The 3rd Asia-Pacific CBR Congress

Hello everyone,

My name is Akiko Fukuda. I am Secretary General of World Federation of the Deafblind, and also just one citizen in this planet called earth.

It is such an honor to have a chance to talk in front of you today.

Especially Year 2015 is such a remarkable milestone year for us,

Today, this moment is the very youngest moment in the rest of my life and in your life.

No reason to hesitate, just stand up and move! – Often times, people listen and do not take any action, which I do not like. Why are you here? Why am I making a speech?

How many times have you attended such conferences or meetings and done nothing? I am talking to myself…

Ok, let me introduce myself.

I am female, in mid-30s, actually I will be 38 years old this month. Totally unbelievable. .

No kids, no husband, -- well, no plan – well, no chance yet. I am so free.

I was born and raised in Kyusyu, which is southern part of Japan.

I moved to Tokyo when I was 18 to enter college and started Independent Living.

Last 20 years, I have done this and that, and this, and that, and now I am sitting in front of you now.

I was nearly-blind since birth, and diagnosed with multiple sclerosis which causes damage in my brain and spinal cord.

I am totally deafblind now, meaning I cannot see at all, and I cannot hear at all. I receive information through interpreter-guide using communication method called tactile sign language. Because I was hearing before, I know how to speak, but my hands also talk sometimes.

I am also a wheelchair user with a ventilator and oxygen – here is an oxygen cylinder I carry everyday– do not worry, this looks like a bomb but it is absolutely not! I love the word ‘peace.’

You call me a professional of isolation.

As a totally deafblind, even with bunch of people here in front of me, or even in the center of crowded Shinjuku station, for me, there is no one. I am all alone with complete silence.

I even cannot tell you standing in front of me if you do not touch me.

When I lost sight and hearing completely, it was like I was cut off from society and became an alien, well it is somewhat true.

The most shocking thing when I became deafblind was actually the fact that I found there are many other deafblind people like me. I felt like I found home. But at the same time, I am always thinking of deafblind people still unconnected. That keeps me moving forward – I want to tell them,

‘I was not alone, you are not alone, and we are not alone”

CBID- community-based inclusive development –oh, what a perfect job for persons with disabilities!

I tell you 3 simple steps

1. Decide what you want to achieve. Dream big!

2. Get out in the community and try to find how to achieve, involve others. Never give up

There is a way, only if you continue to find a way

3. Disclose the method how you did it

At this point, you will notice that each individual with disability is an asset of community as an agent of change to build better society. Up to now, people with disabilities have been targeted to be protected, not any more, from year 2015

I want to introduce a couple of examples I have been doing in my community:

In my city called Musashino-city in Tokyo, there is a Community Independent Support Council. Public officers and social workers and people with disabilities collaborate to make my city better place to live.

I serve as a chair of group of people with disabilities – we have members with different types of disabilities and diverse backgrounds. It is a hard task but we share our experience and deliver our voice. Last year, with a collaboration of advocacy group, another sub-group, we started to chatting time, it is like a tea party – talk about each other in our neighbors we get to know each other better – this creates human network and foundation of community-based inclusive development.

What else? Sometimes I travel by myself by train. Now station officers near my house are so accustomed to guide deafblind person in a wheelchair in a very appropriate manner. I put my hand forward and they write letters on my palm and we can communicate.

What else? I want to continue to live in my house, not in the hospital. So personal attendants are dispatched, I want to attend an events or chat with my friends, so interpreter-guides are dispatched, These are achievements of disabled leaders in the past, but look, I am providing employment opportunities just by living.

I think I have to stop here, but I want to say…

I have a dream – one day, I can chat with you anytime with free of charge

I have a dream – one day, I can enter every store so I can touch and shop around

I have a dream-- one day, we are not treated as vulnerable people, rather variable people in community

I have a dream – one day, many of you professionals will lose current job because there is no poverty

I have a dream—one day, I will see you again in your country! …please make sure I can stay safe and enjoy. I do not want to be stopped at the airport.

We hear such phrase many times – “nothing about us without us”, but I would like to add one more some words-“nothing about our community without us.”

Thank you