Wayan Astaya

Translated from Bahasa Indonesia

Introduction

My name is I Wayan Astaya, I come from Tampak Siring. I started living in the Foundation in 2015, so I've been here for 7 years. 

Joining Yayasan Chahaya Mutiara Ubud

I have SCI, I had a fall, I hit my spine in 1995. I fell from a wall. At that time it was the Kuningan holiday, and during the Kuningan winnowing I put the decoration on the penjor. I climbed up the wall, and then I fell and hit my spine, so since then my legs haven't worked. You could say I was totally paralyzed, so I was in the hospital for almost a month, two months, and after that I was treated at home. After a year I was able to use a wheelchair. I was taken care of by my family, by my sister. My sister took care of me at that time. I was at home for almost four years. 

I heard that there was a foundation here, and I tried to find it. At that time I met a friend who was a member here, and was asked "would you like to join the foundation?" I said yes. Okay, I'll go there. I visited here with my high school friend who had the same condition, Spinal Chord Injury. I saw, how come this is the same? Just like me, using wheels. I am very, very inspired by the friends here. It gave me a new zest for life after being down at home, having no friends. So I started a new life. Everything I had to learn, from getting into bed, how to use a wheelchair, how to take a shower. Because for me it was my second life. I had to depend on my family and friends. 

I visited Chaya Mutiara Ubud Foundation in 2014. After a year, I thought, why don't I join, so I joined my friend in 2015. 

How did you handle the accident?

Handicrafts. Fortunately, I could make handicrafts at that time. That can fill my free time so I'm not stressed. In the past, my life changed when I read Superman magazine. I read from the hospital's magazine, I fully read everything, and from there I found out that the spine is difficult to cure. If for example there is a cure, it is likely to be quite expensive because it is rather complicated, still under investigation. From that moment on, I changed my mind that I would never be normal again. I thought I was a second life. "How can I be independent?" was my first thought. "How can I be independent, in a wheelchair?" It wasn't easy. Learning to go to bed. Quite a lot, everything was changed in my house so that I could have access. There used to be stairs to the kitchen, we made a manual system. I asked for help to make me access because I was in this condition. I have to be independent, don't help me with anything. I want to be independent because I'm from a non-disabled person to a disabled person, it's extraordinary. I can't recover, I have to live like this. I will be like this for the rest of my life.

How did the incident affect you mentally?

It was difficult, when I became disabled, meeting people was a little embarrassing actually. Coming out of the room was embarrassing, the feeling of shame was very present, but I fought it. It turned out that I could come out, and it turned out that people were still willing to accept me even though I was disabled. They will definitely talk to me. It's good that they have the mindset to accept me even though I'm inconveniencing them. Friends like that sometimes I tell them what to do, but they still want to do it. My mental formation was tough at that time. Actually, it was, but I tried to compete.

Challenges

I have my own challenges, work. Actually, finding a job is difficult, in the sense that we are already disabled. Where to find a job? What kind of work do we have to do? Sometimes companies don't want to hire us? But by thinking that I have to make my own effort, I fight against that by starting my own business. How can you live independently? If you already have results, it's better not to depend on other people. Disability is about being able to live a better life, it's the hardest thing to do. So we fight against that limitation by making a business making handwork. I can do it myself because being disabled is not a cheap life, it's more expensive. We need this, we need that. I have to try to find a way to have a job. 

Happiness

What makes me happy is my friends. Look here, we are happy, I have a new family, a big family. All my friends, my friends. The people who really inspire me, that's what makes me happy. I become happy living here, having friends who produce many things. What makes me the happiest is that I am very grateful to God when I was brought together with my friends. Here we are 42 people. 

Regret

If it's a moment that I regret... it would be a flashback. Because of this, I try not to regret the moment. Because I fell in the afternoon, I had finished exercising. I haven't showered yet. Actually, we should have been clean when we installed it. Take a shower, then put the penjor. I just came from sports and put it up right away. The wall is not high, only one and a half meters.

Hopes for the Future

My hope is that in the future my friends with disabilities here, in Bali in particular, can be more prosperous. The government should open more job opportunities, be more heard, and provide access, not just access to brakes, access to education should be provided. 

Inspiration

I don't have any outside figures. The important thing is, my friends here. I've just been here, I see my friends in all kinds of conditions. Like my friend Karmen, he can still take pictures, he has a motorcycle. That's an inspiring figure. There are also other friends, who used to have hands and no legs, they can work. That for me really inspires me. I have to be like them, because my condition is worse. If I fall down, I can't get up on my own, while the polio patient can. My friends are the ones who really inspire me here. 

Message to the World

If there’s a message I wish to emphasize to the people out there, it would just be to please accept us, take care of us, give us a chance. By giving us a chance it gives us opportunities. We can still work like everyone else, we like to be called ‘difable’: meaning - different able.