Disability is Ability!

When you come across me in person, you find a walking stick, a brace and an orthotics for my left leg. Five years ago, all of a sudden, my whole left leg got paralyzed. Specialists at hospital scritch their heads. A cause is unknown or idiopathic. While our medical team has been trying hard to find any effective treatment, I've made efforts for a rehabilitation. I can walk now much better than the onset.

My physio confessed me
two years after the onset,
"I expected you would never
walk again." But I made it.
She gave me a lovely
"white lie" at the moment,
saying, "Good! You walk
much better!" I was simple
and believed her say.
I thought I walked much better.
In fact, it was the first day when I put on the orthotics and made a terrible wobble walk.

Friends, actually, this disability opened a door for me to be a professional artist. I felt I needed to find something give me joy. I remembered how happy when I was drawing in a childhood. I also remembered I had dreamed to be a picture book illustrator. I thought I would not be able to a professional. Very competitive and not sure I was enough...

But I joined the workshop for children picture book illustration at Sydney uni. It was a lovely experience. I learned how to organize a picture book, about industry and other stuff. Both teachers were professional illustrators. They acknowledged my outstanding skills and beautiful work at once. The two professionals encouraged me to be an illustrator.

With many people's cheers and help, I made it happen! "Stuck" is my first picture book.

I started my fine artist career, too. I won two awards so far. One work was bought by Ryde Council and Ms Maxine Mckew purchased the other. I thought my American friend's say was right, "I think I can, I think I can." This little engine has begun to explore her own future with joy.

What I want to tell you is
Never give up.
Hope always stays with you. Where there's a will, there's a way.
If you work hard, I'm sure people will back up you.

Here's the national body to assist people with disability to join art activities Art Access Australia .
Accessible Arts is a peak body for arts and people with disability across New South Wales. Further, Mr Gareth Wreford, Executive Director of Arts Access Australia kindly passed on me the info for Japanese speakers and Japanese people, たんぽぽの家.

If your family, friends or any one you know has a disability, please pass my blog and tell them,
"There isn't such a word, "disability."
You have a great ability! You have the potential!!"
私は左足が不自由ですが、今では、1km位、軽く泳げるようになりました。やる気とガッツがあれば、人は大概の事をしますよ。もし、あなたの友達、家族, 知りあい で身体障害を持っている方が居たら、私のblogを or 話を伝えて下さい。 Disabilityはdisabilityじゃないのを伝えたい。 それは可能性と外のドアを開く事なのだ、と。私は幼いころからの夢を叶え、絵本挿絵画家、fine artistとなり、 自分を掴んだのだから、disabilityだとは思いません、と。

Disability is Ability!