Cause An Effect seeks more inclusive society for disabled

But for Laura Pierre-Escayg and her husband Francis Escayg, that challenge was a launching pad for an organisation to help educate the nation about people with disabilities.

The two are founders of the non-profit organisation Cause An Effect which is a “for-purpose, media and marketing company, with a focus to create awareness campaigns about disabilities and persons with special needs, to transform perspectives and create an inclusive society.” Pierre-Escayg, a singer/songwriter by profession, told Sunday Newsday when in 2004 the couple’s first child Isaiah was born, he was severely disabled and had a rare gene disorder, incontentia pigmenti, which resulted in all round developmental delays.

In September 2009, Pierre-Escayg and occupational therapist Sara Stephens formed the NGO Caribbean Kids and Family Therapy Organisation which provides occupational therapy services for children with special needs regardless of ability to pay. Her husband was also on the board. Then Pierre-Escayg got pregnant with her second child, a girl Phoenix, and she decided to walk away from the organisation and allow someone else to take it over.

She recalled her husband, a filmmaker, musician and author, was concerned about what would happen to their son if he died. Their paediatrician also asked them what they would do with Isaiah when he turned 18, a question they had not considered while going through the daily grind of taking care of him and attending to his needs.

“When the question came up with Isaiah it sparked something in my husband. The need to do something to shift the future, not just for Isaiah but other kids like Isaiah.” Escayg decided to form Cause An Effect and it was founded December 19, 2012.

Pierre-Escayg said she was a little hesitant at first to get involved adding, that as a parent of a child with a disability, it can be draining and rewarding.

“I felt I wanted to be a little bit selfish. I did not want to save the world anymore. I wanted to live, enjoy my children, get back to my music career. I just wanted to sing again and not want to think about anything else really.” When her son broke his leg, she began going through a very difficult period with him that included a lot of sleepless nights. She explained many children with special needs have very erratic sleep patterns and, because he is a child that cannot remain unsupervised, she would be up all night with him sometimes and that could go on for two days.

Pierre-Escayg recalled thinking if she was having struggles, then others would be going through struggles as well. Spurred on by empathy, she began thinking what she could to help and alleviate their situations and in 2015 began “throwing” herself into Cause An Effect with her husband.

She said at that point the organisation was not “complete” and the two started working together. She explained a lot of what they are developing in Cause An Effect is about building bridges between the public, those don’t have disabilities, and those who have disabilities.

She said the disabled are often looked upon as subhuman and people to feel pity and sympathy for but it should not be like that.

“You could become disabled today.

An accident happens. Or give birth to a child with a disability.

You could become elderly and get dementia. Or a mental health issue prevents you from living a full life and to be independent.” Escayg told Sunday Newsday his role is to be in the background creating content.

“As a team we work pretty well.

She holds down the frontline while I am in the background getting ammunition.” Isaiah turns 13 next month while their daughter Phoenix is eight and a third child, a girl named Roxy- Moon, is six. Escayg said they are working on a feature film on their family which will focus on how they had to deal with the stresses Isaiah brought and also the expectations and loss of expectations of having a child with a disability.

They are planning to release the film in 2018.

“We want persons with disabilities to no longer be invisible. We want them to be treated as equal persons.” Pierre-Escayg explained they also work with NGOS to help develop their stories for them and to develop content relative to disabilities.

Cause An Effect has produced the “Lioness” series for print media about 12 women including mothers of children with disabilities, women who run NGOs or schools, and one young woman, Shamla Maharaj, who has cerebral palsy.

Pierre-Escayg said it was a pretty successful series based on the feedback they received.

They then published the “Footsoldier” series about 12 women including special educators, speech therapists and occupational therapists.

Pierre-Escayg explained for every series, they wanted to humanise the person with a disability and had the women pen the stories themselves.

The Footsoldier recently ended and they are working on two new series: the Lions Series for print featuring 12 fathers and men who live with disabilities, and for television the ABCs of Disabilities which brings together a diverse team of paediatricians, medical specialists, parents, self advocates, therapists, mental health professionals and gerontologists - to share their expertise on disabilities Cause An Effect will be holding a fundraiser concert at Queen’s Hall on September 24, Republic Day, to offset the cost of producing the ABCs of Disabilities campaign.

The concert will feature Pierre-Escayg and calypsonian David Rudder and tickets cost $200. For more information on the concert or the organisation check out their website causeaneffect.co or check them out on Facebook.