By A Correspondent- Radio personality and disability activist, Soneni Gwizi has taken to social media to share her experience urging parents to teach their children about people living with disability as they are ordinary people like everyone else.
Gwizi, an award winning motivational speaker broadcaster, influencer, and disability media facilitator who in 2018 became the Action on Disability and Development Ambassador for Africa posted on twitter:
Today I agree that I’m emotionally strong at the same time I felt embarrassed but I won’t let the darkness shadow my light
#ThisIsMyStory I was minding my own business going about doing my shopping. Everything was going fine until this happened. A 5/6 yrs child literally screamed & started pointing fingers at me as if “it” had seen a ghost or an alien.
Everyone in the shop started panicking wondering why the child was crying. I nearly lost my cool but I stood there in calmness- the child was screaming uncontrollable, the mom came & took the child away without even trying to explain to the child that I am a human being. The mother failed to handle the situation by acting the way she did.
Everyone in the shop was asking why the child was crying & the explanation left me hurting hearing hearing the was afraid of me. There was a lady who came to my rescue and we started talking about the whole encounter. I surely don’t look scary do I?
1. No human should experience that kind of embarrassment
2. Parents should teach their children about #PeopleWithDisabilities
3. Public places are for everyone
4. Be nice I encourage #PWDs not to allow negative encounters to stop them from living a purposeful life. Go out there and be You! Let your light shine so bright and scare all the demons
Stay safe! Stay Cool #PeopleWithDisabilities are ordinary people like you