Young world health

Help the helpless! As you probably know, 1981 has been called the International Year of Disabled Persons. Throughout this year, all the member countries of the UN and its agencies, including WHO, will be making special efforts, not only on behalf of people who are already suffering from physical or mental handicaps, but also on behalf of everybody else-to try to make sure that nobody unnecessari- ly becomes a disabled person . There are many ways of helping to prevent accidents . Wherever there is busy traffic, people should be taught road safety. lt may seem an obvious thing to look both ways before crossing the road, but every year thousands of people, and espe- cially children, are killed and many thousands more are disabled for life in traffic accidents . Wherever there is · deep water, people are going to fall into it. So learn to swim : one day it may save your )ife! Our homes can be places of risk. Such danger spots as wells and fire- places should be protected so that people don't fall into them. Oil A ll children should learn to swim. lamps and stoves call for special care in using and handling . All these fairly obvious precautions are the sort of thing that leaders of the community should take care of- whether the community is a tiny village far from anywhere or a crowded suburb in some big city. The drawings on this page come from " Training the disabled in the community", a manual just pub- lished by WHO and compiled by E. Helander, P. Mendis and G. Nel- son . This manual doesn 't only ad- Use a safety -belt when you climb tall trees. vise people on how to prevent dis- ablement. lt also includes separate sections suggesting how planners, community leaders and teachers can help people who suffer under various kinds of disability : those who have difficulty in hearing, speaking, seeing or learning ; those who can only move with difficulty ; those who have fits or who behave strangely. All · these people need your help-and this Year of Dis- abled Persons is as good a time as any to start helping them. Imagine that you had been born blind, or could only see a very small part of the world around you. As our drawing shows, the child's mother or father, or a teacher, can use bells-or anything else that makes a Children who cannot see well can learn f rom sounds. loud noise-to help a blind child to learn about distances and direc- tions . Blind , deaf or lame people are particularly at risk when they cross busy roads . These people need your help. Imagine their problems, too, when they travel by bus . You can help such people by telling them which is the right bus, and how to know when it is time to get off. Above all-be patient and toler- ant. People can 't help being dis- abled. They want to share as much as possible in all the pleasures you enjoy. The International Year of the Disabled is your opportunity to help the helpless. • Good road safety training may save your life. 37