23 Jul 2017

Although he claims to be a subject of ridicule, empathy and outright jealousy, Mr Gaone Motswaiso, born without arms, wakes up every morning to register patients at Sefhare Primary Hospital registry albeit in an unorthodox way.

While the so called able-bodied persons go about their daily businesses pressing the keyboards with utmost ease to capture patients’ information, Mr Motswaiso commands the keyboard with his toes and delivers similar results in an unconventional fashion, and with great gusto.

Despite being born without upper limbs, the 25-year-old Sefhare native is an undeterred soul though he observes that some people feel they could discharge his assignments quicker than him.

Similarly, there are those who sympathise with his condition and wish he were assigned lighter duties, but Mr Motswaiso is positively obstinate that he could do even more.

“I will never understand what people really want in life. Either they are complaining about me or feel pity for me,” he said.

He revealed that on a daily basis he could register over 50 patients despite all the sympathy and doubt cast upon him. 

He told BOPA that discharging his assignments despite his physical condition had never been a difficult task.

Mr Motswaiso, who is also a vice secretary for Itekeng Batswapong Disability Association (IBDA) that held a workshop on disability awareness to stakeholders at Sefhare Junior Secondary School, spoke at length about the challenges faced by people with disabilities in the face of the so-called abled bodied persons and the society at large.

In his speech, rendered in English, Mr Motswaiso punctuated it with rhetoric questions aimed at the society and individual persons about the course for people living with disabilities.

“Have you ever felt left out?” he quizzed as he embarked on a long speech of motivation to PLWDs and the village leaders in the mould of chiefs, councillors, village development committee members and school heads.

He observed that PLWDs were often excluded and such barriers are imposed by societies they live in. 

He cited that a wheelchair-bound student may wish to go to school, but the school environment mostly was not permissible.

He found that in this instance some teachers would not be welcoming due to lack of skills on handling such a student, the school environment especially classes do not have ramps that would allow ease of movement into class while other students may not be willing to share a class with such a special needs student.

The IBDA vice secretary argued that people’s experiences of disabilities were varying and affected people in various ways.

While conceding that PLWDs were generally poor, Mr Motswaiso argued that disabilities in the eyes of the society were inhibitors towards employability and general life opportunities.

He however argued that PLWDs were entitled to enjoy the same freedoms and rights accorded their presumed abled-bodied counterparts. 

This argument is born as a result of realisation that PLWDs hardly get the services that improve their conditions.

“People with disabilities are the poorest of the poor,” Mr Motswaiso argued.

At the workshop held under the theme, Breaking Down the Barriers and Celebrate Ability and Inclusive Society for All, stakeholders were informed of IBDA’s commitments to achieving inter alia, establishing a number of collaborative working groups to identify, develop and share innovative service practices.

“We must see to it that we remove the obstacles whether they stem from poor access to facilities, poor education, lack of transport, lack of funding, or unavailability of equipment such as children’s wheelchairs. Only then will the rights of the disabled to equal opportunities become a reality,” reads part of IBDA’s commitments.

The association spokesperson, Mr Thebe Motoma is adamant that there is still a lot to be done to address the plight of PLWDs.   

He argues that Botswana should expedite localised disability act that will address issues of disabilities.

 He finds that there is need for improved access to inclusive education, health services and livelihood. ENDS