Posts

How accessible is Beppu for travelers with special needs?

-
Image
My dad had stroke 7 years ago, and still is on his way to recover, so he needs cane to support him walking. I am currently in my last month of pregnancy so I may not be able to walk too long, climbing stairs and have to use the restroom frequently (yes, no shame!) . Two of us travelled together with 7 other members of my family, including my husband, for a week around Beppu and Yufuin. My parents, my brothers and my sister in law flew from Indonesia to visit us here. So we planned everything accordingly. However, over the course of one week, we experienced traveling in a whole different level. The visit of my family gets me to think, how accessible Beppu really is for people with special needs. 1. Accessible Toilet - Location matters! Sometimes when we think of travelers with special needs or with disability, we tend to think of ramp and accessibility for wheelchair users. However, after traveling with my dad, I realize it is more than that. My dad walks using cane, thus
Post a Comment
Read more

Fingertalk team won Grand Prix for Daigaku SDGs Award in Tokyo

-
Image
Fingertalk team, represented by the founder Dissa Ahdanisa, won the first prize, Grand Prix, of Asahi Shimbun annual Daigaku SDGs Action Awards in Tokyo on 20 February 2019. After passing the first round of document application, Fingertalk, representing Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, was selected to be one of 12 finalists.  As suggested by its name, the competition was open to undergraduate, graduate students and researchers from universities all around Japan to come up with ideas that will help achieving any of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. The goals cover areas such as poverty eradication, high quality education and social justice. Accordingly, finalists ideas ranged from providing educational program for young Japanese students to creating affordable and portable toilet for underprivileged communities in Southeast Asia. Dissa presented Fingertalk most recent project, Plushindo. It empowers underprivileged Deaf community by creating c
Post a Comment
Read more

Learning Japanese Sign Language (shuwa) in Beppu

-
Image
I love learning sign languages because of how diverse they are. Sign languages also use facial expressions, gestures and body movement. Although I am not an expert and nowhere near the interpreter level, I am always interested in learning more and more words in sign language. Since I am now in Japan, I have been very lucky to have several opportunities to learn about Japanese Sign Language (JSL) or 手話 (literally means ‘hand talk’!) while also shared my story about Fingertalk with local communities! 1. Hirumachi Nihongo in Beppu “Hirumachi Nihongo” is a monthly activity in Beppu to bring people of Beppu together. It creates a place where people, especially international students, can practice their Japanese language skill with the local citizen of this hot spring city. The gathering has different theme every month, and last year’s December theme was “shuwa” or Japanese sign language. I was invited by my Japanese sensei to come and share my story with Fingertalk. Of course
1 comment
Read more

APU first inclusive Deaf-friendly TED talk!

-
Image
Last Wednesday, 16 January 2019, I had the honor to speak at TEDxAPU with other inspiring speakers. The talks topics range from mental health, self-esteem, social media to inclusion for people with disability. I had the honor to share my story about turning the values I am raised with and influenced by, into an idea that make a difference, Fingertalk. The best part is, I was able to deliver the talk in front of both hearing and Deaf audience. Yes, for the very first time ever, TEDxAPU offered sign language interpreters and opened its doors for our Deaf friends to attend! I am always curious of learning sign language of different regions and countries. Since I am in Beppu, Japan now, I am exposed to Japanese sign language more than ever. Thus, when TEDxAPU team contacted me to join the event as one of the speakers, I immediately thought of the local Deaf people, the Oita Deaf community! As I planned my talk to include how diverse sign languages are, how I learned so much from
Post a Comment
Read more

HULT Prize: Finding Our Why, Once Again

-
Image
2018 is coming to an end and one of the highlight of this year is to participate in Hult Prize competition in our campus, APU. Not only that it was one of the most well-known and prestigious student-competition for social entrepreneurship, but it has given me a chance to revisit the reason Fingertalk exists in the first place, and now, together with my husband and my brother, we are given the chance to spread our wings and make it bigger. We once again, are finding our why.  The Hult Prize is the world’s biggest engine for the launch of for good, for-profit startups emerging from university all around the world. The competition challenges young people to create ideas in tackling social issues and compete for the final prize of USD$ 1 Million. This year’s challenge is “youth unemployment”. As World Economic Forum 2018 reported that one in five youth globally is neither employed, nor engaged in formal education, or involved in training, youth unemployment is an issue
Post a Comment
Read more

The Tale of Different Timezones

-
Image
Some people were curious on how I met my husband. After reading Hijrah’s post on how we met (follow his Instagram @hijrah25) I suddenly remember the episode in our relationship when we were constantly living in different time zones and different continents for couple months.  Before Hijrah went to United States, I had a chance to go to New Zealand for the prestigious YBLI program, alhamdulillah. Unfortunate for me, Hijrah had his birthday three days after I left Indonesia. However, being in the very south of the world, I got to celebrate his birthday quite early. Easily, I was the first birthday wisher, six hours earlier than anyone else, all the way from the land of the long white cloud. As you can tell, I am pretty proud of that ;) Then I went around Wellington and Christchurch, while Hijrah was in Banda Aceh preparing for his exciting adventure.  Hijrah then went off to Washington D.C for the prestigious YSEALI program. Through my mum and brother who sent him off at t
Post a Comment
Read more

VPOTUS Mike Pence to YSEALI: Make a difference, Don't wait to be asked

-
Image
For the first time ever, Donald Trump’s sidekick, the current Vice President of the United States of America visited Indonesia. During his brief visit, he decided to meet with 23 YSEALI alumnae for a brief session, and I was one of them. Yes, it was unexpected. I was one of the four panelists who were chosen to represent the program, and no.. I was not there on behalf of just the Indonesian Alumni, I was there on behalf of the whole YSEALI alumnae in ASEAN. We were also the very first youth groups of US State Dept youth exchange programs that current administration met.  So, we needed to tell VPOTUS that youth exchange program matters and create a difference in our lives. We were there to be the voices of the youths of Asia, Africa and the world.. and each one of us only had 1 minute. It may sound dramatic, but it kinda was. When the US Embassy told me that VP is coming to Indonesia and going to meet YSEALI alumnae, I was really impressed. I know that he is from
Post a Comment
Read more