Strength From Within

Sticks and stones may break your bones but words can alter your life. For 10 years, Nahla Ab Rahim delivered her best at a government job despite having mild cerebral palsy, which impaired her balance and coordination. Instead of being applauded for her courage and strength, as she didn’t even take medication for her condition, she was ridiculed by her colleagues. If not addressed, workplace bullying can destroy a person’s mental stability, damage their overall wellbeing, and increase job turnover. In Nahla’s case, she was diagnosed with major depressive disorder in 2019 and seeing no way but out, she turned in her resignation letter.

However, Nahla, 32, didn’t descend further into hopelessness. Instead, a lifetime of being looked down upon as a person with disabilities (PWD), first at school and then at work, spurred her to take up scuba diving.

“Water therapy improved my legs and muscle strength remarkably. I then took the same test as everyone else to become a licensed scuba driver, proving that PWDs could succeed like everyone else, even in extreme sports.”

Nahla’s next challenge was improving her education so that she could rejoin the working world. For this, she turned to OUM, signing up for the Bachelor in Early Childhood Education (BECHE) programme in 2020.

“The level of civic-consciousness towards PWDs among Malaysians is heart-wrenchingly low. I’m taking BECHE because I want to change the mindset of Malaysians towards PWDs from young. A lot of the hardships we face come from other people and the environment we live in, not just our disabilities.

“So, I’m going to educate the young ones about us. Someone once said that it is easier to raise a strong child than to fix a broken man. Likewise, it is easier to teach young children about accepting and respecting PWDs than to change the mindsets of prejudiced adults.”

Hearteningly, Nahla finds OUM to be disabled-friendly. “The university’s online learning approach is very convenient for me. Although I’m enrolled at the Bangi Learning Centre, I can attend classes, hold discussions, do assignments and research, and even sit for exams from the comfort of my home.”

Online learning also enables Nahla to pursue other interests besides scuba diving. She is into archery as well and helps her sister with her home-based business selling honey. In August 2020, Nahla was certified by the Malaysian Mental Health Association as a mental health responder, which requires her to be a good listener and offer moral support to individuals facing stress or sadness. “OUM’s flexibility has captured my heart as I can study anytime anywhere. And the discounts and waivers offered to PWDs are most helpful, especially when Covid-19 struck.”

Nahla, who expects to graduate next year, is enjoying her learning experience. “My lecturers, friends and the staff at the Bangi Learning Centre and Main Campus help me a lot and boost my spirits. My whole journey with OUM is just spectacular.”