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Are you helping the disabled? By THE REV. KEITH ELFORD Pastor Whitby Free Methodist Church They're working hard up at the town headquar- ters. The committees are meeting. The surveys are being studied. The task force set up by the mayor is putting its report together for the November deadline. But I'm wondering how things are going out at the grass roots - for the Year of the Disabled. Social psychologists say that there are several ways to effect change in a person. None of them agree with each other. The behaviourists say that if you change a person's conduct ("get him going") his attitude will change. Others say, "No. Increase his knowledge. Load him up with facts and that will change his at- titude?" There's some truth in both these approaches, and we need to use them to help both those who are disabled and those who could befriend the disabled to dissolve attitude barriers that often keep the two apart. Think about the social organizations to which you belong. If you're a church goer, think about the conscious and unconscious messages that pass between your congregation and the wheel chair citizen. If some one came up the sidewalk to your church next Sunday in a wheelchair, could he get in? If he got in, and he needed to go to the washroom, would that be possible? (It's a habit that none of us can or should break.) When the congregation stands, could he still see what is going on? Is there a place where he can sit and not feel conspicuous on the one hand, norforgotten on the other hand? Then there's the more difficult question. How would a person in a wheelchair feel at your church? Sometimes disabled people are ignored not because of a prejudiced hostility, but because of plain human awkwardness. Most people want to be friendly, but no one wants to embarass or be em- barassed and so we avoid. How can that be changed? The behaviourist would say, "Don't dodge. Go right up to that new worshipper. Hang your face out and do your best to converse." The "fact finder" would say, "Find out what's wrong with the person in 'the chair"'. Ac- quaint yourself with the facts concerning that par- ticular physical disorder and you may discover that few physical handicaps cause brain damage. (His legs may not work, but then your teeth may be gone and so in a sense, that puts you both in the same boat. "His" is just more obvious.) No one likes to be forgotten. On the other hand, few enjoy being made a "centre-shot" celebrity because one part of their body doesn't function. I'm thinking about the patronizing that can happen. Everybody seems to rush about because here comes somebody in a wheelchair. The motives are sin- cere; but the effect can be undesirable. How would you feel if because the hair is a little thin on top, an usher rushed up to you to give you a special cap to wear to keep the polished dome com- fortable. Or suppose you wear eye glasses and the same usher bustled over to you to give you a san- ctified miner's hat and a six inch magnifying glass - just so you could sea comfortably. The wheelchair worshipper can't hide his wheelchair; that's how he got there. You can be sure that he won't be back if he becomes a "sen- sation" because he's in the chair. ("Baldy" wouldn't be back if he had to wear the hat.) Speaking of coming back, when the service is over, what then? Is your friendship a good reason to come back again because of the phone call during the week or your short-visit-while-you-were-in-the- neighbourhood? How would the man in the wbeelchair feel if he carne up the sidewalk~next Sunday? How would you feel? WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY,JULY 22, 1981, PAGE 31 Heaith council to hold Before iforge tt i, muthank thie many of my customers Who have accienteemma nbeen good enough to recom. mand me to their friends and The Durham Region District Health Council is organizing a nuclear disaster planning seminar for September. The seminar is being held to inform health and local government officials of what should be done in the event of a nuclear accident. According to the executive director of the district health council, it will provide a forum for those people working in hospitals, municipali- ties, nursing homes and other health care facilities to ensure that they have plans for this kind of emergency should it happen in the region. Mick Peters also poin- ted out that this region is home to two nuclear generating stations - the one that is presently in operation in Pickering and the one that is under construction in the old Township of Darlington, now the Town of Newcastle. The seminar is being held at the suggestion of the Ontario Ministry of Health who recommen- ded that the district health council organize the seminar to focus on the health care aspects of a nuclear contingency plan. The event will be held on September 17 in the council chambers of the Whitby Municipal Building, Peters said adding that over 200 people are expected to be in attendance. Ontario Hydro of- ficials will be present to explain the safety features that are built into the Pickering nuclear generating station. "We felt it terribly important to allay some of the fears," Peters remarked. Hydro will also have an exhibit as will the Ajax-Pickering General Hospital, which has a contingency plan for a nuclear disaster. Peters added that the hospital's morgue can be used as a decon- tamination unit. Ajax Mayor Bill Mclean, a member of the health council, will lead a panel discussion of Hydro's contingency plan and a review of a simulated leak that took place at the Pickering facility earlier this year. Five workshops will also be held including one dealing with evacuation plans for hospitals and other health care facilities as well as one for doctors which will inform them of the effects of WE'RE AUTO BODY EXPERTS • Complete Collision • Repairs & Painting • Frame Repairs • Free Estimates • Cars done by Appointment Only "Net Yeur Averuge Body Skp" 324 Ash St., Whitby 668-8522 radiation on their The ministry of health patients. will hold one on its Another workshop guidelines for nuclear will be held for disasters and the fifth municipal politicians on one will deal with the municipal planning and responsibilities of the political responsibility media in the event of a of nuclear programgs. nuclear disaster. 683196