The world community recently observed the International Day of Disabled Persons on December 3, 2007. The annual observance of the day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities. It also seeks to increase awareness of gains to be derived from the integration of persons with disabilities in the political, social, economic and cultural spheres.
Society has largely begun to understand and recognise the problems of disabled people and is now ready to accept them as those who have there own personality. Dr Sabir Michael is one such person. Even though he is blind, Dr Michael has a Master’s in Social Work and a PhD in Sociology, both from the University of Karachi (KU). Currently, Dr Michael is employed by the Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Institute of Science and Technology (Szabist) as an assistant professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences. Before coming to Szabist, he was the chairperson at the Department of Sociology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Greenwich University. Unlike most of his colleagues, Dr Sabir is blind.
Talking to The News, Dr Michael began by giving a parable from the life Jesus Christ. A person went to Jesus and asked, “This child who is blind is so because of the sin of his parents?”, and Jesus’ reply was, “No, he is a gift from God.” The same can be applied to Dr Michael who has achieved so much despite the fact that he cannot see. “My parents were sanitary workers and had no interest in my education. My two siblings, a brother and a sister are also blind. Blindness runs in our family,” Dr Michael says in an impassive tone. He credits his grandfather who had the vision to get him educated despite protests from his parents.
Born in Karachi, Michael was sent to a school for regular children but a British nun thought it was not a good idea, and so he was dispatched to a Christian School and Home for the Blind at Okara, Punjab. The school was run by a Catholic Italian priest Father Amato Aldino who became his mentor and helped him to continue his education till he graduated, all from Okara. Dr Michael had decided to do his PhD while he was still in class seven. He credits Haji Muhammad Ahmed from UK, Seema Mughal, vice chancellor of Greenwich University, and few of his colleagues and friends for believing in him and providing constant moral and financial support for his PhD. He had special gratitude for Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat, chairman, Department of Sociology, KU, who accepted and guided him as a research scholar.
Dr Burfat had harsh words for NGOs and termed them as ‘talk shop’. “They did nothing to help me and their help for the disabled is mostly lip service that helps them project themselves and receive money from the donors,” he says.
He found the students and the teachers very understanding but had mostly bitter experiences when he entered the job market after doing his PhD. “Most of the prospective employers were quit
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