Glaring prejudice against the physically challenged

A hardwo­rking, visual­ly impair­ed young man faced discri­minati­on in findin­g a job.


Umer Nangiana May 12, 2011

ISLAMABAD:


It’s said light is life. For Umer Yaqoob, however, life is darkness. Yet, he is full of life.


But it was not always so for the 23-year-old boy who lost his vision at the tender
age of twelve due to glaucoma. It was the end of the beginning for Yaqoob, who would have lost hope and the will to live had it not been for his family.

Now, Yaqoob says he lives his life like any normal human being would. “I meet friends, use computers and do all those things like an average person,” he said.

However, like any normal person, his life is also not without problems. People do not respect his cane, sometimes running over it with their bikes while he crosses a road.

He has been injured many times because of open manholes as well. But showing resignation with his fate, he said, “I understand that I have to live with such physical impediments.”

However, the one thing that did disappoint Yaqoob was not being given any employment opportunity in the public or private sector. Yaqoob was a candidate for a gold medal after he completed his post graduation from Quaid-e-Azam University last year and received a distinction in Pakistan Studies.

But despite a two percent quota announced by the government for physically challenged people, his own university was the first to make him feel betrayed.

Sources from within the administration informed him about the quota seats being filled with officials of lower ranks of the university. He claimed the lecturers were employed on ‘reference basis’ as these jobs were never advertised for the physically challenged persons.

“The university gave no thought to the two percent quota, neither did any other organisation where I applied for a job,” said Yaqoob. More than a dozen of his job applications were rejected.

Yaqoob is now a professor at a private college in Taxila. It is not a permanent job and is without any mandatory perks or privileges. He said he does not face any problems in performing his duties as a teacher as he can easily operate computers and other electronic gadgets to aid his work.

But he has to travel more than 60 kilometres everyday, being a resident of Rawalpindi.

“I was the topper of my department so Quaid-e-Azam should have preferred me. The university administration plainly refused to entertain my application for the job,”complained Yaqoob, “I kept pursuing my application but it was returned without any consideration”.

He urged the concerned authorities to take notice of violations of the set quota for the physically challenged |as in the long run, life becomes even harder for people like him.

He also aspires to pursue higher studies though financial and time constraints do not permit him to do so “With my current job, I cannot do Mphil in International Relations.”

When asked about marriage, he smiled shyly and replied, “Everyone falls in love”. But financial woes seem to be impeding these plans as well.

Being the eldest son in the family, Yaqoob feels responsible for the livelihood of his parents and two younger siblings.

“My parents have expectations from me. It frustrates me not being able to find a suitable job despite my academic achievement and hard work.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2011.

COMMENTS (5)

Nadeem Ahmed | 12 years ago | Reply Perhaps he is the only person in Quaid-e-Azam University who can see.
hopeful pakistani | 12 years ago | Reply @ Amir Rashid May Allah bless you for your kind thoughts towards the physically challenged in our society. I am trying to open a school for physically challenged in Lahore, any suggestions where to start and what kind of liciences and approval do I need from the education dept. in lahore ?
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