Jidapa Nitiwirakun, a 21-year-old from Thailand, was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age when her mother noticed she wasn’t learning to walk. Despite the challenges of living with this condition and losing muscle strength each year, Jidapa has managed to secure a job as an administrative officer in the human resources department at Toyota Tsusho’s Thai headquarters.
Growing up, Jidapa had many dreams, from owning a bakery to becoming a Thai-Japanese interpreter due to her love for anime. While attending the Pattaya Redemptorist Technological College for People with Disabilities, she participated in Microsoft’s Skills for Jobs program. This program taught her basic digital skills for business, including coding, PowerPoint, and AI. Her internship with Microsoft Thailand gave her the confidence to train employees and clients to use Power BI.
Despite her busy schedule, Jidapa continues to volunteer at her old college using her mechanized wheelchair to travel back and forth from her apartment. She also financially supports her family by contributing money to her father, mother, grandmother and helping pay for his brother’s university fees. Jidapa is proud of her ability to provide for her family while excelling in her career.