2016-01-06

I’m in a wheelchair for the past 21 years now and I’m convinced that South Africa is the most wheelchair unfriendly place in the world! The only wheelchair friendly place there is, are the malls and we all know what goes on there and I hate that place! I was gone for a family wedding with my mothers side of the family and my mums family member who stays there have the most wheelchair unfriendly house I’ve ever been to in my life! So lucky for me I’ve a very cool uncle my Mamajee (maternal uncle) who was very worried about my wellbeing- Allah grant him everything of the best Aameen! One of his friends were not around so they offered him his house for the weekend! And Alhumdulilah I was so happy to see that, that house was extremely wheelchair friendly. Allah please grant him everything of the best and whatever he desires InshAllah Aameen! I’ll never forget the Ihsaan he shown to us and will always remember him for that!

Let me enlighten you a bit about how it is for a disabled person and when you go somewhere how many factors you have to consider before even going somewhere… Really I say this from the bottom of my heart! Apperciate the blessings Allah has blessed you with! Number one: before taking a disabled child out you have to make sure that you have a nice comfy spacious car with lots of leg room and boots space! Boot space for wheelchair. Best is a tayota the worst is a Jatta or a small car!

Number two: have to make sure that the child has the right shoe for traveling because when the child gets picked up from the wheelchair to the car he/she doesn’t get hurt! Although shoes are another issue completely. Something thats soft yet protective- difficult to find.

Number three: Once seated in the car if no one is sitting with the child at the back make sure that he/she has their seatbelt on at all times! If your child is unable to speak he/she should not be left alone in the back seat. check out their facial expressions from time to time if you detect pain try asking the child where he/she should be able to point out to you exactly where the pain is DONT UNDERESTIMATE THE INTELLIGENCE OF THESE CHILDREN! They’re way more intelligent than ‘normal’ people and be careful how you deal with them because they’re extremely sensitive and some of them have a very close relationship with Allah. The Rahmat of Allah desends continuously on them and their smile is priceless do things to make them smile and you’ll see how Allah will open up endless doors of Barakah and you won’t even know where it’s coming from! Unfortunately people don’t hold disabled children in high esteem most people shun them and pretend like they dumb or treat them as through they are a wall and carry on staring at them like they’re from out of space or something like that! I know because I’ve been through that nemourous of times but Alhumdulilah with age and time you learn to ignore it and focus on what’s important in life! This in my eyes is absolutely unacceptable because children like this you can’t help but love them talk to them and you’ll see they’ll become your best friends! And you learn so much from them and you’ll see you’ll have way more fun with them then any teenager of this day. I write this with experience because I know of many disabled children and they just light up my entire day every time I speak to them! It hurts me so much to hear that most schools and Madressah’s don’t even want to attempt to take these children in and accept them as part of the community it fills me with rage! Allah guide each and everyone of us! If you ask any disabled child what is 2 things they really wish they could do? They’ll say learn the Quraan and make Sajdah on the ground and to be treated like a normal human beings! Really treasure these great bounties that normal people often take for granted! Even after all of this ask them if they’ll trade their illness for good health? They’ll say never because of the amount of sakeena(peace)and contentment they get in this condition put the whole world one side and this sickness they’ll take the sickness because of the nasbat (connection with Allah) is too priceless! Only a person going through this will know exactly what I’m talking about! we may look like we’re are in pain and all that, people say things like shame but in reality it’s something completely opposite to that!
Anyways went totally off the topic

Number four: Disabled parking! Please please for Allah’s sake leave the disabled parking free I’ve been to many places where it was extremely difficult for me because the disabled parking was taken! Stupidity is not a disability!

Number five: masjids! it bring make great sadness to write this but it’s a sad reality … Some masjids are terribly wheelchair unfriendly places, not only for disabled people but old people as well! The biggest problem of today is that we’re worried about beautifying our masaajids too much and forgetting about the important things, we spend really ridiculous amounts of money but don’t have the mind to think about putting a simple ramp next to the steps! And then the ladies section is always upstairs! Not helping! When you stop on your journey for salaah,ladies section is upstairs ,so difficult, if not impossible to read salaah there.Most of the time I just perform salaah in the car & if I need to use the loo, we have to stop at a garage. It would be so much more convenient if the ladies section at the masaajids were more accessible.
If I can transfer this one message to the Ulema of the country my objective is complete! If the Ulema start something the whole world will follow, inshaAllah.
Let’s make the world a more comfortable place for the disabled and you’ll see how the help of Allah will pour onto the Ummat! InshAllah!

Number six: space out your traveling don’t make the journey extremely long because only the disabled person and Allah knows how extremely tired the person gets! If you’ve travelled long distance wait perferbly 3-4 days before traveling again

Number seven: endeavour to make homes hotels and beaches more wheelchair friendly.. On the beaches have a four by four waiting only for the service of old people and disabled people to take them near the beach! It is extremely difficult to push the wheelchair on sea sand! The hotels should have wheelchair friendly bathrooms for handicapped people, have a hand shower in every bathroom because it makes it much more easier and make the toilets near the basins so it’s easier for the old person or disabled to get a grip!and keep it clean and easily accessible ! Hotels should have camping chairs for the disabled and old people in order for them to enjoy the beautiful beach to it’s fullest! And the houses need to have less steps! If you have steps please put a ramp!

I really hope that this is of benefit to one and all and I supplicate to Allah that he allows this message to the four corners of the world! I hope to see a different South Africa in the near future inshaAllah. And I hope that you all see how much of difficulty a disabled person has to go through just for one journey! Be grateful for the small things in life!

Binti Ahmed

 Twitter : @bintiAhmed94_Q