Daily Times

Everybody is here for a purpose without distinction and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand. This purpose can only be realized when you fight for what you believe in because your life is first created in your mind then in the world. There are times when you get hurt, face obstacles and endure pain all of which makes you understand what you are losing and what is necessary for you to do to protect yourself and save your dignity. That makes you strain your potential until it cries for mercy.

All of us struggle to fulfill the purpose of our existence but have we ever wondered why the Lord sent us as humans on the planet Earth? Why not on any other planet? And after a short stay of a couple of years, we have to say good-bye. Because the great Lord wants his best creation (the humans) to feel the beauty of emotions and to pass through the unpredictable phases of life to nourish the eternal soul and to broaden the fountain of wisdom during this short stay so we can radiate before we go back to Him. Every human is unique and approaches the mysteries of life in a different way; possessing superlative but unmatched abilities with each having a different story. In this piece of writing, I am going to talk about those who may look weak and different to an ordinary eye but are capable enough to change the world, powerful enough to fight with strongly constructed apprehensions of society and to teach a lesson by proving them wrong. These magnificent people are people with disabilities whose physical disability problems have not limited them to use their special skills and to illuminate the world with their talents.

Those who took disability as their ability

As someone has said, ‘’when you are clear, what you want will show up in your life, and only to the extent that you are clear’’. I learned about wisdom possessed by those suffering from disabilities and the feelings they go through while reading an anecdote of the professor Morrie Schwartz suffering from the deadly Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis who beautifully took his ailment as a blessing and taught lessons of how to be happy and thankful in our culture that urges to roll the dice. To make the gamble and fan the flames of ego by ignoring the stakes; in the book ‘Tuesdays with Morrie’ written by Mitch Albom. This story provided a catalyst to my curiosity and I started to read more about people suffering from this which led me to find the great scientist also a victim of the same deadly illness who brought huge changes in the world with theories and who has fans worldwide.

Mr. Stephen Hawking who was vulnerable for everything, dependent on machines for life kept on using his brain for the betterment of the world with his work on various topics famous among those was his theory of everything until the day he died fulfilling his purpose of existence on this planet. What challenges my pessimist perception, even more, is looking at the limbless but successful, strong, independent and motivational speaker Nicholas Vujicic, also an author of several books. Can anyone imagine to live without hands and feet? He lives and lives happily. This shows that a human is capable enough to train himself in any way he wants to. Having a closer look, revolving an eye in my own country I got more surprised finding a blind woman as the topper of the toughest exam of Pakistan Civil Services in 2014 that woman is Miss Saima Saleem currently working on human rights issues. The world is full of these amazements to astonish and surprise us every day. What matters most is do these stories contribute to removing the barriers of society and boosting up the talents of disabled and if they do then to what extent? Do those who are called as disabled by others also consider themselves disabled and incapable? Or are they ready to show up their potential and choose to use the talent they are born with? I am sure if this is so they are going to find their greatest happiness in using it.

Role of state to meet with the needs of special people

State plays an important role in keeping the souls lively and energetic. If a state does not guarantee the rights of individuals, people would be less motivated and less encouraged. I belong to Pakistan and I have sentiments for each Pakistani especially for those in need. I believe God has entrusted us some duties to perform, if we are healthy and physically fit then He tests us to see how our fitness is beneficial for those suffering, if we are wealthy how much do we give to those in need. In other words, how are we utilizing our powers either for other benefits or are we deluded with pride? If it is of no use for His creation in pain then He doesn’t bother to reward the abilities an individual possesses. Pakistan is a country where 3,286,630 persons are disabled rarely seen, rarely heard and rarely counted. There is no special ministry to deal exclusively with the matters of the needs of special people except of women’s development, social welfare, and special education. There is a law on the employment and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities passed in 1981. But currently, there is no comprehensive legislation. But on the other hand, there is a belief that you are only as weak as you feel so and as strong as you feel so. This belief can challenge our spirit. If this is learned, the doors of opportunities will be seen sooner or later. Despite all the weaknesses, there are forty-six training centers for special persons in Pakistan established by the National Training Centre training individuals in various fields and several other national institutes polishing their bright future. The development of the National Institute for Special Education partnering with universities, research centers, and international organizations is a great platform for those wanting to excel in research areas. There are arrangements for vocational training and employment promotion services by the government. There are branches of the institution of Pakistan Association of Blind in many cities of the country to help citizens get benefits supported by the government.

Individual Responsibility: Overcome the fears

However despite some flaws in policy-making for the rights of special people, lack of proper legislation and recognition and no active role of state and media in creating awareness but it does not mean that you surrender; it means that you have to fight. You have to accept the reality and speak your fears if a person has a spark of talent, a mountain of belief and an ocean of dreams he would challenge the obstacles, struggle to find the ways and ultimately be a motivation for several others like him. Why not you think to be that motivation and ignite that spark that hopes and make the eyes dream for the best you deserve with the belief that the endeavors would not be wasted and reward is awaiting. The state would be enforced to increase the job quota from three percent to ten percent. It is the voice of my intuition that if this desire is boosted the perception of society would gradually be transformed from pessimism to optimism and the coming generations would not have to suffer. It is you who have to bring the change. Who has to enforce the system to bring changes that serve your best interest and to get advantage from the institutions your home country offers you and facilitates. You deserve the best and to serve the best with marvelous abilities because disability is what we call the strength.

Guilt VS the role of NGOs in Pakistan

I have seen people not stepping out because of the guilt they feel in taking help from others. I want to clarify that there is no hesitation or shame to seek help initially from NGOs to learn, to start a business or to get some aid. Because all of us need a platform to stand just like our families provided us the platform to grow, to learn and to know about the world, our culture, values, etc which shaped our personality. In other way NGOs do the same, they provide us the platform where we see hope and make us capable enough to shape our future with dignity. Once we are learned, we are able to help many others who want to learn and stand on their own. This is how the chain of humanity moves. You shouldn’t feel guilty over the things you have no control, you shouldn’t feel guilty that you don’t have a job or you are dependent because this is not what you chose yourself for you. It’s nature’s plan. If people or NGOs are helping you because they are doing this with their choice to make the world a better place for benefitting you will benefit many others too by your capabilities. There is a number of organizations working in Pakistan to help the nation stand strong. Such as Safia Foundation headed by Miss Shamsa Kanwal (who is blind) located in Sialkot providing training courses of various fields, Pakistan Foundation Fighting For Blindness whose executive director is blind too and is working to train the blind individuals of Pakistan with an agenda that blindness is no more a disability in today’s world, Pakistan Disabled Foundation working for the welfare of individuals in need of support. And so many more active for this cause to support and most of the organizations are headed by those who themselves suffering from any disability of the body part to show the world that it is not disability of entire body but just a small limitation and the main goal of all NGOs for this cause is to remove a thinking of inferiority, to bolster the belief of self-determination, make independent and promote education.

Social Responsibility

‘’A measure of one’s success is the degree of the positive influence that you have on someone else’s life as well as your own’’

By social responsibility, I mean the society which involves me, you and all of us. It is about me, you and us taking responsibility for the future of the world to prevent abuse against people with disabilities to act as an umbrella giving a shadow to those seeking encouragement and confident to live with courage. In Pakistan, people with disabilities are rarely seen in academics and in offices because of a weak role of society. It is inflexible in accepting each person as unique in their kind. It is also observed that there are so many things that people with disability are more likely to bear abuse than people without disability. However according to Scott Hamilton, ‘’the only disability in life is a bad attitude’’. Believing this I conclude that there is no disability in the world. There is a need to change the way of perceiving so that society may play its role in bolstering the courage, providing the platforms. Because doing something positive would be the first step to social reform. Such as giving money to a disable child beggar is the least generous act we can do, supporting the NGOs for this cause, sponsoring a child or children in NGOs. Our responsibility is not only confined to economy but to our actions, language and behavior too so that with our polite words and behavior we can make our beloveds and fellows realize that their bodily limitation is not their disability, they still have the super capability to utilize their skills, to learn, to work and to live independently like all others.

Role of the World Community

There are several international institutions and organizations working for bringing stability and peace to the world. Which is working for the Human Rights and Rights of Disabled specifically? There are specialized agencies established for this cause under the international body of the United Nations. And the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted in 2006 to address the issues of people suffering from bodily limitations. It has eighty-two signatories and aims at human rights and fundamental freedoms of persons with disabilities. It collects data worldwide of the people going through the issue of some kind of disability. Article 5 of the CRPD emphasizes equality and non-discrimination which means that no one can be discriminated at anywhere on the basis of disability. Article 16 guarantees freedom from exploitation, violence, and abuse. Article 27 mentions the right to work and employment. All articles in this convention are fifty ensuring the rights of the disabled either a child or a woman all are equal and have the same rights.

Moreover, there are several other prominent organizations working day and night for the sake of humanity. Such as the International Committee of the Red Cross supporting people with disabilities worldwide and providing rehabilitation services especially to those affected during wars. The other specialized agencies include UNICEF, UNESCO, Amnesty International, etc. It is because of these organizations and their work that today disabled people are not viewed as objects of charity and care and ensure their rights as all other human rights such as their basic right to life, family, health and acceptance. And youth with disabilities is seen at many platforms today in meetings, working with organizations and even in sports. They are among us and all of us need love and deserve love. With love, the wounds can heal, our personalities can shine and the purpose of our existence can be fulfilled.