How Thun is using her voice to create opportunities

I’m Thun, a disability youth advocate campaigning for disability inclusion in Thailand. 

I had an accident when I was 14 years old. I fell onto train tracks in Singapore while a train was approaching. Since then, I have lost both of my legs. Currently, I walk with prostheses and use a wheelchair. After I acquired the disability, the transition has inspired me to advocate for an inclusive society. As a youth with disability, we all have potential. But we need an open door of opportunity to be employed. 

Working with Leonard Cheshire

I am a young person who is passionate about disability-inclusive employment. I have participated in several activities for young people with disabilities in Thailand to gain a better understanding of our rights and voices. I hope to advocate for my peers to engage more on the issue and create more employment opportunities in Thailand.  

I joined Leonard Cheshire’s youth pilot, Access to Employment (A2E), in Thailand in 2020. Leonard Cheshire highlighted how important it is for youth with disabilities to be represented and let our voices be heard. I was really impressed with the project! So I was happy to become a Lead Youth Advocate. 

Through the project, I have had several opportunities to exchange and learn from young people with different types of disabilities. Everyone may have different disabilities, but they all have the same intention in life. We all want to be independent and get employed. Society might see us with sympathy, but we want to be seen differently. When they see us, they see barriers. But I want them to perceive us as a social contributor like everyone else. We have capacities to achieve anything. Everyone can engage and use their voice to create opportunities and make changes for themselves and others. 

My work after Access to Employment

The main challenge that youth with disabilities in Thailand face is that they lack social support to develop their social skills and employment opportunities further. 

After the A2E project, I now have wider networks on a global level. It’s opened doors and created opportunities to engage in international conversations on global stages. This year, I am so delighted to become a part of the Youth Advisory Group, S4YE World Bank Group, Solutions for Youth Employment (S4YE). The group encourages youth leaders to share their voices and come together to discuss ideas for closing the youth employment gap. I’m looking forward to working with the other youth advocate and making sure young people have a voice in future activities!  

Being part of YAG will allow me to better advocate for disability awareness and inclusive workplaces. I want to help society remove barriers and look beyond disabilities to create an inclusive society. 

Looking to the future

Everyone has dreams, and they can make their dreams come true. I have had that chance to make my dreams come true. And now, I have a big plan to fulfil the dreams of other peers with disabilities. I aspire to support them to pursue their goals, and I want to see the smiles on their faces. And I’ll be sharing updates on my work with the YAG right here. So look out for more blogs from me to learn more about what we’re doing to amplify youth voices!