On the surface Birgit Skarstein and Fatmir Seremeti have few things in common. She is a Norwegian woman and he is a Swedish man. However, one thing unites them: they are persons with disabilities who have not let it
stop them from participation in sports on a high level. UNRIC talked to them on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 3 December.
Fatmir Seremeti came to Sweden when he was 9 years old from war-torn Kosovo. He was brought up in the Rosengård neighbourhood in Malmö and like its most famous son, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, he dreamt of becoming a professional footballer. In his teenage years, Fatmir was faced with a severe eye disease, glaucoma or cataracts, which not only changed his view of the world but also set the tone for his journey to become a prominent elite athlete in the parasport of goalball.
People with disabilities want to feel involved
On the International day of Persons with Disabilities the focus is on advancing the agency and leadership of persons with disabilities.
“The hallmark of a good leader for me is a leader who sees my potential despite my disability, who makes demands and expects results. People with disabilities also want to feel involved and perform, “ Fatmir Seremeti said in an interview with UNRIC.
Birgit Skarstein grew up in Levanger in Norway. She worked as a volunteer at an orphanage in Thailand after finishing high school. Their she had a foot injury in a diving accident. Back in Norway she had a surgery which went wrong and made her paralyzed.
Despite this Skarstein has become an active sportswoman, winning gold and silver medals in the women´s single sculls at the 2020 and 2024 Paralympics and is also a top-level cross country skier.
“In my initial professional role, I had the privilege of working under a leader who entrusted me with significant responsibilities, allowing me the freedom to grow, succeed, and learn from failures,” Skarstein said in an interview with UNRIC.
Crucial to have relatable role-models
In addition, Skarstein is a member of the World Economic Forum´s Global Shapers, not forgetting that she participated in a wheel chair in Norway´s Dancing with the stars TV programme.
“I believe it’s crucial for young people to have relatable figures in public spaces. It’s also essential for society to normalize seeing individuals with disabilities in roles defined not by their disabilities, but by their professions, interests, and capabilities.”
Today, the world population is over 8 billion people and more than one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population, live with some form of disability; 80 per cent live in developing countries.
Out of depression
Without sports, Fatmir Seremeti goes so far as to say that he would not have existed. The vision impairment diagnosis made him depressed. Through a try-out sports camp for young people with disabilities, he found sports and today he competes in goalball.
“I had difficulty seeing a life as a disabled person in front of me and it just felt dark. I suffered from anxiety and depression and saw no point in living,” Seremeti tells UNRIC.
What I can do, not what I cannot
Sports have also transformative Birgit Skarstein´s life. “They have broadened my understanding of diverse realities around the world and have reinforced my confidence in my abilities. They taught me to focus on what I can do, rather than what I cannot,” Skarstein says.
Today, Fatmit Seremeti’s visual impairment means that he basically only knows the difference between darkness and light, something that does not prevent him from working as a lecturer and influencer. Fatmir has created social media platforms where he shares his life as a visually impaired person, something he sees as both a privilege and a responsibility.
Release these people!
“It is important that everyone gets a seat, including those of us with disabilities. According to the democratic guidelines, we should also use our freedom of speech and dare to take a stand. I have a dream: that there should be strong representation of people with disabilities in boards and management positions. We must be more! Release these people!”
Skarstein is also adamant that people with disabilities have a lot to contribute to society.
“Imagine a world where we can be different yet equally valued. It’s crucial that we truly embrace diversity, not just by accepting it but by expecting it,” Skarstein says. “Our society must be integrated, not segregated. When we truly know each other, it becomes easier to see each other as the valuable individuals we are, rather than defining one another by our most visible physical characteristics. “
Everyone has a responsibility
With the help of his various social media channels and platforms, Fatmir Seremeti wants to create greater understanding and increase knowledge to reduce prejudices around people with disabilities. He likes to do that with the help of humor and “with the help of humour and laughing at his own expense.
“Everyone has a responsibility here. From the media to those who act as hiring managers at companies. I know that there is knowledge and competence in people with disabilities,” says Fatmir Seremeti.
Birgit Skarstein points out that “no one is born discriminatory; these are learned behaviors”. She concludes: “I truly desire a society that embodies genuine equality, where who you are and what you can do define your life, not your limitations or how others perceive you based on prejudice or ignorance. Therefore, we can also learn to foster community and equality. My dream is for us all to be diverse yet equally valued.”
