disabled
Although currently most services are ordered from companies at rather high prices, more and more NGO’s also offer high quality services. The event management group of the Hungarian Williams Syndrome Association – young peole living with Williams syndrome who are very easy-going and have excellent communication skills, and their helpers – are happy to do the catering background for any event. Based on the experiences of the past year, this team of young people living with a mental disability is competent in managing children’s programmes, registration tasks and offering tasty appetisers. Because as the Scandinavian say: no one is worth more than the other, only our strengths vary. Thankfully Hungary also has a few people who believe that people living with disabilities, who are usually marginalised, can also be a useful part of the community they were born in.
Small children don’t care who belongs to what groups. Are you nice with me, do you play with me or not? That’s it. Later they learn it from us adults to greet older people differently, not to eat too much candy in order not to become ugly fat and not to stare at disabled people on the street. We teach them our prejudices slowly and also the things that shouldn’t be asked.
Blind and visually impaired people have difficulties in doing everyday tasks. Transportation, dealing with official matters or even to do a simple shopping can be problem. The Association of Blind and Visually Impaired in Csongrád has launched an initiative to help visually impaired people in shopping.
The Hungarian population ranks high in terms of alcohol consumption, and alcohol abuse very frequently results in alcoholism. Alcohol related conditions both physical and mental can be accurately diagnosed and treated, but timely prevention and education may have an even more important role in fighting the epidemic. In this country the addiction problems of handicapped people is a taboo subject, yet this demographic group is just as affected by addiction as any other.
Last night the people here noticed a strange blue glow coming from the old castle in the forest. The light show invoking alien invasion was however highlighting some of our fellow humans who live among us, yet are often treated like alien beings. On World Autism Awareness Day, blue light illuminated countless locations worldwide, from Niagara Falls to this crumbling old castle. Not so long ago, autism was considered a rare condition, while today it is recognized to affect one in 100 people, though often the symptoms remain undiagnosed. Probably, autistic people have always been among us, though in earlier times would be stuck with the labels 'village idiot' or 'eccentric genius'. Albert Einstein is assumed to have been on the autism spectrum, only back in his time autism research was in its infancy.
It's March 21st, World Down Syndrome Day. One in a thousand children are affected in utero, meaning Down syndrome babies may arrive to practically anyone's friends and relatives. Many people find children with disabilities difficult to approach, yet just like able children, they too can bring much joy, provided we are open toward them. In downtown Budapest, hundreds marched over Margit Bridge and gave a massive group hug to the theater building Vígszínház, to raise awareness for the power of joint action and care. By 2 PM a considerable crowd thronged the great fountain at Margaret Island. From kindergarten groups to elderly grandparents, hundreds showed up at Down Association's call on this sunny spring day. Organizers gave out white and green balloons to participants, and besides getting the crowd involved this gave way to some serious fun: whenever a balloon on a stick would pop, instead of freaking out the kids would wave their newfound magic wands.