Having been born with visual impairments in the Chitwan District of Nepal, I was deprived of receiving education until I turned 12. I had to experience my brothers, sisters and friends go to school while I remained at home in the dark. It was not that my parents were uncaring; they simply lacked awareness that children with visual impairments could be educated. However, due to the tireless efforts of my parents to find a school, when I turned 12, I got the opportunity to attend a mainstream, integrated school where I studied with my non-disabled friends. At school, most of the time, books were not available in Braille, so I had to rely on the lectures in the classroom. However, I always tried to get support from my friends, which helped me to continue my education, even at university level. I obtained my bachelor's degree in education from the Tribhuwan University of Nepal. Studying in an inclusive educational setting gave me a unique experience of learning and working together with diverse groups, which has ultimately helped me to conceptualize disability from not only theoretical but also from my personal experiences. Facing many ups and downs due to the often prejudiced attitudes towards disability, I have long thought that, over and above functional limitations, the social meaning of disability is conscribed by stereotyped perceptions that exist both in developed and developing countries. This conviction has encouraged me to look at disability issues from different angles, particularly with an investment approach instead of a charity one.

Before coming to Japan for further studies, I often acted as an advocate for the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities in my country, Nepal, through different means and ways. When I joined the University of Tokyo as a doctoral student in 2007, I became more deeply involved in the theory and practice of Disability Studies and began to think of disability issues in a more interdisciplinary way. Prior to joining the University of Tokyo, I received my masters of arts in education with a focus on education for persons with disabilities from the University of Tsukuba.