Dr. Uwano, University of Tokyo presented portable wheelchair ramps to students with disabilities

On September 3rd, 2019, Center for Vietnam and Southeast Asian Studies (Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities) organized a donation  to present portable wheelchair ramps to disabled students. This programme was initiated by Dr. Toshiyuki Uwano and sponsored by the Toyota Foundation.

Dr. Toshiyuki Uwano from Saitama, Japan, is a shining example of perseverance and inquisitiveness. He was unfortunate to have been in an accident when he was wrong, and has had to use a wheelchair since. With his extraordinary determination, strong will and the desire to be a functioning member of society, he completed his bachelor degree, master's studies and successfully defended his doctoral thesis at the prestigious University of Tokyo - Japan. Besides many contributions in the field of research and translation, he has also spent a large part of his life travelling to different places - a lot of times to Vietnam - in order to carry out meaningful projects for many communities, especially those with plights that are similar to his. He is the author of the project applying for sponsorship from the Toyota Foundation.

In the meeting with teachers from Sociology, Japanese Studies and Social Work Faculty, students and many people with disabilities at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Dr. Uwano has had a very heartfelt conversation about his learning efforts and exertion to integrate with his community. He expressed the concern that many places have floors and steps which people with disabilities in wheelchairs cannot access on their own, so providing them with a portable ramp is perfectly reasonable.

In the meeting, using Vietnamese, Dr. Uwano has shared many emotional thoughts, calling for the communities and specifically the public facilities in Vietnam to create opportunities for people with disabilities to integrate into the community, to live a normal life like others because he affirmed: They can totally work normally, perform well in suitable jobs and live meaningfully as ordinary people.

At the end of the meeting, Dr. Uwano has gifted the support ramps to disabled students in Sai Gon. This is a portable device made of aluminum which is compact, lightweight, and convenient for wheelchair users to ask for others to assist them with installation at elevated places. The most wonderful thing about this device is its high portability, which enables wheelchair users to easily bring it along and go up the stairs without wheelchair path or the bus. Dr. Uwano hopes that wheelchair users actively use this device, so that many people will become aware of the mobility difficulties of people with disabilities. From there, society can expand the installation and construction of ramps for wheelchair users everywhere.

Dr. Toshiyuki Uwano giving portable wheelchair ramps to disabled students, sponsored by Toyota Foundation

Dr. Tran Dinh Lam, Director of the Center for Vietnamese and Southeast Asian Studies, highly appreciated the efforts of Dr. Uwano. He is a good example for Vietnamese students to learn from in their process of training and contributing to society. Dr. Uwano is a great support for Vietnamese students with disabilities to integrate with society, and is a bridge connecting Vietnam and Japan.

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