Military police shot Pov Saroath in the spine at a land protest in 2019. Doctors initially left open the possibility of recovery, but last year he was told he would never walk again. Meanwhile, last June, soldiers shot land disputant Mom Chantha. He is now more than $1,000 in medical debt.
As Cambodia reopens, some with disabilities face the lingering effects of pandemic lockdowns that disrupted access to prostheses, wheelchairs and related care.
Workers with disabilities say the construction of a national disability center has ruined access to their wheelchair workshop in Kandal province.
Twenty-five years after Brother Richie Fernando’s death, the floor tiles in Kandal marked by the grenade blast that killed him have been relocated. But the Filipino missionary, who has been touted for sainthood, is still remembered for his acts of kindness.
For Cambodia’s blind students, school closures and the pandemic have added new difficulties to their studies. Video chats have left them with only portions of lessons, Khmer-language screen reading technology has been lacking, and one of the country’s only braille publishing houses has been temporarily shut due to Covid-19.
At his Phnom Penh laundry shop, owner Thy Leanghour exclusively employs people living with disabilities, offering his staff an opportunity to independently earn an income and challenge the biases often associated with disability in the workplace.
Born in a Thai refugee camp to Cambodian parents, Kenji Kuraki and his family immigrated to Japan, where he says he overcame prejudice and developed confidence while pursuing competitive rowing, and later coaching the sport.
Disability Advocates Say Gov’t Will Offer Radio LicenseInformation Minister Khieu Kanharith promised a band of radio frequencies to the Cambodian Disabled People’s Organization (CDPO) to broadcast its news programs across Phnom Penh after the Khmer New Year, the group said.
VOD is an independent media outlet producing radio programs and disseminating information to the public via the Internet.
© 2019 VOD. All Rights Reserved.
