3 December is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Our work involves developing relationships with people from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures. Working effectively with diversity and promoting equality of opportunity is therefore an essential part of our activity. People with a disability are often thought about in terms of what they cannot do. Yet often people with disabilities have amazing skills and are truly inspiring. We would like to introduce you Madina Karsakpayeva, an amazing volunteer who not only joined our Education UK fair as a volunteer-interpreter, but also agreed to be interviewed. What made you choose to study English language when you were a kid? My process began with a goal to increase my knowledge. I still had a brain, it was working fine, and I decided that was what I would exploit. When I was eight, my parents gave me a book that had a huge impact on my life. I cannot translate the title of that book to English, but it was one of those books about the kinds of questions inquisitive children ask: Why is the sky blue? Where did I come from? Why is the Earth round? I wanted to meet people, discover new countries and culture. This led to my tendency to read everything I could acquire. That love of reading led to greater knowledge and excellent grades. Due to the knowledge of English, my confidence grew to the point that I began to apply for scholarships and educational opportunities I might otherwise have overlooked. Further, I met a lot of interesting people, with different life stories and experiences. Who is your personal hero? My Mum !! Im pretty sure, that means not only word, but the center of universe for every child, regardless of his/her age! For me, my mother is a perfect example – of loving mother, wife, sister, grandmother and daughter. She connects all these qualities. She lives for us, her children, especially for me .. Every day I see it more and more. Despite this, she has her own life, she - a brilliant teacher, professional. My Mum - a great teacher, students love and respect her for the creative approach to work. She does a great job as a teacher of Kazakh language for children of other nationalities, she promotes our language, using a lot of motivation, interesting methods. Her work brings her happiness! For me it is a double blessing. This is my dads advice helped her and me. Mom catchs everything at work and in family life. Perhaps because of this, she always remains stable, strong and always positive! I love her very much! Thanks to my mother, who gives me strength to go on and never give up. If you had a chance to meet The Queen and ask one question what would it be? Since, I work with one of the most vulnerable, but so much talented layer of population in KZ- youth and children with disabilities who want to learn English, I would like to ask the Queen to have a meeting with my students and let me be an interpreter during unique opportunity. If you could recommend one place to visit in Kazakhstan to a foreigner what would it be? Why? If I had that chance – I would definitely suggest to visit Medeo skating ring and aerial tramway line connects downtown Almaty Kok Tobe which means Green Hill), a mountain just to the southeast. Those places have wide variety of restaurants, outdoor activities as hiking, horse riding. Additionally, I would love to recommend visiting National Opera House named after Abai-Kazakh poet, here in Almaty. To be honest, it’s one of my favorite sites to go to. That place amazes by its beauty, splendor and unique design of the building. Moreover, many famous actors come every year to Almaty and give its citizens chance to be part of ballet performances, concerts and plays. Please tell us about your dream. My dream is quite simple- I want to work and be a full member of society. To be particular, my ultimate goal is to become an expert in Special and Inclusive education area. This inspiration goes back to my childhood. I was born with a physical disability, i.e. with a cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus. My disability stopped progressing long ago; I accepted myself as I am and now am trying to live my life to the fullest. Today I use a wheelchair. I know I did not choose to be born with a disability. However, I can make choices on how to make my life better and to assist those who live with their disabilities. I will make an important contribution and prove that people with disabilities can also bring benefits to the country and to the development of disability services in Kazakhstan and beyond. There will be more educated and integrated young people with disabilities in my country. They will know that there is an opportunity to study and change their lives. Which place in the UK do you want to visit the most? Why? I would like to bring the group of my students to UK and visit United Kingdom Disabled People`s Council in London. The main reason for desire is – exchange of experience, sharing ideas and making new connections with British colleagues. Since that organization works in the area of inclusion, human rights for people with disability- it would be great chance to learn from UK professionals for future improvements in the field of inclusion and disability rights.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 07:57:18 +0000
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