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SIPAN ASATRYAN: OVERCOMING THE CHALLENGES OF BEING SIGHT-IMPAIRED IN YEREVAN
Sona Avagyan
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/21328/sipan-asatryan-overcoming-the-challenges-of-being-sight-impaired-in-yerevan.html
11:56, December 7, 2012
"I leave the house with my cane to show society that disabled people
exist and to teach them how to lend a helping hand"
Sipan Asatryan strolls so confidently down the street by himself that
many don't believe he has sight problems.
Once, a taxi driver told Sipan, "Not seeing is tantamount to death,
no? If I were to immediately lose my sight, I would commit suicide."
Sipan could only laugh at the man's remarks.
"I tried to convince him otherwise but it was a lost cause. Now,
I leave the house with my cane to show society that disabled people
exist and to teach them how to lend a helping hand."
Sipan has been deprived of sight since the age of four. The family
resided in the town ofTchambarak.
His mother was an Armenian language teacher who urges him to attend
classes. Family members would read textbooks for him.
He then transferred to a special school inYerevan for students with
sight problems from the sixth grade onwards when the family relocated
to the Armenian capital. The Nikoghayos Tigranyan School is the only
one of its kind in the country.
Sipan now works at the National Leadership Institute run by the Ararat
Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church. He prepares articles for the
NGO's website. He's also taught Sunday School classes for the church
in the village of Ohanavan.
On November 25, the Forte NGO, which caters to those with sight
related issues, organized a concert commemorating the 55th birthday
of Artsakh hero Monte Melkonian. Sipan wrote the score and conducted
the concert. Sipan learnt to play the piano on his own.
This year, Sipan graduated from Yerevan State University with a
Masters in Diaspora studies and linguistics. He prepared for the
entrance exams on his own and did not attend private tutorial classes
like many other aspiring college students in Armenia.
He says that the major problem he faced at the university was the
lack of digitalized text books. Sipan also laments the fact that
sightless pupils are not provided with books in Braille.
Right now, Sipan is taking intensive English courses in order that
he's able to attend university overseas, majoring in Eastern Studies
or the psychology of the disabled.
Despite the fact that Sipan believes that Yerevan isn't "sight-impaired
friendly, he's been maneuvering the street and sidewalks of Yerevan
with the assistance of a can for several years now and disagrees
with other sight-impaired residents that it's impossible to overcome
such challenges.
He also laments certain stereotypes, holdovers from the Soviet period,
regarding sight-impaired citizens.
"Even when I take a bus or other public transport, adults don't even
think of telling me if there is an empty seat or not. Some don't even
want to sit next to me, fearing they might catch some illness. The
new generation is different in their attitude. They ask me if they
can help and escort me to my destination," Sipan says.
On the whole, Sipan says public attitudes are slowly changing for
the better inArmenia.
"Today, most of the public is ready to assist. We constantly hear
in the media that society doesn't accept us. But I believe that the
disabled must take the first step for the public to accept us as full
members of society," Sipan notes.
Sipan tells me that he really likes to travel.
Two years ago he fulfilled a lifelong ambition and travelled to
Western Armeniafor a week. He visited Van and Kars, the land of
his forefathers.
"I had made up my mind to go no matter what. Me and my mother saved
up over the years and saw our dream come true."
Sona Avagyan
http://hetq.am/eng/articles/21328/sipan-asatryan-overcoming-the-challenges-of-being-sight-impaired-in-yerevan.html
11:56, December 7, 2012
"I leave the house with my cane to show society that disabled people
exist and to teach them how to lend a helping hand"
Sipan Asatryan strolls so confidently down the street by himself that
many don't believe he has sight problems.
Once, a taxi driver told Sipan, "Not seeing is tantamount to death,
no? If I were to immediately lose my sight, I would commit suicide."
Sipan could only laugh at the man's remarks.
"I tried to convince him otherwise but it was a lost cause. Now,
I leave the house with my cane to show society that disabled people
exist and to teach them how to lend a helping hand."
Sipan has been deprived of sight since the age of four. The family
resided in the town ofTchambarak.
His mother was an Armenian language teacher who urges him to attend
classes. Family members would read textbooks for him.
He then transferred to a special school inYerevan for students with
sight problems from the sixth grade onwards when the family relocated
to the Armenian capital. The Nikoghayos Tigranyan School is the only
one of its kind in the country.
Sipan now works at the National Leadership Institute run by the Ararat
Diocese of Armenian Apostolic Church. He prepares articles for the
NGO's website. He's also taught Sunday School classes for the church
in the village of Ohanavan.
On November 25, the Forte NGO, which caters to those with sight
related issues, organized a concert commemorating the 55th birthday
of Artsakh hero Monte Melkonian. Sipan wrote the score and conducted
the concert. Sipan learnt to play the piano on his own.
This year, Sipan graduated from Yerevan State University with a
Masters in Diaspora studies and linguistics. He prepared for the
entrance exams on his own and did not attend private tutorial classes
like many other aspiring college students in Armenia.
He says that the major problem he faced at the university was the
lack of digitalized text books. Sipan also laments the fact that
sightless pupils are not provided with books in Braille.
Right now, Sipan is taking intensive English courses in order that
he's able to attend university overseas, majoring in Eastern Studies
or the psychology of the disabled.
Despite the fact that Sipan believes that Yerevan isn't "sight-impaired
friendly, he's been maneuvering the street and sidewalks of Yerevan
with the assistance of a can for several years now and disagrees
with other sight-impaired residents that it's impossible to overcome
such challenges.
He also laments certain stereotypes, holdovers from the Soviet period,
regarding sight-impaired citizens.
"Even when I take a bus or other public transport, adults don't even
think of telling me if there is an empty seat or not. Some don't even
want to sit next to me, fearing they might catch some illness. The
new generation is different in their attitude. They ask me if they
can help and escort me to my destination," Sipan says.
On the whole, Sipan says public attitudes are slowly changing for
the better inArmenia.
"Today, most of the public is ready to assist. We constantly hear
in the media that society doesn't accept us. But I believe that the
disabled must take the first step for the public to accept us as full
members of society," Sipan notes.
Sipan tells me that he really likes to travel.
Two years ago he fulfilled a lifelong ambition and travelled to
Western Armeniafor a week. He visited Van and Kars, the land of
his forefathers.
"I had made up my mind to go no matter what. Me and my mother saved
up over the years and saw our dream come true."