About the author
I am being asked to write, as succinctly as possible - and I hope I am not betrayed by my memory or by ingratitude - something about my life as a person, as a disabled person inserted in a universe, as the word indicates, unique, mine and mine alone; but which, when described, could, and I hope it will be so, give an image of how difficult it is for a human being to be different in a society that does not know itself as such, and because most men, therefore, do not know themselves either.
Thus, I too, when writing these lines, and when revisiting lived and felt experiences, will seek to know myself, and recognize myself, as a man, with limitations, that I am.
As far as I can remember, it all started in the distant year of 1962 , when I was 3 years old, when my parents, who, as far as I know, did not have any family members with disabilities, noticed that I was asking them to repeat everything they said to me, with a laconic "Huh?". What happened then, I do not remember. But the rush to try, with the medical and technical resources available at the time, to give me a more comfortable quality of life, as a deaf person, is still very much alive.
Times were difficult, the Second World War had already ended 15 years earlier. Europe was still rising from the ashes. The social structure, with everything that supported it, took some time to reorganize itself; but my parents, they never wasted time.
We sought out the most suitable doctors, the available technicians and the best methods so that I would not lose that wonderful connection with the world, which is hearing and, consequently, speech. In this context, the objectives, and the dream, were achieved, but my parents did not give up. The task was not finished. It never would be; I know that today.
Thus began the search for a schooling adapted to the circumstances. Schools followed one after the other, in a constant search for the most appropriate for the time and for the therapies. Today I know, with first-hand knowledge, how positive this was; and this is because staying in the same school for a long time, with the same people, who may often not be the best, both as people and as technicians, leads, in most cases, to the creation, almost inevitably, of a stereotypically wrong idea of a person, and even more so when they have some limitation, be it physical or motor. In this constant search for an effective schooling, the possibility arose, now in public education, of attending a "Pilot School" of Special Education, in this case for the Deaf, the Pedro de Santarém Preparatory School . It was an oasis in a desert! In a country where almost everything was lacking, in the technical aspect, everything was overcome there with the best that a human being has of himself: "Human Warmth". And this overcomes all barriers and works Wonders!
Life went on, with its ups and downs. We had to keep in mind our natural integration, which seemed to be shaken, not only in the family but also in society. It seemed so, but it wasn't. There was a natural realization that some adjustments had to be made in light of the circumstances. But above all, fortunately for everyone, there was a realization that for this integration, both in the family and at school and in the future in social and professional life, it was necessary to decant the greatest and most versatile type of information that accustomed me to, and enabled me to always seek answers to the questions I asked myself and those around me.
Subsequently, there was a temporary situation of unemployment, for about nine months, the first; followed by a situation of "temporary leasing", once again with a "Fixed Term Contract". This time in a Public Company where I performed the functions of 3rd Clerk, and also of Document Reproduction Technician. This situation lasted four years. After the publication of a diploma in the "Diário da República", DL 358/89 of October 17, which defined the new guidelines for "Temporary Work".
