Fighting for the rights of people with disabilities
Gabriel de Sousa, Executive Director with the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Timor-Leste (AHDMTL), explains how AHDMTL is working to empower people with disabilities.
As a young person with a visual impairment, I feel very proud to be the Executive Director of AHDMTL. I am proud to be able to defend the rights of people with disabilities, especially people in rural areas who may not be aware of their rights.
During 2006 and 2007 I became totally blind, and I am the second child in my family with a visual impairment. In 2013 I joined AHDMTL as an active member, undertaking the braille course and other courses in capacity building that AHDMTL offered.
The principle of AHDMTL is to promote and protect the rights of people with disabilities, especially people with visual impairments, who come to AHDMTL to access education. We want to support them to be able to get jobs so that they can live with dignity and independence.
Gabriel de Sousa, Executive Director with the Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired Timor-Leste (AHDMTL). Photo: Harjono Djoyobisono
A student using a braille board for learning at the school for blind and visually impaired students managed by AHDMTL. Photo: Harjono Djoyobisono
Teachers at the blind and visually impaired school: Florabela dos Santos Pacheco (left) and Ana Leonia Ximenes Belo (right) during a class activity.The school is managed by AHDMTL. Photo: Harjono Djoyobisono
The main goal of AHDMTL is for people with disabilities in Timor-Leste to have access to education. We also want people with disabilities in Timor-Leste to have freedom and to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities. We do not want people with disabilities to be left behind.
We focus on advocacy, education and research. We have done advocacy at the community level, national level and municipality level. At the municipality level, AHDMTL has raised awareness on how the community can use proper terms to refer to people who are blind or visually impaired.
At AHDMTL people with visual impairments are actively involved in our work. To support them working on a computer or laptop, we always install Nonvisual Desktop Access (NVDA) software so that they can work independently. Many people who work at AHDMTL are volunteers; we encourage them to apply for jobs when there are vacancies at the organisation.
Staff at AHDMTL (left to right): Gaspar Afonso (front), Media Officer Elionora Guterres and Executive Director Gabriel de Sousa. Photo: Harjono Djoyobisono
Students of the school for blind and visually impaired students managed by AHDMTL playing musical instruments, singing and dancing. The school has music and traditional dancing programs designed for blind and visually impaired students. Photo: Harjono Djoyobisono
Students of the school for blind and visually impaired students managed by AHDMTL playing musical instruments and singing. Photo: Harjono Djoyobisono
With the support of a grant from the Australian Volunteers Program, we have been able to raise community awareness in four villages and provide training to people with visual impairments and their families on how to read and write braille. AHDMTL is grateful for the grant to implement these activities and to promote social inclusivity.
AHDMTL’s dream is to keep fighting for people with disabilities to live with dignity and peace. AHDMTL also wants all public areas and public offices to be created with accessible infrastructure for people with disabilities to access and move freely.
