ABU DHABi A wheelchair bound man claims he is struggling to find work in Abu Dhabi because of his disability.
Indian Vyshakh Jinarajan, 28, who was paralysed waist down by a road accident in 2007, says he has lost count of the number of rejection slips he has got over the years.
Jinarajan was doing his third year in mechanical engineering from Chennai when a bike crash left him crippled for life.
What followed was an excruciatingly long and painful rehabilitation process first in Kerala and then Abu Dhabi where he now lives with his parents.
Studying from home, Jinarajan graduated in commerce with a first class before pursuing his masters in computer application.
Yet for all his efforts he has still not been able to find employment in Abu Dhabi.
“I am not begging for charity. All I want is a meaningful job to prove my worth. Sadly, this is not happening. Because I am confined to a wheelchair doesn’t mean that I am good for nothing,” he said.
Jinarajan said he could not make it for job interviews on the odd occasions when some companies called him as their offices were not wheelchair-accessible.
Eye opener
“It opened my eyes to the fact that many corporates don’t think about differently abled people who may want to work with them or visit their office,” said Jinarajan, who has spent the most of his life in the capital.
He completed his schooling from Our Own School Abu Dhabi where he topped in Grade 10 and also won several inter-school contests in painting, classical dance and public speaking.
Jinarajan said he wanted to pursue aerospace studies after engineering but the August 10, 2007 crash changed his life forever.
“I sustained a spinal cord injury that left both my legs paralysed. The doctors reckon I may walk but they are not sure when,” he said.
Since 2007, Jinarajan has been dependent on his parents. His father T.C. Jinarajan is a long time employee with Abu Dhabi Distribution Company.
Though Jinarajan’s condition has improved considerably, he still requires intensive physiotherapy every alternate day. Each one hour session costs between Dh1,500 and Dh2,000.
Jinarajan said the treatment is a huge financial strain on his family.
“I want to share their burden. But how do I do that without a job? The offices of most private companies aren’t even accessible by people like us. The UAE government has launched several initiatives for people with special needs. Today, I can access shopping malls, parks and hotels but it’s an altogether different story when I want to visit a private company to drop my CV”.
Jinarajan’s mother Suma said she wants to see her son self-reliant and happy. “He is very bright. If it had not been for this accident, he would have reached great heights,” she said.
YOUSPEAK: What can be done to improve job opportunities for people with disabilities?
