I came to Japan to participate in the 9th Duskin Leadership Program as a trainee. I was very happy to meet other trainees in Japan, because I had never before had the experience of studying with young people from other countries. I had studied Japanese a little bit before coming to Japan so I understood the language a little, but other trainees did not understand Japanese very much and mostly spoke English. As I could not speak English at all, communication was extremely difficult.

The Japanese Language Training started on September 3. We studied together at Toyama Sunrise, but from October, I went to Academy of Language Arts by myself. I studied with students from many countries for about two months, which was a lot of fun. 3 months after the Japanese language courses started, we were able to communicate in daily Japanese. Furthermore, because we spent virtually everyday together, we became such good friends. As the lifestyle was so different from that of my home, it was again so much fun.

My individual training started in January. I consulted with Ms. Nasu and Ms. Okuhira to see which places were best suited to me, and for me to learn new and necessary things for myself and people with disabilities in Mongolia. There were many wonderful things during the five-month individual training. The training took part mostly at independent living centers but also at many other places.

At the beginning of the individual training, I received a two-day training course at Japanese Federation of the Deaf. I learned the history and background of the Federation’s establishment in detail. I also learned about education for deaf people, the Federation’s activities and movements. The Federation leads a wide range of activities and movements in collaboration with many organizations of the deaf across the country. I also went to Light Friend Association in Kanagawa Prefecture, where I learned about people with visual or intellectual disabilities, and tasks they were engaged in.

I studied homepage making at Ohyata Employment Support Center. After I studied the basics, I was able to create my own homepage.

At Independent Living Center Hino and Human Care Association, I studied the definition and concept of independent living center, and their movements and activities for people with disabilities. Before coming to Japan I knew nothing about independent living centers so everything was new to me. My own thinking also began to change and I gave a lot of thought to my future.

I learned about DAISY (Digital Accessible Information System), a program developed for people with visual or intellectual disabilities. These people cannot read regular printed materials, and some of them cannot understand Braille. Accessible information system is extremely important—which was the reason I chose to study DAISY. You do not see it very much in Mongolia, so I would like to pass on this information to schools for children with disabilities through the disability association I presently belong to.

I spent a month and a half at Mainstream Association. The contents of the training were mainly about human rights, and discrimination against people with disabilities. All of the staff members, with and without disabilities, were very fun to be around with--- it felt much like being in a warm family. No matter how severe their disabilities were, they were all having a lot of fun and doing good work. I gained great confidence at Mainstream. I have wonderful, unforgettable memories and experiences in the one and a half months.

I spent a week at Himi City Council of Social Welfare in Toyama Prefecture. Having spent most of the individual training up to this point at independent living centers, I felt that the basic concepts between the council and independent living centers were slightly different. However, Himi City Council‘s activities encompassed a wider range of fields and targets—not just people with disabilities or elderly people, so it was a good learning experience.

During the New Year, I went to Kochi Prefecture and stayed at Ms Keiko Higuchi’s house for one week home-stay. I was really looking forward to staying with a Japanese family for the first time in my life. There were two members of the family: Mr. Hideo Kondo, and Ms. Keiko Higuchi. The house was in a place called Kawakita Otsu, Aki-City, close to the sea but in the mountains. The surrounding nature was beautiful. During the one week home-stay we visited many places and I had a wonderful time. Even though it was a short period of time, of a mere seven days, it felt like I was staying with my own family. I will never forget kind Keiko-san, Kondo-san, and the beauty of Kochi Prefecture.

Also, I had ski training in Niigata Prefecture. Before my injury I had skied, but after I became disabled it was unthinkable for me to ski. But when I did, it was such fun. I had a great three days and began to believe that even if one is disabled there is nothing impossible to do.

The individual training was the best thing for me. It felt short, and also long. I met many people with a variety of disabilities, and as I heard wonderful stories, my own thinking began to change. I realized that I had been wrong all the time to have believed that there were many things I could not do because I was disabled. I realized that it was not my fault to be disabled. That, our problems are society’s issues, and that we need to change the society’s thinking. I also began to understand that instead of leaving everything to specialists, we have to live normal lives and take responsibilities for it. I understood that making decisions about our own lives and creating a good environment to live in are in fact our own job. The best thing about the individual training was that I made many friends in Japan. Friends are the most important thing. When I return to my country, I am going to utilize the knowledge and experiences I gained in Japan.

The 10-month training in Japan was wonderful. Everyone at Ohyata Employment Support Center, Light Friend Association, Independent Living Center Hino, Human Care Association, Mainstream Association, Himi City Council of Social Welfare, Duskin Ainowa Foundation, JSRPD, Okuhira-san, Nasu-san, Akiko-san, Kana-san, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much for this 12 months. Thank you also, my dear fellow trainees. I often think about the fun times the six of us had together, studying and having fun together in Japan. We shall be friends forever even after we part.

I will never forget these 10 months in Japan. It will be in my heart forever. Thank you, Japan.