Tag Archives: Human rights

Day 391

Day 390

Don’t label your experiences just live them – that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s 8: 14 PM on day 390 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, feed myself pancakes with coconut and sugar for breakfast, prepare and publish my Disability of the Day feature, write the Minister of Woman, Children and People With Disabilities a letter – I hope I didn’t make any errors (see it below) – listen to music, feed myself rice and curry for lunch, tweet about my Clean Water For All Campaign – no luck I really gave it a 100% today I introduced myself to people stopping short of asking people for donations because I knew it would annoy people– watch TV, feed myself chicken biryani for dinner and brush my teeth once more.

This morning I wanted to use the laptop but I couldn’t because my brother was using it and although I was more than a little irritated use the laptop but I couldn’t because my brother was using it and although I was more than a little irritated use the laptop but I couldn’t because my brother was using it I chose to see it as an opportunity to practice pushing myself around the house and that I guess is my message to you guys whatever happens or doesn’t happen see it an opportunity. Are you labeling your experiences or living them?

Dear Minster,

I am writing as a member of the disabled population I am well aware that we as disabled people have as much right to access to government buildings as anybody else however I would like to see that extended to privately owned buildings e.g. flats with more than only floor I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to stay in the car because a building had stairs in it, it is my hope that after reading my email you will work towards making a functioning lift mandatory in every new building that has more than one floor.

Yours sincerely,

Nisha Varghese

Are we connecting on Twitter? If not, say hi at http://twitter.com/Nisha360

Stan’s very sweet for saying so, but feel free to write what reflects you best.

Thanks to all my friends out there who are helping me make my dream come true: to make a better world for all of us!

Day 389

4 Replies

The best inventions of today are not necessarily the most complicated but they have changed the way we live forever – that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s 7: 23 PM on day 389 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, feed myself pancakes with coconut and sugar for breakfast, publish my Disability of the Day feature, tweet about my Clean Water For All Campaign – no luck – listen to music – I LOVE Adam Lambert‘s music, I listened to If I Had You and For Your Entertainment about a HUNDRED times –feed myself yoghurt for lunch, go to physiotherapy, watch TV and feed myself rice and curry for dinner.

As you know I am not one to do something just because other people are doing it but after reading A thank you to Steve Jobs from a special needs mom on Love That Max and seeing how the Ipad app, Proloquo2Go, has helped Ellen (@lovethatmax) and her son, Max, communicate – Max has a lot to say but his speech is affected as a result of Cerebral Palsy – I feel compelled to say RIP Steve Jobs and thank you for creating the Ipad which has made a tremendous difference in the lives of those who have special needs. Take a look at the video below to see how Max uses the Ipad to talk to those around him:

Are we connecting on Twitter? If not, say hi at http://twitter.com/Nisha360

Stan’s very sweet for saying so, but feel free to write what reflects you best.

Thanks to all my friends out there who are helping me make my dream come true: to make a better world for all of us!

Day 388

Day 387

4 Replies

We have to teach kids that nobody but them is responsible for their lives – that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s 6: 49 PM on day 387 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, feed myself yoghurt for breakfast, prepare and publish my Disability of the Day feature, tweet about my Clean Water For All Campaign –no luck – feed myself rice and curry for lunch, exercise for a few minutes –my hamstrings were SO tight – and watch TV.

Today I said to my brother I challenge you to do fifty push-ups – he’s overweight according to his paediatrician – to which he responded if I accept your challenge will you let me use the laptop I thought about it for a minute and said no I won’t bribe you to take care of your body in that moment I realized that that’s where most parents go wrong they beg and plead with their kids to do their homework, exercise, ect when they should be trying to make them understand that if they don’t do what their supposed to do they are the ones who will pay in the end. Are you teaching your kids that they and only they are responsible for the outcome of their lives?

Are we connecting on Twitter? If not, say hi at http://twitter.com/Nisha360

Stan’s very sweet for saying so, but feel free to write what reflects you best.

Thanks to all my friends out there who are helping me make my dream come true: to make a better world for all of us!

Day 386

6 Replies

Better to have too high a standard than too low a standard – that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s 7: 36 PM on day 386 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, feed myself yoghurt for breakfast, prepare and publish my Disability of the Day feature, practice typing with both hands, tweet about my Clean Water For All Campaign – Chrissy (@chrissy_bertolo) made a donation – thanks Chrissy I REALLY appreciate you donating the money you usually use to buy coffee to my campaign I wish more people were like you 🙂 – listen to music, feed myself rice and curry for lunch, watch TV and feed myself a banana for dinner.

This morning my sister and I were discussing books and she said you’re so picky which I now realize was a complement although I didn’t at the time because most people of my generation settle for anything they have whether it be love from an abusive boyfriend or terrible books because they believe they don’t deserve any better whereas I, who in my teenage years would have accepted anybody and anything into my life because I believed I was less than because I had Cerebral Palsy, have come to understand that people who really want to be in my life will be willing to be pay the price of admission i.e. treat me with dignity and respect and always be honest with me. Do you set high standards for the people and things you let into your life?

Are we connecting on Twitter? If not, say hi at http://twitter.com/Nisha360

Stan’s very sweet for saying so, but feel free to write what reflects you best.

Thanks to all my friends out there who are helping me make my dream come true: to make a better world for all of us!

Day 385

6 Replies

Two or more ‘ordinary people’ together can do just as much as a famous person can – that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s 7: 13 PM on day 385 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, feed myself strawberry yoghurt for breakfast, prepare and publish my Disability of the Day feature, tweet about my Clean Water For All Campaign – no luck – tweet about my campaign some more–still no luck– watch TV, feed myself two slices of pizza for dinner and brush my teeth once more.

Yesterday I was emailing someone about my campaign and I realized that I didn’t need celebrity backing to make a success of it –I have tweeted Oprah, Justin Bieber, Priyanka Chopra and Jodi Picoult over the course of my campaign (Jodi offered to donate some books but unfortunately I promised my parents that I would never give out our home address to people over the internet I really like her we still keep in touch) – because everyone who hears my story is likely to tell one another person and that person will tell one another person and so on and so on it will go my point is sometimes we underestimate our own power and think only famous people can change the world when in reality anyone who bands together with others who have good intentions can change the world. Do you shirk off your social responsibilities just because you’re not a celebrity?

Are we connecting on Twitter? If not, say hi at http://twitter.com/Nisha360

Stan’s very sweet for saying so, but feel free to write what reflects you best.
T
hanks to all my friends out there who are helping me make my dream come true: to make a better world for all of us!

Day 384

Day 382

2 Replies

Money doesn’t make the man; man makes the money– that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s 7: 15 PM on day 382 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, feed myself a peanut butter roll for breakfast, prepare and publish my Disability of the Day feature, tweet about my Clean Water For All Campaign – Peter –another one of Chrissy‘s friends – made a donation – thank you Peter you just made the day of someone you don’t even know 🙂 – watch The Rugby World Cup match: South Africa vs. Samoa – we won I asked people to donate to my campaign for every tri South Africa scored – no one did you win some you lose some I guess 🙂 – feed myself rice and curry for lunch, watch TV and Facebook about my campaign–no further luck.

Yesterday my father was telling me about someone’s very expensive house – size and everything about it – and hearing how envious he sounded I realized that it didn’t matter how many times I told him having more things and money doesn’t make you a better person because he had a different definition of success than I did – he perceives having things and money as being successful whereas, I perceive being of service every day as being successful (every time I do something for someone else without expecting anything in return I feel like my soul is filled I feel like a millionaire) – but I tried to show him what he already had one last time I said we have a house to which he responded but our house doesn’t compare to that house. Are you defined by your bank balance and everything that goes with it?

Are we connecting on Twitter? If not, say hi at http://twitter.com/Nisha360

Stan’s very sweet for saying so, but feel free to write what reflects you best.

Thanks to all my friends out there who are helping me make my dream come true: to make a better world for all of us!

Day 381

9 Replies

Saying wouldn’t it be great if things were different doesn’t change anything – that’s what I learned today 🙂

It’s 7: 18 PM on day 381 of my journey towards independence and I’ve managed to brush my teeth, practice writing by hand– I think I can safely cross that off my list I can now sign name I’m SO HAPPY 🙂 – feed myself a peanut butter sandwich for breakfast, watch TV, feed myself rice and curry for lunch, publish my Disability of the Day feature, tweet about my Clean Water For All Campaign – Kay someone with whom I share a very special boy, Brennan, and Jorge –Chrissy’s friend – made a donation in honour of Chrissy’s birthday – she asked all her Facebook friends to do so –thanks Kay and happy birthday Chrissy wishing you nothing but love and happiness all the days of your life 🙂 – and feed myself oranges for dinner.

Today as I was opening the gate – it’s electric so even I can do it – for our housekeeper to get in I thought wouldn’t it be great if every door, window and gate worked by remote and if every building – regardless of whether it is owned by government or ordinary people – with more than one floor had a lift – elevator – which is when it occurred to me that I could probably ensure that every new apartment building had a lift it in it by contacting the powers that be and sharing my experiences with them – I remember this one time where my parents had to leave me in the car to go see their friends’ new apartment – it was on the top floor – I understood that there was no way they could carry me up there but that didn’t make me any less sad lucky for me I made a pact with myself a year prior when we were on a family vacation that I would never again cry over not being able to go to certain places – our extended family was with us and all of them wanted to go to a particular cave – I forgot the name of it – only you had to crawl through things to get inside which meant I was left behind with my father and the driver I cried the entire time the others were inside – I told my father I had something in my eyes – but after a while I came to accept that they were places I would never be able to go to and things I would never be able to do with that I promised myself that I would never again cry over not being able to go somewhere – so that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Do you sit around and whine about all that’s wrong with the world or wake up every day and try to move it in the right direction?

Are we connecting on Twitter? If not, say hi at http://twitter.com/Nisha360

Stan’s very sweet for saying so, but feel free to write what reflects you best.

Thanks to all my friends out there who are helping me make my dream come true: to make a better world for all of us!