Norberta Vicente Soares da Cruz

Norberta Vicente Soares Da Cruz stands out as a resilient and hopeful figure in the field of disability rights campaigning in Timor-Leste. She is the Executive Director of Community Based Rehabilitation Network Timor Leste (CBRN-TL), advocating for the empowerment of people with disabilities, particularly women.

Norberta participated in DTP’s 31^st Annual Human Rights and Peoples’ Diplomacy Training Program in Timor Leste in 2023. She said that the immersive nature of DTP’s training had helped sharpen her advocacy skills.

“DTP training kindled a fire inside of me that is fed by the conviction that change is achievable by discussion, diplomacy and action. DTP significantly influenced my approach to human rights advocacy, especially in how I can improve my knowledge in advocacy for the rights of people with disabilities in Timor-Leste.”

Norberta said that the DTP training helped her form better understanding about legislative advocacy around the rights of the disabled people.

“DTP training helped me understand that legislative advocacy necessitates a careful examination of the circumstances that affect individuals with disabilities. For instance, we support the National Disability National Action Plan in Timor-Leste. Our suggestions included ways to make healthcare more accessible, making sure medical facilities are set up to handle patients with a range of disabilities, and preparing medical staff appropriately.”

Norberta is also appreciative about the networking opportunity DTP training provides its participants.

“I met so many human rights advocates in DTP training… it made me feel like I am not alone in my human rights advocacy.”

Norberta’s extraordinary and inspiring life journey suggests that the sky is the limit for someone if they have the will and right tools to navigate the challenges of disability in a society where sympathy for disabled people is traditionally low.

“I experienced prejudice as a child that almost prevented me from receiving an education. My parents’ steadfast support kept me going even though classmates and neighbours questioned my need for an education because of my disability and they advised me to stay at home. I resisted being ignored since I had faith in my abilities. I accepted the challenge, wanting to show that I had a right to an education.”

After graduating from the National University of Timor-Leste with a Bachelor of Science, Norberta set out to build a society that was more inclusive towards people with a disabilty. She joined the advocacy to persuade Timor-Leste to ratify the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which it did in 2022, and now advocates for its implementation. She created a toolkit to address the special needs of women and children with disabilities.

Norberta now leads an organisation that employs 24 people and is driving change in Timor-Leste, where disability still carries a social stigma and poverty limits services.

Norberta’s own story exemplifies the rallying cry of the disability and wider rights movements “nothing about us without us!”. Her determination and success has helped to inspire others – and to build solidarity between movements in Timor-Leste and beyond.