Dubai blind boy is now Obama's adviser

Dubai: When US President Barack Obama announced new administrative appointments early this week, an Indian mother living in Sharjah was elated beyond words. Suraja Pavithran’s visually-challenged son, Sachin Dev Pavithran, 34, was among the select few picked by the White House for an important job. Sachin, who did his schooling in Dubai, has been appointed a member of the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board, an independent US agency devoted for people with disabilities.. “We never thought he would make it this big,” said Suraja, her voice choked with emotion. “I wish my husband was alive to share the joy.” Uncertain days Recalling the days when Sachin was struggling with his deteriorating eyesight, Suraja said she would spend hours reading out textbooks and notes to him. “At that time all I was thinking was that he should pass the Board exams,” Suraja from Kerala said. When he was six years old Sachin was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosis, a degenerative eye disease that causes severe vision impairment and often blindness. He studied at the Gulf Indian High School in Dubai till Grade 10 and completed his Grades 11 and 12 from Our Own English High School before relocating to the U.S for higher education. What Sachin lacked in terms of facilities and technical support for his special needs, his mother’s sheer determination and commitment to teach him amply substituted. “To be honest, the main reason why I got where I am today is because of my mother’s willingness and determination to read aloud all my textbooks till I completed schooling. Those days, there was no special accommodation for the disabled,” Sachin told XPRESS over the phone from Utah where he lives with his wife and three-year-old daughter. Pavithran is Programme Director of the Utah Assistive Technology Programme at the Utah State University’s Centre for Persons with Disabilities, a position he has held since 2011. He joined the centre in 2002, and has since served in several positions, including programme coordinator and disability policy analyst. He said he took up the field of research and policy for the disabled because of his personal interest and passion. “I would have pretty much ended up here even if I were not disabled,” he said. Looking back at his life, Sachin says he has always followed his passion. “I had lots of fun growing up in Dubai. That is what I remember the most. There were times when I was confused and scared about my future because of my disability. But I have always done what I enjoy, and I am very clear about what I want to do,” Sachin said. Sachin’s sister Shoma Renny John, who is a banker in Dubai, vouched for her brother’s zest for life. “There was no stopping him from living his life to the full. He is a black belt in karate and would practice his skills on me. He has an adventurous streak in him and he would go bungee jumping and sky diving without even telling us.” A turning point in his life, Sachin’s family believes, was his decision to move to the US. “We tend to get over-protective. When he used to walk with us, we kept cautioning him about steps ahead, a bump here or a post there. But in the US, he had some great friends who taught him to be independent and live life on his own terms,” said Shoma. As Sachin’s mother said, “These people don’t need our sympathy. All they want are opportunities.” And as President Obama is looking forward to “working with these dedicated individuals in the months and years to come”, Suraja cannot wait to welcome her son back home with his favourite chicken tikka and paratha. Source: Gulf News