More often than not, parents mothering a child with a disability are single parents, among the reason being that men don't desist from being associated with the new born child with a disability, excuses being that in their family lineage they have never gotten blessed with a child with disability, on the other hand the society puts more pressure on the mother, with sentiments like it might be a punishment from gods, or even a curse, and (as if to prove a point) the family did not honor some communal rituals or beliefs; it is know that some disabilities like Cerebral Palsy, most occurs during birth, especially when there is a prolonged labour, hence when the new born is a child with disabilities, the person who take it all is the mother, who is left to play both the role of a mother and a father, and more worrying and devastating is when the child is the first born ( you know very well the great expectation the couples have from the expected new born) such that the mother has no information whosever regarding the disability, the person, society and by extension the Government who/that is expected to support her is no where to be found, lest the mother is left to languish in pain, denial, unbelieve, loneliness, even to point of developing depression, as she struggle to find where to find help and support for her child with disabilities.
In your view, what do you think needs to be done to support such a parent?? and do you think if such a parent locks her child indoor in order to provide for the family is something warrant a blame??
worried me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!🐵🐵
First, i strongly disagree when the society comes out and bashes mothers who chose to go to work and leave their child locked in the house. Because sometimes they need to fend for the other kids, pay house rent and utilities. Society sometimes only has one perspective - a judgmental charity-based approach and with the right awareness can shift this perspective.
We can't blame anyone, here is why: to support a child with a disability (like cerebral palsy) needs structures and stable processes. The government must ensure the child and caregiver have the necessary financial allocation and support - it takes a lot of money to take care of the child. Governments should improve the money given to these families and this begins in the policies and laws. government must increase how they support families with children with disabilities - whether it is provision of an account as soon as a baby with a disability is born, is registered on an account that supports healthcare, assistive devices, essentials as medication, diapers, special diet, to education, an account that supports the child throughout the lives.
We can also have structures that support the fathers with psychosocial support, to be able to take care of their wives and child. Structures that allow emotional support and also financial assistance. Sometimes children with disabilities are not really burden, it is that we don't have the right structures to take care of them and assist those taking care of them.
we need not blame anyone, we all need to improve our systems/ structures and processes.
take a look at Africa disability protocol, I feel we should blame the society because they define what's normal and what's abnormal 36440-treaty-protocol_to_the_achpr_on_the_rights_of_persons_with_disabilities_in_africa_e.pdf (au.int)