What It’s Like To Navigate Life As A Woman Who Is Also Disabled? With Nalutporn Krairiksh At CIVICUS 2025
“People will learn if we have a good space like inclusive space, so… you can see me at a bar. You can see that I live a normal life.”
People with disabilities often struggle to be seen in everyday spaces, making it harder for society to see them as individuals and harder still for them to fully participate in democratic life.
During CIVICUS’ 2025 International Civil Society Week (ICSW) in Bangkok, Thailand, Almost spoke with Nalutporn Krairiksh, the editor of ThisAble.me, a Thai news platform dedicated to sharing stories and issues about disabilities.
Krairiksh recalled how, as a child, a teacher once divided the class between boys and girls, but allowed her to choose which group to join because she was “disabled”.
At the time, Krairiksh was confused and later realized that people often struggled to see her as a person, a woman capable of love, relationships and even motherhood, and placed limitations based on her disability.
“I don't think people understand because we don’t see each other,” Krairiksh told Almost. “People will learn if we have a good space like inclusive space, so… you can see me at a bar. You can see that I live a normal life.”
That lack of visibility, she said, extends beyond social spaces into democratic participation.
Krairiksh said that when she goes to vote, she is directed to a separate special voting station, a process she described as isolating rather than “inclusive”.
She also hopes politicians and the government can see them as active “participants” of the democratic process.
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