Story of Tanaz, Disability type – Speech Impairment
“I have a daughter, her name is Tanaz. When a child is born, parents are always eager to hear their child speaking and utter the very first word that comes out of any child’s mouth and that is calling her mother. But I was not fortunate enough to hear that first word, nor any other words. She has a Speech Impairment disability. She couldn’t speak and even utter a word. She could only scream and cry for every possible thing, most of the times we didn’t understand the reason for what she screams. I always wanted to cure her disability by providing a better medical care. But, that wasn’t our cup of tea. We are poverty ridden people, and don’t have enough money for her treatment. It’s been years together since I was curiously waiting to hear her call me Ammi. I thought that day to witness her speech would never be encountered by me in my lifetime.
She is a physically fit child, she does everything we do. But, the only problem was that she couldn’t speak. People called her mad. They even entitled her with the disabilities that she dint even had. As she didn’t knew to speak, most of the schools didn’t get her admitted and hence she was deprived of the basic right to education. No children would mingle with her only because she didn’t speak and teased her for the same. Therefore, due to which she was suffering loneliness. She had no friends and any other people would barely make an effort to mingle with her.
I encountered the rehabilitation centre in Vijaypur, and thought of getting her admitted there. I initially thought they would reject like every other School did, but for my surprise she was admitted by VSDESWS. Paying the fees was really a burden for me as Tanaz’s father is highly alcoholic and never been responsible enough. I managed working as a domestic help in many houses and also as the fees was reasonably viable, it was possible for me to afford it. At the rehabilitation centre, her teachers started teaching her many vital things. They taught her discipline, how to comb her hair, brush her teeth, bath, etc. They also teach her how to protect if someone attacks her from the back and what should be her self defense mechanism which is vital for any girl in today’s Society. In the centre she was finally able to make new friends and interact with them, there was a major transformation from loneliness to liveliness as she mingles with all her friends and Teachers at the centre.
She was finally been gradually taught how to pronounce. She was initially taught with basic alphabets, numbers and much more. She was taught how to combine letters, frame a word and pronounce them aloud. She gradually learnt them. Finally after 13 years of my efforts and wait, she called me Ammi! I couldn’t stop my tears rolling down that day. What else a mother needs from her child else than her child calling out for the soul that gave birth to her. To my surprise, there are many other words that she is trying to pronounce, such as Ammi. Abbu, Sir, Madam, etc. Now she doesn’t scream if she is hungry, she speaks aloud saying muje khaana dedo (Give me food although a bit stammering). She loves going to the Rehabilitation Centre over home. Because there she can play with other Children and always feel active. Today, she finally thinks that yes I too exist in this world and I too can definitely do something”.
Tanaz-