Abdulla Abdukhalilov (text collected and translated by Aziza Umarova)
When I entered the room and started my training, people were surprised and confused. A reserved whisper descended through the class and I knew it was because of me. In the first minutes of my training I felt as though I had been thrown in the deep end.
During my years of teaching I have consistently faced similar reactions with every new group attending my classes and trainings. Time and time again I grit my teeth and summon up the courage to start presenting. It usually takes me about five minutes and then the hesitation and confusion melts away. People start listening. At the conclusion of my talk, when it comes time for discussion, we spend hours talking through the issues we addressed.
I have been able to show that a person should be judged based on their competence, rather than a cliché set in society’s mind.
As a person with a disability, I have realized that if life gives me a lemon, I will learn how to make lemonade. Due to the bewilderment of people when confronted with a blind teacher, the level of attention my words receive is much higher than any regular person would be afforded. This makes me heard, understood and extremely efficient in communicating knowledge and skills.
For 12 years I studied in a specialized school for children with visual disabilities and despite preconceived views on the ability and prospects of blind people, I had no hesitation when choosing a major for a bachelors and later a masters’ degree. A strong interest in politics encouraged me to earn degrees with honours and later build my career as a lecturer and scientific researcher at the National University of Uzbekistan’s department of political science.
I am an optimist by my nature and it has helped me to overcome the many challenges in my life.
Recently I started working as a trainer on effective communications with UNDP’s local governance team in Uzbekistan. The trainings we run are aimed at building capacities of civil servants in the Djizak and Namangan regions in order to launch and operate efficient information centres and to help local administrations sustain two way communications with citizens. As part of this project, I have prepared training modules with other colleagues and have also travelled to these fairly remote regions – not a simple task for somebody like me who was born blind.
The concept is very exciting for me and I am glad to be part of this new initiative.
Tags: Abdulla Abdukhalilov, Djizak, Human rights, local governance, Namangan, people with disabilities, Uzbekistan