Zahra’s note on being a Pakistani deaf woman wants to change perspectives.
Zahra Manji a Karachi native, was born totally deaf.
Gepostet von Zahra M Manji am Montag, 27. November 2017
However, she has never considered her being deaf as a ‘disability’.
While in our community, she lamented that being deaf is considered an impairment and disability but this is not the case. Deaf people are not the ‘other’ or people who should be pitied according to Zahra.
Zahra is an activist raising awareness about deafness in Pakistan. She was born in Karachi and did her initial schooling in the United States, returning to Pakistan for her O’levels. She returned to the States for her higher education, getting two bachelors degrees and then a masters in Deaf Education.
Zahra is passionate in pointing out that being deaf is not a disability in any way and neither does it mean that the person is intellectually challenged either. A deaf person is just as capable as any other human being.
She also talked about how she encourages the use of sign language.
And wants to combat the idea in Pakistan that people who use sign language are discouraged from actually learning to use speech. According to Zahra, the opposite is true.
The idea that someone who is deaf is disabled and someone to pity is ingrained within society. We live in a culture where people look at those who are differently abled and thank God for how it’s not them in their place. This is incredibly hurtful to those who are differently abled and their loved ones.
Zahra wrote a heartfelt post about what it’s like being a Pakistani deaf woman. In the post, she talks about an average day for her which might sound incredible to others but is a normal everyday reality to her. In the post, she talks about how she does everything a fully abled person might do except she does them a little differently. You can read her note below.
And she ends her note with a hashtag #DeafAndProudForever.
I'm a Deaf person.I wake up every day, with a vibrating alarm or a bright light, which sometimes becomes uncomfortable…
Gepostet von Zahra M Manji am Mittwoch, 3. Oktober 2018
Absolutely inspiring, to say the least.
What do you think about Zahra’s post about being deaf? Let us know in the comments!
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Cover Image Source: Zahra M Manji via Facebook.com