'I’m different, but more than able'

Majid Abdullah Al Usaimi wants to show people with disabilities can still contribute much to society.

Majid Abdullah Al Usaimi was a year old when doctors told his parents he had polio. Jeffrey E Biteng / The National

ABU DHABI // The odds have always been stacked against Majid Abdullah Al Usaimi. Crippled by polio as a baby, the Emirati has had to overcome social stigmas, hurtful comments, and physical barriers to become the man he is today.

The 40-year-old’s bravery and determination to live life by his rules has seen him go from a shy wheelchair bound child to a confident, educated and articulate adult who has travelled the world helping to promote the abilities of disabled athletes.

The national director of the UAE’s Special Olympics Committee was just one year old when doctors told his parents he had polio.

“After four months of treatment doctors told my parents, ‘Your son will never walk in life’. That was the biggest shock and most traumatising moment for my family,” said Mr Al Usaimi, who grew up wondering why he was different to his brothers.

“When I was young, questions invaded my mind. ‘Why can’t I play and ride bicycles like others?’ There was this internal, mental challenge from a tender age,” he said.

School presented more challenges. Not only were the buildings incompatible with his physical condition, he was often the subject of cruel comments from his classmates.

“I went to a Dubai primary school for Grade 1. It was quite challenging. I not only faced accessibility issues but classmates’ behaviour was problematic,” he said. “Many times I cried and told my mother I didn’t want to go to school, but she motivated me.

“Other disabled children who couldn’t endure the everyday mental torture discontinued their education, but I didn’t.”

Conditions improved when he enrolled in college. A Canadian manager insisted that the college built toilets for the disabled, wheelchair-accessible doors and parking for the disabled.

“I faced problems in society a lot and it taught me how to fight back and communicate for your rights. So I transformed my communication skills into professionalism and excelled in media communication,” said Mr Al Usaimi.

After leaving school, Mr Al Usaimi, worked as manager of Al Thiqah Club for Handicapped in Sharjah. He was later selected as general secretary of the UAE Disabled Sports Federation and went on to spearheaded the Asian Paralympics Committee. He was deeply involved in helping the UAE’s teams compete in the Paralympic Games in Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and London 2012.

When not travelling the world for major sporting events, the father of three likes to get his adrenaline rush closer to home by taking his modified 4x4 into the desert for some dune bashing.

“Instead of my legs, I use my hands for accelerating and breaking the car. It was difficult before but with technology it has become very easy for special needs people to drive cars.

“I don’t find any difficulty in driving with my hands and traveling across the UAE with family.”

Now Mr Al Usaimi hopes to raise awareness about the capabilities of disabled people and regularly visits those with similar conditions in their homes to encourage them to be an active part of society.

“I go to disabled people’s homes and encourage them to come out and go to schools and work in the mainstream,” he said.

“People think we are disabled, but we are really differently-abled.”