http://community.disabled-world.com/blog/category/family-home/ Blog categories... http://community.disabled-world.com/AbilityLane/blog/you-might-say-its-on-the-shelf/ The weekend ended up being quite a bit busier than either Wendy or I expected it to be. Wendy suggested that we run off to the Home Depot store down t...]]> The weekend ended up being quite a bit busier than either Wendy or I expected it to be. Wendy suggested that we run off to the Home Depot store down the street and get a couple of boards to extend the shelving in two of the closets in our place out a bit. That way we could put some of the things that have been in storage in our own closets and save some cash.

We went and got the boards, which the person at the store politely cut for us to the measurements we wanted. We got some hardware to put the shelving up, as well as some free-standing shelves to put above on the top shelf. We moved some things around and into the space we created.

Wendy was so pleased with the results on Saturday that today we went back and got some more materials to work with the other closets. What had begun as a day project quickly became a weekend project, one that is not quite finished at the moment. At age mid-forties, we are both so sore after all of this it isn't even funny. My knees have cried, 'mutiny!'

I will be paying for this for days as far as my knees go, but the end results are worthwhile. The bad part of this is that on Tuesday I have to go and get shots in both knees again; sigh. Pain meds for two, as well as keeping my legs propped up afterward is helping a little, but I won't be doing anything like this again for awhile.

Amazing what a couple of pine boards and a few brackets and screws will do to save space elsewhere. We are looking into storage here in the condo complex, so that we don't have to pay for a storage unit somewhere else. The cats were racing around and sniffing at everything as if the things were somehow unknown or new or something. Poor Squeeky looked more than a little lost.

Ouch my knees...they are about a six or seven on that scale of 1-10, despite the meds. Both of us are glad we did this now, and not when it gets to be 80 or 90 degrees out in the summer.

Tom.]]> http://community.disabled-world.com/AbilityLane/blog/you-might-say-its-on-the-shelf/ Mon, 01 Mar 2010 02:29:14 +0000 AbilityLane http://community.disabled-world.com/AMEER_AHMAD_BUKHARI/blog/my-interview-that-i-gave-to-a-student-of-spl-edu/ THIS IS MY INTERVIEW THAT I GAVE TO A STUDENT OF M.A SPL. EDU. ALLAMA IQBALL OPEN UNIVERSITY PAKISTAN

...]]> THIS IS MY INTERVIEW THAT I GAVE TO A STUDENT OF M.A SPL. EDU. ALLAMA IQBALL OPEN UNIVERSITY PAKISTAN



INTRODUCTION

Mr. Ameer Ahmad is physically disable person and is working is a teaching in a Misali higher secondary school situated in Chowk Sarwar Shaheed (Muzaffur Garh). He mostly teaches to intermediate classes. He says that he does only his teaching and no interest in side business. He is an unmarried young man of 25 years old and his leading a very active life. He says he never felt any kind of problem in his life. Although there are various dimensions of his life. For me it was difficult to describe his life, life achievement, and professional and literacy activities in a very compact form. He is man of very certain temperament. I tried to explore various aspect of his life and will express these aspects in the next coming pages.

FAMILY BACKGROUND

As the family of Mr. Ameer Ahmad is concerned that belong to a SAYYAD family. He says that his family is migrated from tribal area of NWFP. His family settled from 1972 in Chowk Sarwar Shaheed (Muzaffar Garh). His family was not of so high financial status and was related according to him with the middle class of the community. Any way, his family was pure eastern family and not literate properly. He says that his father settled in Chowk Sarwar Shaheed so that he may earn enough to support his family of four brothers. His father started from the scratch and got very obvious achievement in business and finally he says his father Atta Muhammad stabilized economy conditions of his family.

BIRTH PLACE

Ameer Ahmad was born in Chowk Sarwar Shaheed (Muzaffar Garh) on 16 Feb.1984. He was born in his home and his mother was not hospitalized in any hospital as usually it occurs in all countryside in sub continent.

FACILITIES AT THE TIME OF HIS BIRTH

When I asked him about the facility of health during his birth in his area he said that time in his area and he further told that women should be hospitalized during delivery cases. Only experienced women were considered able to deal such cases.
MARRIAGE OF AMEER AHMAD'S PARENTS

About the marriage of his parents Mr. Ameer Ahmad said that they were cousins in their relationship but when I asked him to tell the exact relation between his parents he could not remember that what blood relation they had. He reported that his parents say that they married very traditionally.

AMEER AHMAD`S BROTHERS AND SISTERS

Mr. Ameer’s brothers are students of different classes. His young brother Wazir Ahmad is student of MBBS final year in GOMAL Medical College D.I.Khan (NWFP). His other brother Manzoor Ahmad is student of D. Pharmacy in University of Lahore (LAHORE) and other Zahir Ahmad and Shakeel Ahmad are students of ACCA in CFE College LAHORE. His two sisters are housewives .His two sisters and one brother Wazir Ahmad is married.

PARENT’S IMPRESSION

About his parents impression Ameer said that his parents were members of middle class society therefore their impression was not so different from other people of the society but all the same his parents were very kind to him and naturally had special concerns for him. After a deep silence Ameer sighed and said that his parents and specially his mother was mentally tortured by his grandmother who even deprived Ameer from the right of very basic needs such as clothes milk and medical treatment.

At the very early age his parents tried to cure Ameer from disability but due to Ameer says that his femily and specially his parentas were very worried and upset about the disabiltywhen it appeared in Amedue lack of awareness and low financial to lack of awareness and low financial status they failed to secure their child from permanent disability. But Ameer Ahmed said that his parents accepted him with his disability and equipped him with all the possible needs they could afford and provide. They arranged his education at their home with the assistants of a tutor. After three years of his early education they took him to school for further studies. There were some problems in his educational process but his parents compromised to equip him with proper education
SCHOOL LIFE

Mr. Ameer Ahmed said that actually his education was started at home with the help of female teacher Miss Abida who taught him for three years. After three years of early education he was taken to Millat Modal School, a very famous private school at he city of that time. There he completed his primary education. In 6th class he was entered in Younis Model School where he completed his Middle Education. Ameer Ahmed says that he was very good in all his subjects and his teachers realized his this ability and intelligence.

Pick and drop facilities were provided by his father up to 8th class. Ameer said that he was treated in school on priority basis and was supported morally and socially by his parents and his teachers. However he said that there was no provision of special needs by school. In his school students were not provided with any sort of furniture and they used to sit down on the mats. But it was a part of disability of Ameer Ahmed that he was not able to sit down on the mat and was in need of small chair. Even the school did mot provide him a single little chair. His father arranged a little chair and table for him due to which he was able to sit easily in his classroom.


In 8th class examination Ameer got 764 marks out of 850 and got prominent position in his city Chowk Sarwar Shaheed. It was very appreciated by his parents and teachers. About his Co-curriculum activities he said that he participated in speech on various occasions, which restored his self-confidence. About his spare time he said that mostly he spent his time with his friends. He said that he used to go to play ground to watch cricked match. Not only this he was very interested in Karam board and Lido.


SECONDARY EDUCATION

In 1997, he got admission in Govt. Higher Secondary School Chowk Sarwar Shaheed. This educational atmosphere was totally different for him. It was a large school with over crowded classrooms. He was a bit afraid of how to face all these difficulties and challenges. But with in a few days he said that he found that there was no problem for him in that institution. If there were some problems those were too solved by his teacher specially his teacher Mr. Mukhtar sahib who was his class incharge and teacher of Physics and Math. According to Ameer Ahmed he was the only teacher in his educational career who provided him special needs when he ordered the other students to make a slope at the door of classroom to facilitate the mobility of Ameer Ahmed in his easy access of the classroom.


Ameer said that he was a very hard working student and impressed all his teachers with good results of his class tests. Finally in 1999 he passed his Matriculation exam securing 702 marks out of 850. Here he also got first position in his school. That was the time when it was decided that Ameer would study Science in his further studies. In those two years of his secondary education he said that he adopted a very specific personality. This was the time when he created a few verses in Urdu poetry. Thus in his cabinet he was called a poet of Urdu language. He was more mature in speech and participated in speech competition at every occasion.

HIGHER SECONDARY EDUCATION

After securing good marks in his matriculation Ameer was advised to study further science with pre-medical group. So F.Sc. was his next year programme of studies. But as it was selected easily it was not so easy task for him because there were no proper facilities of science subjects for Inter level in Chowk Sarwar Shaheed and it was also a trying situation for Ameer to leave his home for his studies because his disability was severe and he was not in a condition to complete his education without his family support.


So finally it was decided that Ameer would continue his further studies in Layyah. But there he faced many problems and he rejoined his Govt. Higher Secondary School Chowk Sarwar Shaheed even in the absence of staff in second year he tried to join a better system of studies and for this purpose he got admission in Misali Zakria Muzaffar Garh there were a lot of problems related with his disability and health so after six months he left the Misali Zakria Muzaffar Garh and joined once again his Govt Higher Secondary School Chowk Sarwar Shaheed where there were no proper arrangement of studies. Finally after this period of crisis he passed his F.Sc. in 2002 with 749 marks. During his Higher Secondary Education he said that he faced many problems. He changed the school for getting good education and wanted to manage himself. He said that his class fellows who had low marks in Matriculation but in F.Sc. they got good marks than his because they managed themselves in good colleges than Ameer Ahmad. He completed his F.Sc. in Chowk Sarwar Shaheed at this time. He said he was very depressed about his educational life and also that there was no complete facilities in his city so in this situation he completed his F.Sc. in three years rather than two years after facing many problems.


GRADUATION



After completing of his F.Sc (pre-medical) he said that he prepared test for three months for medical field. He said that he cleared his medical entry test. Medical entry test examiners demanded the disabled certificate, which was provided by him. After this they called him for medical check up. He said that he was hopeful to get seat reserved for disabled students in this field but in medical check up examiners rejected him for this studies due to severe disability. He said that about this decision, he was compromising so there were two options for him medical field and other education field. He said that medical field did not accept him medical board because of the decision so he selected the education field. About Graduation he said that he wanted to do B.Sc. But there were no facilities in his city Chowk Sarwar Shaheed. So he selected simple B.A. He said that he got this degree as a private candidate in 2004 from Baha-u-Din Zakria University Multan and he got 498 marks out of 800. After the completion of his graduation he decided to do MA in English Literature. For this he had tuition from his teacher Amjad Hafeez sahib who is lecturer in Govt. Degree College Kot Adu.


He said that his teacher was very co-operative with him. He had a great role in his MA English. He said that he passed first part of M.A English with 250 marks but in 2nd and final year he passed with 215 marks which was not satisfy. But in those days he said he was so upset during the exam of M.A English because of his family problems and in those days his sister was severely medically disturbed. He said that after the completion of M.A. English he opened an academy for BA level classes. He said that he got admission also in M.A Special Education from Allama Iqbal Open University. Mr. Ameer said that he faced many problems during the period of M.A Special Education because M.A Special Education's workshops held in division D.G.Khan that was a difficult thing to attend these classes for the person with his special needs but he said that he also enjoyed the workshops with his new friends and staff. He said that because of M.A Special Education he has got awareness and a lot of information about disabled persons in community who face a lot of problems. He said that as a private candidate he also participated in his community seminars, which were held by community members. He said that he have participated in co-curriculum activities of regional enters AIOU D.G.Khan during his MA Special Education workshops.

On 14 august he have 1st Award in English speech at D.G.Khan and was also very appreciated by the regional center Director and his other tutors. He said that in new building construction ceremony convocation he also participated at Regional center D.G.Khan. In these programmes he have got courage and appreciation from the whole education department who have been called by coordinator KHOSA sahib in Dera Gazi Khan.

PROBLEMS AND DIFFICULTIES IN EDUCATION

Mr. Ameer said that the very first problem in his education was pick and drop facility although his father did his duty on his car and he used to pick and drop Ameer, and his other brothers to school but with in a few year his father had to sell his car and bought a bike which was not suitable to carry Ameer and all his brothers to school. Therefore it was a problem how to make it possible to access the school especially for Ameer. There were no proper facilities in This Chowk Sarwar Shaheed therefore Ameer with his brother's had to go to school on donkey cart. That was a very odd source but it was a facility that made possible continuity of Ameer's education. Sometimes donkey cart came late for pick and drop. It was a severe tension for Ameer Ahmad for being late from school.


Some time Ameer Ahmad had to wait even for more than one hour at the school gate to have a source to go to home back. That was a time when he said that sometime he had felt himself a child not equal to other normal students, who have no tension about going to school. In classroom no special needs were provided by school administration even Ameer brought a small chair from his own home to sit in classroom. From 6th to 8th class Ameer and his brother Wazir Ahmad had to separate from others brothers by joining an other school. During this period his father used to pick and drop to school on motorcycle. It was comparatively comfortable in his matriculation Ameer started to use tricycle wheel chair in which he completed his all further education with assistants of his brother Wazir Ahmad. This mobility facility was a reasonable but sometimes in hot season and long distances it also became trouble some. The very sever problem and difficulty he faced in his F.Sc when there were no proper facility of education in his city and he was not in position to leave city in continue his education. Because in his city there was no proper staff for F.Sc. teaching and out side the city there were no proper facility of daily living needs. Anyhow in all these difficulties he completed his F.Sc.


In his B.A and M.A English there were almost no problem in his education but M.A Special Education through Allama Iqbal Open University was full problem and difficulties specially workshops were held in D.G.KHAN that is at the distance 120km from his city. In the company of his friends he said that he was able to attend his workshops but that long journey made his M.A Special Education very expensive and problematic. However after M.A English, M.A Special Education was completed facing many ups and downs.

CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

About his curricular activities Ameer said that he was a good speaker both in Urdu and English many time he said that he won prizes on the city level competition, moreover he said that like his education his co-curricular activities were restricted to his city and unfortunately he did not get any chance to show his talent on district or tehseel level. Another amazing respect of his life is poetry about which I tell you in detail in the next pages.

AMEER`S FREE TIME

About his free time Ameer told that he often reads newspapers or studies books. He often seems busy in tits bits telling and gossips and humoring. In his free time he visits his friends and invites them to his home for gossips. Not only this in his free time he watches movies and news channels very regularly. But there is another dimension of his life in free time is that he often discusses politics and problems faced by his country and society. He also spends time in his own hidden world of imagination and memory in which he wander's and recalls some special moments related with someone that is very special in his life.

CHILDHOOD DREAMS
About his childhood's dreams he told that there were not different from normal children. His parents to inspired him to have creation dreams about his life. Like other children he also desired pleasant life. From very childhood it was his dream to become either a doctor or a lecturer. But inwardly he felt that education department would be quite reasonable for him. When he was in early teen ages it was his dream to become a great poet like "AHMAD FARAZ" and "MUHSAN NQVI" Shortly a dream to lead an extraordinary life.
JOB PLACEMENT


The same problem still a remains in his life and that is the non-availability of job facility in his own city and he himself can't leave his city. Fore example he has completed his M.A Special Education but there is no institute of spl education for special children where he may teach and he can't move to other city to join special school. Therefore he is working on M.A English base and is teaching Misali Higher secondary school to the intermediate classes. In second time he teaches to B.A and M.A English classes in his own academy "Pure Knowledge Academy” Chowk Sarwar Shaheed. Further he said that he was applied for the post of Subject Specialist in English through P.C.S and is hopeful to be selected in Govt Higher Secondary School situated in his own city Chowk Sarwar Shaheed.
BEHAVIOUR OF THE SOCIETY

When I asked Ameer about the behavior of society he smiled and said that was a very complex question he said that he had to face some harsh reaction of society due to his disability. The first reaction was shown by his grandmother who gave tension to his mother through different ways such as his medicine clothes and some other things as toys etc. but at that time he said his mother's mother was a great source of consolation to his mother.

Actually he said that his family was a traditional uneducated and had no sense to rehabilitate the child disability. Soon they left their joint family set up. And that was a time when Ameer got a little attention from his parents who at that time completely compromised with his disability. After that the educational career of Ameer was started. In this way he faced the out side society. He said in society he faced both types of people those who encouraged him and those who showed discouraging elements for him. But he said only educated people showed no elements of inferiority for him but there were also some uneducated people who showed positive attitude towards him. But there was always a difference between the behavior and attitude of educated and uneducated people. Especially the behavior of the children afflicted nerves badly. But with the passage of time the odd behavior of society decreased and people began to consider him a child with disability but mentally gifted with special qualities. But now he says that the behavior of society towards him is positive and mostly people consider him very normal and honest and honorable person of the society. Even now the school going children show a certain type of love and attraction towards him. And now he says that when people see at him considering him a deprived person he feels a strange sense of satisfaction and enjoys this ironical situation and laughs and waves hands to them.

AMEER AS APOET OF URDU GHAZAL

The very dominant mystery of Ameer life his poetry. He is an Urdu poet and creates Urdu ghazal. When I asked him his poetical career he said that it is a long story. i asked how did he start poetry. He said that it was a very strange situation and changes in his life. He come to know that he was born as a poet when he was in primary class in a private school. There he create first Urdu poem that was very religious. At the exposition of this religious poem his teacher M. Ismail sahib encouraged him in that type of religious poetry. But in his 6th class he left that school where he says he started little different sort of poetry to which he call romantic to extant. But in metric class he clearly came to know and recognized as poet of ghazal, which continued a combination of lone grief and loneliness. But during metric and intermediate classes being a student of science there was a contradiction between his subjects of studies and literary aspect of his life. Therefore perhaps he said he could not develop his poetry. But in his graduation he left his science subjects and started his B.A with English literature that was time when he really came to know that there would be a permanent link between his life and Urdu poetry.

He said that during his B.A he had enough time to write ghazals and to study other literary book. That was a time when he was completely recognized as a poet of lone tragedy and loneliness. In these two years he created masterpiece of ghazals. In M.A English he became more nature and his poetry also 0improved to a great extent. Now he is creator of more than 150 ghazals. He is in a struggle to publish his first book of Urdu ghazals and he is hopeful that he will publish his first book of Urdu ghazals in June 2010. Moreover smiling in a light way he said that M.A Special Education was a difficult task for him to complete but it provided him a golden chance of giving exposure to him and his poetry. He there where the students from the whole d.g khan 1st division were present recited his ghazals in various programmes and was appreciated greatly by students and professors. After this I asked him that who was responsible of his poetry he said in a peculiar smiling way that how he had become a poet. He replied that a poet is always born not made. So conditions and people only decide the direction of one's poetry. I asked him "Do you love someone?”, at my question he tried to avoid the answer that question but I insisted on the answering. So he said that it is a natural fact that no poet is without love emotions and he also cannot deny the fact that he too loved someone and that emotional link with that special person brought a purity and maturity in his poetry.


I asked him whether she was faithless, he replied, "O no, no, she is helpless and her helplessness pinch and sadden me. I love her she is the soul of my poetry, ok! " I asked, when he fell in love, he said that he fell in love when he was in 1st year. I asked him to recite a few ghazals as specimen of his poetry he narrated the following three ghazals as the representative of his poetry.

HIS VIEWS ABOUT DISABLED PERSONS IN PAKISTAN

When I asked him this question about the position of disabled persons in Pakistan Ameer smiled and said that how would he answer this question as even the normal persons, position in Pakistan is not satisfactory compared to the developed countries of the world. He said that mostly people say that poverty is the main cause of problems in disabled persons rehabilitation. But it is partially true as he said that he had seen many well to do families who could not manage to rehabilitate their disabled children or persons. He said that here in Pakistan the problems are not merely with the persons with some sorts of disabilities but even normal persons are not leading a satisfactory and fruitful life for the society.


He said that lack of awareness and illiteracy are the two great factors affecting the lives of persons with disabilities actually, he said a fraction of population in Pakistan is superstitions and a fraction is materialist even violating morality and humanity. Thus in both cases the situation for persons with disabilities becomes very disappointing. He said that he himself faced the above-mentioned cases during early years of his life but his family was very co-operative with him, which immuned him from any negative effect of society as mostly persons with disability face.

SPECIAL EDUCATION IN PAKISTAN

When I asked him about special education in Pakistan Ameer said that it is true that Special Education demands a certain type of atmosphere and needs but actually the most important thing according to Ameer is the sense of special education. No doubt, he said in our country the facilities for special education are not adequate but the most heart-rending thing is that we have no sense of special Education because of which severe problems prevail in introducing or promoting Special Education in Pakistan. Ameer said that if we create and develop a sense of Special education in society then he said, we can educate more then 60% disabled children even in our normal schools. He further said that government and ministry are in struggle to promote Special Education but still this work is thirsty and we are in severe need to educate, rehabilitate this 10% population of Pakistan.


On my asking that what are his intentions and plans to support the special education in Pakistan, he said that,

“I am practically proving that disability
does not mean that disabled person is useless and unfruitful for the society,
rather it is society that decides the
futility of disabled persons"

He said that if we grasp the above statement and implement it practically then we would have no unrehabilitated disabled persons.

AMEER AHMAD`S PROFILE

Family Name Ameer Ahmad Bukhari

Literary Name Ameer Ahmad Goher


Date Of Birth 16-02-1984

City Chowk Sarwar Shaheed

District M. Garh

Mobile No 0092-302-6965854

Email Address specialperson_iam@yahoo.com
Disability Physical Disability (Polio)
Qualification M.A English & M.A Spl. Edu.
Profession Education
Artistic Activity A Poet of Urdu Ghazals
Postal Address:
Almadni Book Centre, Layyah Road, Chowk Sarwar Shaheed District M. Garh.]]> http://community.disabled-world.com/AMEER_AHMAD_BUKHARI/blog/my-interview-that-i-gave-to-a-student-of-spl-edu/ Thu, 25 Feb 2010 16:09:07 +0000 AMEER AHMAD BUKHARI