PESHAWAR: “In the scorching heat, I used to take 15 minutes on crutches to reach school when other kids reached there in three minutes only but I didn’t give up, a thing that made me strong,” says Afshan Afridi, a microbiology researcher and the National Forum for Women with Disabilities Khyber Pakhtunkhwa coordinator.

Hailing from the weapon-making semi-tribal region of Darra Adamkhel, this young activist on wheelchair has not only crossed many hurdles, including using of stairs in school, walking to school on crutches, and traveling to the university in rickshaw, but has also done much more than that.

She had become a living example of what a person afflicted with a disease or disability could achieve even in a society like ours, which is from its buildings, parking lots, transport vehicles, institutions and attitudes is not very disability friendly.

Afshan was just three when polio virus affected her legs.

There is no bitterness in her tone when she narrates how her mother could not take her to a dispensary or hospital for vaccination due to a conservative culture as her father was abroad and had stopped her mother from venturing out alone.

“In those days, polio vaccination team members did not knock at your door, while my mother could not take me out alone. Now, my father regrets it but I have no complaints. What is done is done,” she says.

The young activist, however, feels it is due to support of her family that she’s able to study in school and university with normal kids. She was neither neglected nor spoiled by her parents.

“When a child falls down, parents rush to see if the kid is hurt by my parents would just ask if I am okay and let me get up on my own,” she says, adding that it is unfortunate that parents don’t let their children with disabilities live a normal life by taking much care of them and made then handicapped.

Afshan says more saddening is the sense of shame many parents feel if they’ve a special child.

“I have seen parents hide such handicapped children if guests come in,” she said disapprovingly.

She says children with disabilities should be allowed to live a normal life with parents needing to show support to them.

“I drive. I cook. I iron clothes and do anything that a normal girl would do at home besides studies,” she says stressing that parents need to get children formal education and if that is not possible, then children should take technical education.

The young activist says she has been working for the awareness of women and girls, who have been ‘special’ like her, and educate them about their rights.

“I encourage these women to take part in all normal activities – though it might not be as easy – still they should not give up as it is their only way to decide how they want to live their life - a dependent life hiding all life behind doors or an inspiring one,” she says.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2016