A blind man successful in his own eyes
“The loss of sight does not impair the qualities of mind and heart” - Ali Shabbar
Ali Shabbar, a blind person started an NGO under name of “Special talent exchange program” that aims to empower people with disabilities.
In 2002, Ali represented Pakistan in the World Assembly of Disabled Peoples’ and the Osaka Forum on Disability and Development. He is also founder of number of entities at national and regional levels, including the Assistive Technology Centre in Pakistan and the South Asian Disability Forum. Pakistan signing the UN convention on the rights of people with disabilities is a fruitful result of Ali’s resilient hard work.
During early childhood, studying was hard for Ali. Teachers discriminated him because they were not able to teach him like other students. Ali’s mother then became the key source for his education at that stage.
“My mother used to read me the course books and teach me how to write. She used to hold my hand and make me draw the pictures,” he said “With antics and experience, I learned to write and started to give exams.”
After completing masters, Ali started working as a Marketing Specialist under commercial division in Telenor Pakistan where he introduced the famous “TalkShawk brand” He was awarded bestselling idea for the package. Meanwhile, he got scholarship for the University of Cambridge where he developed a vision for how he can empower disable people to become something in their lives.
“After coming back from University of Cambridge, I discovered that out of four hundred young men and women I was with, only thirty-two were still alive. This was the worst form of nature selection I could hear” said Ali
Ali quit his job in Telenor and took an initiative to start a non-profit organization where he worked for the rights of disabled people.
Mr Shabbar said, “Blind people are being denied their most basic rights. When children are born blind, their parents would feel bad. Parents in poor households send them out to beg. I want to bring motivation to these people.”
According to United Nation, 2.49% of Pakistani population is facing some type of disability. Access to information is a major issue for people with disabilities. The society view people with disabilities in a medical or charity context. They are denied their rights to be included in general school system, to live independently, to participate in sports and cultural activities and to get jobs.
“I have also faced numerous barriers, including the negative behavior of society since my school life. A persistent effort was needed at every incident of life. I was in constant pain. Rather than whining on my disability, I learned to view the world through my eyes. I had to put a lot of effort to prove myself,” said Ali.
“I was fighting an unseen battle, struggling for what people called insane. “
To tackle the societal pressure, he decided to create a platform for people with disabilities namely Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) that strives for equal their rights in Pakistan. STEP is one of the organizations selected by the U.S. Embassy for its Mentorship Program 2012.
“Step has achieved a landmark in its ongoing endeavours for the handicap people. The organization has recruited over eighty-five hundred disabled people up till now and aims to expand globally”
The biggest challenge Ali faced was to change people’s attitudes towards disability. Ali blames a lack of effective planning at the school level for the behavior.
" The only disability in life is bad attitude. Arguing that unless educational institutes are disability friendly, there is no hope. You need to train teachers in schools on how to handle children with disability and stop people from making fun.” Ali said “It is only after that you move on to interpreters, sign-language instructors, Braille and transport with disable access."
Ali Shabbar thinks that he is still in the transformational period of his life. One of his aspirations in life is to become anything a person without disabilities would be able to. But he is satisfied that his dreams are taking some direction.
“I am hopeful that the world will one day also struggle for the rights of people like me and no one will die of disability.” he said.
