I am totally blind and I work for Google, writing changes to the ranking algorithm.
That’s from a user comment on Quora, the popular question-and-answer website. It’s unfortunate how many people don’t know that blind people can code, or that they can work for some of the best tech companies in the world. A disability in seeing is not a disability in analyzing, modelling, and debugging; it should not be an obstacle to success. In fact, blindness can empower computer programmers to improvise and be more self-reliant, traits that are rewarded in workplaces like Google.
Can a child, blind from birth, grow up to be a world-class programmer in Bosnia and Herzegovina today? I want people to see that possibility become a reality.
Twenty-five years ago this month, the United States passed a wide-ranging civil rights law that brought the rights of people with disabilities on par with those of other groups. The Americans with Disabilities Act, among other things, made it illegal for businesses to refuse to hire someone based on their disability. It also made it illegal for public institutions, like schools, to improperly segregate children because of their disabilities. The act further made theaters, restaurants, libraries, public transportation, schools, and government buildings accessible for all.
As a society, we have stereotypes about people with disabilities that we need to confront. The first is our very definition of disability. Not all disabilities are visible. A young child with autism should be treated with the same level of care and attention—and should be afforded the same basic rights—as a war veteran injured in conflict. Deaf students should have the opportunity to receive a top education, just as their peers and individuals in wheelchairs have every right to the same space as we do. They are all citizens of your country or mine, and can contribute equally to its advancement if given the opportunity.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, laws protecting the rights of people with disabilities are on the books, but they are seldom enforced and often underfunded. Some of these laws are inadequate or unclear in their obligations. The reality is—for parents and children across the country—that a school will often refuse to accept a child with a disability, justifying this by a lack of assistants or teachers, or by physical barriers to access. In many cases, a parent will accompany her child to classes as the only option. This is often justified with a lack of funding, so the basic question is: “Who speaks for the disabled in BiH – and who represents them.” Foreign donors and local NGOs can supplement, but cannot replace the education system, which needs to be tailored to provide every child equal opportunity to reach their full potential.
That is why having a uniform definition of disability, and uniform criteria for acquiring the status of a person with disability, is so important to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Right now, authorities in different parts of the country, at different levels, are defining disability differently, protecting the rights of some, and neglecting those of others. That has to change.
And along with it, we have to change how we treat people with disabilities. The system of exclusion and institutionalization that predominates today—in which adults are discriminated against and their rights to employment violated, in which even children are marginalized, denied a normal education, and deprived of assistance—needs to change.
A commitment to inclusion is a sign of leadership as much as it is a reflection of humanity. The political class in Bosnia and Herzegovina needs to care about all of its citizens, including the most vulnerable who for now are often ignored. The human costs of doing so are very real,both in the suffering of those neglected and the lost potential of those who could be leaders in their field.
But let’s not be disheartened. Every day, you have the opportunity to be an advocate for change. Advocacy is the art of standing up for yourself and for others. You can advocate for a better life on many fronts, by demanding accountability, rejecting manipulation, and questioning your own stereotypes. Demand that the most vulnerable groups have the ability to navigate your cities, have access to government buildings, and be given the services they need to live and succeed in BiH.
Just last month, a young man with cerebral palsy ran in the Avaz marathon, proving that you can do anything when you put your mind to it. I am personally inspired by two young women who recently participated in our Kennedy Lugar Youth Exchange and Study (YES) program. Both of these students, though visually impaired, spent one year in the U.S. at an American high school and lived with a host family. One young woman upon her return started an English language program for the Center for Blind and Visually Impaired Youth in Sarajevo. She used her experience in the US to help improve the lives of others. That is the power of one person committed to change.
The personal stories of a blind computer programmer and a high school exchange student are inspirational. There are many more of you out there, extremely talented people, who have gone through a process of overcoming challenges that are unimaginable to most of us. Please share your stories, let us learn from them, and discover how a child here could have the same success.
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