“Know me for my abilities, NOT my disability.”
How often have you appreciated that you can hear a bird chirping, a child’s rambling stories or the sound of rain as it hits the ground? Hassan Ahmad’s story of the struggles of growing up deaf and the ways he overcame all his obstacles inspired all of us at Manto and made us realize how much of our daily life we take for advantage. And we want to share his story with all of you.
“Growing up deaf in a small village in Rawalpindi, I was never encouraged to receive an education by anyone except for my family. My father and deaf mother did everything they could to move to the city and their struggle is what allowed me to graduate from Sir Syed School and College.
However, I soon learnt that the discouragement was not bound to the small village. Even in the city, our society strongly believed in a myth: a person with a disability would never be able to earn or do any job well.
My sister’s never-ending support helped me break through all these expectations. With her help and support, I was able to complete a Graphic Designing Course . This course is what allowed me to truly begin a career as a UI/UX designer and prove the value of the abilities I possess.
The main turning point of my life was attending YLC in 2018 where I was the only deaf person and there was no official sign language interpreter. For the next 6 days, I became confident as I met people who truly appreciated my differently abled skills and taught me ways to communicate with them without sign language. Through this, I learnt the most important lesson:”
“You are not disabled by the disabilities; you are able by the abilities you have.”
Along with the support of his sister, Hassan became a brand ambassador for DeafTawk, began a vlog for deaf people unable to understand written reviews and has started his own digital platform “Knoc” to help everyone struggling ways through which they can utilize their skills and improve their life.