MEETING THE NEEDS OF DISABLED VILLAGE CHILDREN

When rehabilitation specialists think about disabled children in poor rural areas, too often they think only of the disadvantages of remoten ess, poor sanitation, and lack of facilities. But the village environm ent also offers unique opportunities and a wealth of local resources. The biggest resource in a poor Third World village is the sense of com munity. Sadly, this has been mostly lost in our cities, where, in the words of Wordsworth, ''neighbourhood serves rather to divide than to u nite.'' By 'sense of community' in a village I mean: a social climate in which there is a neighbour-to-neighbour interdependence, a physical and social closeness where people still know how to share and relate to each other in a very basic, whole-hearted way; an environment where families are much more self-reliant in meeting their basic needs, and where they must use their wits and ingenuity to survive; an informal economy in which people still know how to give of themselves freely, a nd take time to listen; the presence of traditional craftspersons who delight in tinkering, in creating things needed and appreciated by the ir neighbours; a simplicity of lifestyle in which children, including disabled children, can participate meaningfully in the work and subsis tence of the family. It is often easier for children to gain the pride and self-assurance that come from making a real contribution when the y live in a village. The challenge for health and rehabilitation worke rs, of course, is helping those we counsel to see the possibilities an d fully utilize the resources at hand.