Training helps people living with disabilities

By CARMELLA GWARE
PEOPLE living with intellectual disabilities can be taught to look after themselves and live normal lives if given special training and assistance.
Normal tasks such as sweeping floors and doing laundry may be difficult for them but not impossible, Ruth Jabati and Brenda Lombage say.
Both had attended six weeks of training on intellectual disabilities in Japan before doing their practical in Cambodia for two weeks.
“I normally deal with people with physical disabilities such as blindness, but after the training, I said I wanted to focus on people with intellectual disabilities,” Lombage said.
She wants to empower their guardians to get involved in trainings which can result in a sustainable life for them.
“PNG, mipla no luksave yet lo ol disable lain … luksave i ken kamap lo ol hap olsem sevises, edukesen na wok, (PNG hasn’t recognised people living with disabilities yet … they can be recognised in areas such as services, education and employment.)” Jabati said.
“We have the funds and we have the facilities but we need honest and committed people to manage it.”
Both women are also living with disabilities and will begin conducting training at the PNG Rehabilitation Centre in Hohola, Port Moresby.