I am blind, a person with disabilities. I am from Aden, I live in the al-Tawahi part of the city. I have my high school and bachelor's degrees.
What really impacted me about the war – and this doesn’t just affect just me, but extends to every blind person with a university education – is how hard it has become for us to get jobs.
Like anyone else, I planned to get a job after graduation. But what is unique about my situation as a blind person is that Yemen’s labour law sets aside 5% of jobs for people with disabilities. So I had high hopes of finding a job.
But unfortunately, rights for people with disabilities have turned into empty promises. I don’t know who has the power to change this, because I have approached many people about it, to no avail. Now, years into the war, exchange rates are bad and money is worth less. I married, so I am responsible for my family’s income. But I am still unemployed. This fact constantly runs through my heart and mind, and hurts deep in my soul.
What really impacted me about the war – and this doesn’t just affect just me, but extends to every blind person with a university education – is how hard it has become for us to get jobs.
Like anyone else, I planned to get a job after graduation. But what is unique about my situation as a blind person is that Yemen’s labour law sets aside 5% of jobs for people with disabilities. So I had high hopes of finding a job.
But unfortunately, rights for people with disabilities have turned into empty promises. I don’t know who has the power to change this, because I have approached many people about it, to no avail. Now, years into the war, exchange rates are bad and money is worth less. I married, so I am responsible for my family’s income. But I am still unemployed. This fact constantly runs through my heart and mind, and hurts deep in my soul.