Ji Xun

Editor's note: Born with a neuromuscular disorder, the writer Ji Xun is no ordinary woman, as her out-of-shape limbs make it hard for her to walk and even write; however, the disability has not stopped her from chasing her dream, and she eventually graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles and the Paris Institute of Political Studies. Currently she has set up an NGO called LifeCocoon, an organization aimed at helping disabled people travel round the world.

A Miserable Childhood

I come from an ordinary family in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province in southeast China. Both my parents were migrant workers, supporting the household with their meagre wages. The part of town where I lived was the least developed region, with inadequate educational resources and poor infrastructure.

Born with a neuromuscular disorder, my life was spent in a wheelchair, and even the simplest things such as writing seemed quite challenging. When I was old enough to go to school, the schools in the area were unwilling to take me in because of my disability. 

Eventually, I was admitted by a local primary school. Life was trickier; classmates made fun of me and called me "cripple," and teachers turned a cold eye on me when I needed help. People saw me as a burden, but it never occurred to them that people with special needs like me should be given special care. 

Justice and Equality

I decided to seek further education abroad, in search of better service for people with disabilities, apart from higher education quality. Service departments for disabled students gave me permission for time extension during tests, so that I was given equal chance in taking my exams. 

That was when I learned the term "reasonable accommodation." It means that necessary modifications of a policy or regulation should be made so as to guarantee people with disabilities equal chances. Developed countries have put it into practice by setting up special service agencies for students with disabilities, so that education resources are distributed equally. 

I realized that even in developed countries, unfair treatments still exist. However, we should always dare to speak out about our needs, and to fight against indiscrimination and inequality, rather than passively accepting the suffering we encounter. 

I no longer consider myself a burden, or a trouble for society. Instead, I finally gathered enough courage to become a "troublemaker."

If you differ from the rest of the world, let the world treat you differently.