NGUYEN Ha Phuong | Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University

Program: (APS) Disability and Society
Instructor: YAMAGATA Tatsufumi

Reasons for Participating in the Program

I applied for this program because of my interest in Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and the urge to make society a better community supporting PWD. Being blessed to be born with a healthy body, I feel the need to give back to society and help disabled people to be seen and appreciated. Fortunately, APU provides various opportunities for students to learn, grow, and enhance their hands-on experience that doesn’t overlap with the class schedule, I took advantage of the opportunity.

How the Program Helped You Grow

The whole field study has brought me a lot of new experiences, valuable lessons, and precious connections that are more than I expected. My first time coming to “Japan Sun Industries” and experiencing their facilities and programs that support PWD has broadened my knowledge of what society can do and should do to help the community of people with disabilities. Moreover, I was amazed at the sports for PWD and the disabled participants who trained themselves so hard to participate in the Paralympic Games. Furthermore, I met incredible people, who are so optimistic and hard-working, even though life is hard on them, they never lost hope for life. They pursue their dreams day and night, silently contributing to society without asking for acknowledgment. I have always been interested in human rights, and I want to work for the UN Human Rights Office (OHCHR) in the future, so this eye-opening experience has deepened my knowledge and pushed me harder to work on my dream to bring voice to the people. Seeing Japan's development for the disability community, I wish to bring that to Vietnam, my home country, too.

Message for Students Interested in The Program

Learning new things, meeting new people, and doing good deeds are always nice. Field Study is a wonderful opportunity to not only experience the theory and knowledge learned in the classroom as a real thing, but also to give a boost to your future career and career path. Why don’t you also join? Let’s make the most of it and build an unforgettable university life! Best wishes to all of you.