Lessen the burden

People with disabilities need not have to battle with all kinds of barriers in life

Despite being disabled, Shahzad Ali refuses any help from charities. Reem Mohammed / The National

We often hear the adage: “Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you’ve fed him for a lifetime.” It’s a metaphor that is meant to focus on creating opportunities rather than reducing people to accepting handouts.

Take Shahzad Ali, for example, who contracted polio as a child, which left him dependent on a prosthetic limb. Yet, as The National reported yesterday, he never allowed his disability to hold him back. The only problem is that he needs to replace the limb and it's expensive. He has the option to approach a charity. Instead, he wants a job that would not just enable him to get a new limb, but provide him with an income to support his family.

People with disabilities need help to realise their right to earn a sustainable living. Creating opportunities and facilities for them will enable them to get off dependency on charity or families, as well as contribute to the economy by joining the workforce.