650 million people are being held back by a disability, each one limited in their own unique way. Each of these people is held back by a condition they did not choose to have. Whether it be physically, mentally or both, these people do not exercise and enjoy the full range of human ability that each of us take for granted. Over 80% of these people live in developing nations. Two million live in South Africa alone. (IMF World Economic Outlook). Luckily these people are not alone in their struggle, there are others like them to help them through life’s trials. People such as Chaeli Mycroft. Chaeli, herself afflicted with cerebral palsy from birth, started The Chaeli Campaign, to help other disabled people. The Campaign has helped thousands of disabled people in Africa, making difficult lives easier - providing much needed physical equipment and disability-specific education.
The Chaeli Campaign uses various programs to provide physical equipment for disabled children, giving them the ability to move around as well as as enhanced motor skills to lead better lives. Chaeli herself requires a motorised wheelchair to move around. In fact the entire Campaign was started to get her the wheelchair. One of the main goals of the Chaeli Campaign is to promote and provide the mobility needs of the disabled under eighteen years. They do this through several programs such as the African Odyssey plan, which provides physical equipment such as wheelchairs to 16 families in Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe. (Chaeli Campaign Programs) Without these wheelchairs these disabled people would not have any means to move around the home, let alone leave it. Taking away the restrictions put in place by their condition, these wheelchairs let disabled people move around almost like an able-bodied person. Disabled children get the opportunity to live their lives amongst children who are not similarly handicapped. It gives them the chance to live more normal lives, less affected by their condition. Alongside this program The Campaign also runs a therapy-backed Assistive Devices scheme, which by providing thousands of kids in South Africa with custom-made equipment that can improve posture and manual dexterity. (Chaeli Campaign Programs) Having therapists work together with this scheme harnesses even more help for the handicapped children. The therapists try hard to make disabled minors more comfortable with - and go beyond - the limitations of their body. The objective is to reduce these limitations, providing more freedom of movement to these children. The program also fosters awareness of what the Chaeli Campaign does and the plight of disabled children, creating more concerned people to help out those in need of a helping hand.
The education given by the Chaeli Campaign to disabled children and their teachers helps them become more accepted in the workplace and classroom. Disabled children are already held back enough by their disability, so the environment they inhabit shouldn’t make it any harder for them. However not all environments can be drastically changed. Often the kids themselves have to be taught the skills to succeed within these environments. The Campaign runs an Inclusive Education program which not only supports minors but also focuses on creating more accepting school environments. (Chaeli Campaign Programs) This course tries to teach disabled children the skills to interact with their classmates and their teacher. Skills such as peer-to-peer solution-finding, as well as promotion of a more accepting learning environment, are elements of the program. These skills may prevent bullying before it starts and provide a useful link with the teacher for when their disability could hold them back. Students with disabilities can be socially inept and have trouble with simple motor skills and articulation in speech. (University of Toronto) By changing learning environments to be better suited for disabled children, the program lessens the effect of their disability in the school environment. The program makes these accepting school environments patient and understanding of the way a disabled child could be held back. Teachers are taught how to support the children as well as the various barriers they could face in learning, and how to overcome said barriers. School cannot help a child through all of life, so certain skills need to be learnt that can be applied in real world situations. The Vocation and Rehabilitation program run by the Campaign has workshops so that disabled kids can learn skills that could provide employment opportunities. It also offers social and intrapersonal lessons. (Chaeli Campaign Program) By teaching disabled youth workplace skills, The Campaign hopes to make them a more attractive to employers. The program also teaches youth communication skills that can help them interact in the workplace. The lessons try to imbue the children with an enhanced ability to follow instructions, a skill necessary if one is to take orders from a superior. Giving disabled youth more confidence in their own skills, which may be hard if they’ve been taken care of their whole life, is another goal of the program. Through this curriculum The Campaign not only helps handicapped children now, but also improves their future job prospects.They are thereby more likely to have a rewarding later life.
“My greatest strength is that I believe I can do anything” - Chaeli Mycroft. Chaeli’s vision of a world where disabled children need not be held back by their condition is a vision still not yet realised. The Chaeli Campaign helps disabled children every day, by providing tutelage to the handicapped that can hopefully ensure that their future is bright. It provides equipment that takes away barriers put up by disabilities. Organisations like The Campaign work hard to change our perspective of disabled people for the better, creating a better world for them to live in and a better world for us to be a part of too. Chaeli believes she can do anything, and with her help and inspiration, 650 million disabled people will be able to.
