disability” is a social, cultural, and historical phenomenon. It is not an individual problem, but a social problem and a form of social oppression (Oliver, 2009; Shakespeare, 2006). Most of the everyday problems faced by people with disabilities (PWDs) are not caused by their bodies, but by different forms of social barriers. Often, the most difficult barriers to overcome are attitudinal barriers. The most pervasive negative attitude involves focusing on a person’s disability instead of on the person’s abilities. A Baseline Survey on Public Attitudes towards Persons with a Disability 2010, conducted by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC), found that about half of the 1,011 respondents agreed that PWDs are incapable or dependent on others in some form even if treatment was received (EOC, 2010). Other forms of attitudinal barriers involve feeling superior, feeling pity, stereotyping, showing fear, and showing ignorance. A good method of breaking down those attitudinal barriers is breeding familiarity by getting people with and without disabilities together (NCWD, 2012). This project thus aimed at enhancing university and secondary school students’ awareness of and sensitivity towards PWDs through experiential learning and community education. It is hoped that after the project, the participants would have learnt to adopt an inclusion lens through which to view PWDs in their daily lives that would enable the participants to recognize PWDs’ strengths and opportunities.
Programme: “Train the Trainer”
In the project, a training course was provided to HKU students to enhance their knowledge of and sensitivity towards the daily lives of PWDs. The training course included knowledge and information about different kinds of disabilities and their characteristics, as well as tips on how to interact with PWDs. Site visits and experiential learning activities such as wheelchair travelling were organized. The HKU students were trained to be trainers who can provide workshops for secondary school students in future.
Forum: “Taking a Role in Creating an Inclusive Community: I am Ready”
A forum was organized in order to create a platform to promote and discuss the idea of social inclusion. A representative of the EOC, guests with disabilities, a Legislation Councilor, an architect, as well as social workers from NGOs were invited to be guest speakers in the forum. Nearly 80 participants including students from different universities and secondary schools, teachers, social workers and citizens joined the forum.