PEOPLE with disabilities are part of our diverse community, and just because they are different does not mean they are incapable of achieving great things – this was the message Dr Anthony Chong wanted to convey to the public during a recent email interview with StarEdu.Recently, the 39-year-old made waves on social media after he shared news about his latest academic milestone – he was conferred a doctoral degree in anthropology and sociology from Universiti Malaya .
“Teachers just came to our class to teach whenever they had time. I realised most of us were spending time talking and idling away,” he said. He added that it was only when he was pursuing his Master’s degree in linguistics in UM that he received BIM interpreting services. “She had been supportive throughout, tirelessly pushing me and providing resources to help with my thesis writing,” he said.
“If deaf people do not encounter societal barriers, they would simply be people with a diversified background. They become persons with disabilities because society places these barriers on them,” he said.