Amit Patel and Kika, the guide dog [Courtesy of Amit Patel/ @Kika_Guidedog Twitter]
Having a disability is not a sin and it is not a contagious disease. It neither degrades a person's value nor prevents people with disabilities from feeling especially the insults targeted at them.
What a UK guide dog named Kika captured with Gopro camera shows some people forget these facts.
Amit Patel --37-- was a University College Hospital doctor in London and he was happily married. He was an intellect with a bright future. Then he was diagnosed with keratoconus 18 months after he got married. Patel received six cornea transplants with high hope but his body rejected them all. He eventually got the ultimatum. He had to live without seeing.
Patel was paired with Kika, a guide dog. He had to adjust to the new reality. He accepted he would never be able to see his loved ones again including his baby son and accepted the fact that he had to rely on Kika to maneuver around.
Kika, the guide dog, and Patel's baby son [Courtesy of Amit Patel/ @Kika_Guidedog Twitter]
Patel didn't want to stay at home moping so he and his loyal canine guide started to travel all over London. Things started happening to them both. There were ignorance, violence, and discrimination. Kika was getting physically abused so Patel had to install Gopro camera to have his wife, Seema, view the footage to see what actually happened.
When Patel was asking for help in a London train station and no one came for a while, the video showed the train station staffs standing nearby looking at Patel but chose not to aid him immediately.
Another incident was when he called for a cab and no one came to pick him up, the footage showed cab drivers looking directly at him but driving past by him.
Then there was a woman who ordered Patel to apologize to people behind him because he was blocking the way with Kika on an escalator.
There were countless discriminations and abuses Patel and Kika had to endure and were captured on the camera. However, Patel still goes out "all the time" because he still feels the majority of Londoners are "fantastic".
He chose to release the bad incidents he faced on social media to raise awareness. He hopes tomorrow will be better than today.
Patel now volunteers for RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) so he will be traveling through London more often.
RNIB is a London based non-profit organization for people who lost sights. It strives to improve the quality of life for blinds.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.