The journey to reinvent myself: it all started with AAS
by Arya Yoga Rudhita
Not many Indonesian are aware that everyone has an equal opportunity or chances to achieve great things in life, and even in smaller number are Indonesian people with disabilities or families with a member of the family have disability. Even though It is really important for anyone to have the belief that they are worthy of the effort to have education or skill training to become self-reliant.
For me, I was lucky to be able to finish my high school right after my motorcycle accident in 1997. I also finished my bachelor degree in 2008, before trying to apply for Australia Award Scholarship in 2014. Before applying, I too always thought that all I can do was doing entrepreneurship or start-up. I have a lot of fail attempts in my entrepreneur life because most of the time they were done without proper preparation or calculation to minimize risks. Therefore, I have to admit that I was not so sure about my capacity to continue to a higher education, if my wife had not brought home an article about Antoni Tsaputra who fight the odd and earn himself a master degree through AAS. That article alone switched the learner side in me, and became one of the reason why I am here today in Brisbane.
The struggle to become an AAS recipient back then was not easy, to say the least. But it was not impossible either. Firstly, we should complete each and every document and other administrative requirement when signing up. Secondly, the process will demand our genuine enthusiastic passion and patience to be able to stand out and worthy of the scholarship. Furthermore, we should have already in a certain level of English communication skill required by the Australian university. After being selected, AAS candidates will go through Pre-Departure Training that is aimed to equip candidates with very useful academic skills.
I chose UQ as my place to study. My reason was because UQ is one of the best university in Australia, and are among the world’s top 50 universities, providing major in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Also, from what an alumnus of UQ told me, the Business School as the best in Asia Pacific region, is modernly equipped to facilitate people with disability, and that is true. Ramps, elevators, toilet for people with disabilities are available in a lot of places where needed. Moreover, some of the most helpful people are complimenting the help I can get in UQ. I can always go or call Student Service for an academic or non-academic consultation.
The only challenge for me was that I almost got deferred because of the late approval of my visa, as well as due to my difficulties to find an accessible accommodation. Fortunately, that was solved with the help of my wife and my student contact officer. I was then moved to UQ Student Housing one semester later. Furthermore, despite the hilly contour of Brisbane, all transportation services, street pavement and building are accessible with the provision of a power wheelchair. Even some beaches and swimming pools are accessible too by using a different kind of special wheelchair, for free.
All in all, I am working hard to make this small step bringing big impact to myself, my family and my community. I believe that I could and should participate more in promoting the disability inclusive movement and in shifting a change in my mindset. If others can do it, I am sure I can do it as well, inshaAllah.