Blind transwoman overcomes adversity of being blind in Thailand
A Thai transwoman was praised by netizens for her courage and self-confidence as she fights to overcome the adversity of being blind in Thailand. She searched for her dream job, despite having a disability, in a bid to prove that blind people are as able as others.
The 24 year old transwoman Chitsanucha “Grace” Krachornsook posted an advert on a Facebook group called Finding a Job in Korat on December 22 last year and on Monday, March 6 this year. She included her picture, education details, work experiences, and some conditions of working as a blind person on the post.
Grace described herself as a blind person and a transwoman aged 24 years old. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English language from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Science of the Nakhon Ratchasima Rajabhat University with a Grade Point Average of 3.23, which is the equivalent of a 2.2 in the UK.
The young transwoman also announced that her English language proficiency was at the upper intermediate level and she also had business knowledge.
Grace informed potential employers about her limitations due to her blindness. She explained that she was able to work on a computer system, but paperwork and work related to pictures were difficult for her. Additionally, she said she was able to travel on her own and could find her way to work at an office.
Her job search gained a lot of attention from employers and netizens in the Facebook group. Many employers offered her positions, and a number of netizens shared her post to help her find the perfect job. See her post HERE.
ThaiRath interviewed Grace and published their chat on their website today.
Grace said she was pleased that so many people supported her quest and several employers contacted her to offer her a job. She is now considering the position that will suit her best.
ThaiRath reported that most of the blind people in Thailand work as security guards, maids, massage shops, fortune tellers, or lottery sellers. Why did Grace choose to do something different?
She said…
“At the end of the day, we cannot blame society for looking at us like this. The skills that blind people show in those jobs reveal our potential anyway. I believe that blind people are the same as everyone else. People have different abilities and talents that suit different jobs. Blind people are also like that. So, I want to find the opportunity for my life.
“I am a blind person, but I dared to step out of my comfort zone. I looked for a job in a Facebook group where blind people will never try to get in. They mostly look for work through the Thailand Association of the Blind or blind schools, but I didn’t.”
Grace added at the end of the interview that she had been refused by employers more than 100 times, but she did not give up and will continue to look for her dream job.
According to the report from the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities of Thailand on March 31 last year, Thailand has residents with disabilities at about 1,200,000, and 8.85% or 187,000 of the numbers were blind people. However, only about 1/3 of people with disabilities are employed, according to the report on Prachathai.
According to the Act on Empowerment and Development of the Quality of Life of Persons with Disabilities, government and private companies must hire one employee with disabilities at a proportion of 100 employees per one employee with disabilities.
