People with disabilities face distinct challenges in remote indigenous communities as compared to other societies. There are institutional, cultural and ecosystem characteristics that create distinct contexts worldwide. This requires new approaches and innovative solutions.
An illustration of this distinction is the fact that snakebites are a major public health problem in indigenous forest communities, leading to acute local and systemic damage with resulting deficiencies. Access to antivenom treatment is poorer for indigenous peoples compared to other societies. Snakebites at an early stage of life may deprive children of sensory and social experiences and of learning their future roles in their communities.
From an institutional point of view, indigenous communities are frequently neglected by governments as they often have low political weight in elections and demand higher costs for public services. Governmental institutions are often completely absent and, when present, are weaker and poorly equipped to deal with different realities of indigenous communities. Public schools do not have adequate infrastructure and well-trained staff to deliver appropriate education for students with disabilities. Community health agents do not have adequate training to work with people with disabilities.
There are deep cultural differences between indigenous and non-indigenous societies. Some indigenous societies have strong prejudices against people with disabilities, including murder at birth. On the other hand, indigenous peoples often have collective approaches, including food sharing practices, that benefit people with disabilities. Outside interventions pose ethical and methodological challenges.
Indigenous peoples have close relationships with natural ecosystems where they live. Livelihoods depend on activities such as agriculture, fishing and forest gathering. Differently from urban societies where there are jobs that can be available to people with disabilities, indigenous communities often have few work opportunities for people with disabilities. Climate change poses threats but also new opportunities.
New approaches and innovative solutions are needed. This includes health programs to reduce avoidable disabilities (e.g. snakebites), education programs to offer fair opportunities, respectful dialogue to bridge cultural divides and work opportunities that tap new technologies, including those aimed at adaptation and climate justice.
* General Director, Foundation for Amazon Sustainability; Associate Professor of Dom Cabral Foundation; Member of the Pontifical Academy for the Social Sciences.