Emirati artist with cerebral palsy shows how talent and creativity can overcome disability

Moza Abdullah uses her feet to paint during international conference in Sharjah

An Emirati artist with cerebral palsy has shown her condition is no barrier to creativity, using her feet to paint artwork at an event in Sharjah.

Cerebral palsy affects movement and co-ordination, as well as balance and posture. But Moza Abdullah, 47, uses her feet to overcome the physical challenges presented by the disorder, a technique that allows her to express herself.

“It is my hobby. I love to draw on canvas,” Abdullah told The National. “I can move my toes and use my feet to paint and create art.”

She showed her talent this week during Inclusion International's World Congress event in Sharjah, where she painted on a blank canvas placed under her feet. She is so skilled with her feet that she also uses them to bathe, dress and open doors.

Her passion for art started in earnest when she was nine and, in 2017, she joined the Art For All Foundation. It was there that her talent was able to flourish for the first time.

Nurturing passion

Akram Awad, from the Art for All Foundation at Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services, said her achievements offered hope to others. “She joined the centre in 2017, training with large-scale canvases,” he told The National. "Her painting has a message for the world that disability does not equal failure. She has now participated in more than 40 art fairs inside and outside the UAE.”

The World Congress aims to place the issue of inclusion and the empowerment of people with disabilities on the global agenda. This year’s event, which comes to a close on September 17, features 59 discussion panels with 152 speakers, 134 self-advocates, 125 organisations and more than 500 participants from 74 countries.

Moza Abdullah creates art at the event in Sharjah. Ali Al Shouk / The National

Building a platform

Taqueen is a UAE business focused on empowering people with disabilities through handmade products. It aims to train people for the jobs market, promoting independence and societal integration.

“People with disabilities make different products like sweets and embroidered goods,” said Sameh Ali, e-commerce supervisor at Taqueen. “They are high-quality products. They can sell them on the website and deliver to all emirates. They can get an income and part of it is used to develop the project.”

Khaled Taleb, 32, from the UAE, studied at the group and attended workshops to make handcrafted products such as keychains. “Disability is not a barrier,” he said. “People with disabilities still have many open doors in the UAE. They need to develop themselves and follow their passion.”