Differently able urged to ‘climb every mountain’

THE Caribbean Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Livelihoods, represented by Chief Entrepreneurship Expert, Marcia Brandon, recently presented the Specials’ Development Discovery Retreat Group with a copy of a newly published Caribbean book to benefit the differently-abled. 

The book, entitled, “Climbing Every Mountain,” is written by Dr. Susan R. Anderson, and looks at barriers, opportunities and experiences of Jamaican students with disabilities, in their pursuit of personal excellence.

“In this era, when the focus is on excellence, we need to help everyone to achieve their God given levels of excellence. Excellence will of course differ from person to person depending on their abilities and career choices. However, when one gets to a level of excellence, most if not everyone around them will recognise this.”

“People who have reached levels of excellence display a combination of certain traits, including balance; commitment; determination; high expectations; internal motivation; an attitude of gratitude; positivity; compassion giving; getting things done; no acceptance of mediocrity; good time management; self and people awareness; integrity; honesty and spirituality,” the CoESL head said.

Brandon explains that her organisation’s philosophy is based on inclusion and cohesion, and the leaving no one behind philosophy. 

“While we understand that not everyone will have the same levels of competencies, strengths or capacities, we have a responsibility, as persons who have been given positions of privilege, to ensure that we make a difference in the lives of people – not organisations, but people. As this month is being celebrated as the month of the disabled, we felt it very necessary to ensure that the Specials’ Group had access to a copy of this very special book.”

The author of the book, Dr. Anderson, is Co-ordinator of Undergraduate Studies and lecturer in Educational Psychology and Special Education in the School of Education, the University of the West Indies, Mona. As a researcher, and with respect to Special Education, Dr. Anderson has focused on the specific areas of special needs and at-risk students, which have yielded a significant and useful selection of publications. 

‘Against-all-odds’

Brandon says the book is a great educational and motivational tool for parents of the disabled, tertiary level students of special education, as well as teachers, counsellors and advocates who work with and on behalf of students who have disabilities.

The book celebrates “against-all-odds” perseverance of those who have overcome challenges of disability to pursue their educational development, while at the same time pressing for further improvements in policy, implementation and monitoring for those living with a disability.

The Specials’ Group is made up of several specials needs children and adults with disabilities, which include the mentally and physically challenged, learning and communication disabilities and multiple disabled children. Their hope is to benefit from educational, recreational, social and cultural experiences locally and abroad.

In accepting the book, Mardol Knight, Vice President of the Specials’ Group, expressed sincere gratitude, and noted that the book will be used as much as possible as a tool to assist parents and children in the group and for lobbying purposes, as its contents are relevant to Barbados as they are to Jamaica.