Oddbean new post about | logout
 Thanks for sharing Joe. 

Sadly, assistance and services for disabled children, and adults, are under-funded and under-staffed even in developed countries.

This is an issue that is close to my heart and that I am very familiar with. My little brother has been part of many such schools and institutions for heavy mental disability.

These institutions can be private or public, and both have their own challenges. 

In Belgium, the public ones rely on government funding and, while it is generally considered a safer source of funding, they must follow strict criteria on the type of disabilities that can be accepted to join their establishment. As a result, certain types of disabilities have very few institutions, and for the few that exists, there is not enough funding, and thus not enough staff.

Some remain private to be able to accept a broader spectrum of disabilities. Those are constantly looking for funding, and as a result can be very expensive to join.

In France, there are so few schools and institutions that some parents travel all the way to Belgium to be sure their children can have the assistance that they need. They only see their children once a week, or less, because of the distance.

If this is true in Europe, you can only imagine what choices people are faced with in countries with much less means.

Despite it all, you will find the most kind hearted and dedicated staff in those places. People that work there are doing it from a place of love and compassion.

It's true that Bitcoin doesn't fix this, human compassion and care does. But my hope, and life work, is that a prosperous world and society can find the generosity to support those that will never be able to contribute back in equal amounts.