What is your favourite past time when you were older or your memory?

This person is exceptional, but not everyone is comfortable with this person. Why that?

When I received a message from one Disability Organisation, and the case manager asked me if I could do the temporary job as a Specialised worker for people with disabilities in the community. Why not?

My experience with this person was no different or new to myself, for I have my own disabilities – deaf and radiculopathy disc degenerated disease. Let me tell you about this person.

Her name is Wendy (fiction name), and she is over 50 years old, living in Hamilton, Waikato. Wendy has got multi disabilities – Hard of Hearing, CP (Cerebral Palsy), arthritics, weak immune, wear glasses, and speech impaired. Wendy uses two different types of wheelchairs – one is a power wheelchair, and the second one is a manual wheelchair for an outing, such as food shopping. She is fragile and often become vulnerable when living on her own in a rented house. One of Wendy’s neighbours were not kind and can be rude or nasty to her.

I visited Wendy for the first time, and she knew I am deaf and can lip read. Wendy can use her upper arms to make body gestures if I could not understand her. Wendy likes me, and she was happy with my supporting and assisting her once a week. From time to time, we get on well, and one day I asked Wendy what her favourite past time is. Her replied was feeding the ducks by the lake or river. I said to her, why not and let go to Hamilton Lake where there were many ducks and other birds.

On a beautiful day, we were lucky to have a lovely afternoon, and Wendy holds a bag of stale bread for the ducks. We went to Hamilton Lake, which was approximately 20 minutes’ drive from her place. We found a perfect spot that was more accessible for Wendy so she will feel more comfortable without fear of falling out of the wheelchair. I took the bag of stale bread and gave it to Wendy.

Suddenly many ducks came along to Wendy when she put her hand with a piece of stale bread out. She loves it even the ducks do not mind her wheelchair for these ducks can tell she is a disabled person. I was in the middle of the surrounding ducks for I do not mind or bothering me. I am used to it for I remember my early childhood by the lake and the rivers.

Many people such a few groups of mothers with children passing, running or walking when they go for a run, walk around the lake. They were startling, surprise, or in awe by seeing us surrounding with many ducks and birds. Mostly a small number of people think it was horrible for I can lip read these kinds of people. I take no notice of these people and choose to ignored/look away from them.

Every fortnight I took Wendy to the lake and to feed the ducks and birds on a sunny day. Another time, she asked me to go to the cafe, which she loves to drink coffee and have afternoon tea. We did this because she wants to return something back to me as a way of saying thank you for taking her out and make her feeling safe out in the community.

Entering the cafe, Wendy often finds it difficult to say something when the staff do not understand her even using her body gesture/signs. I was there to assist for Wendy to the staff what she wants to have. During our conversation, I asked Wendy if she ever thought of taking up some simple sign language like coffee, milk and she replied was “yes”. I taught Wendy a few simple basic signs where her fingers were not perfectly straight like you or me.

The next four months rolled out, Wendy moved into her late family’s house in a small village and to be near her sick sister and the family. This village is where Wendy feel safe and right next door to her sister so she can keep in touch with her sister daily.

We parted on my last day of work with Wendy followed a thank you afternoon tea. I often remember her whenever I see another person who is deaf with other disabilities. Because Wendy overcomes her insecurity and the barriers of having more freedom and accessibility.