Almowatnanews presents the success journey of Sylvia Joseph

Sylvia’s Biography

Childhood
My name is Sylvia Joseph Essa Yasa, and I was born on February 2, 1986 in Cairo, Egypt. I have only one younger brother; his name is Mina and he is 21 years old, and currently studying to become an engineer. My dad is a General Equipment manager in a prominent company, and my mom is a housewife.
I was born with Congenital Bilateral Glaucoma, which caused a gradual and continual decline in my vision over many years. I underwent several eye operations, the first of which when I was only 3 months old. My sight continued to deteriorate, until I became “Legally Blind” when I was a freshman in college. I now have light perception, and I am able to identify objects and shapes under certain lighting conditions. However, I cannot read regular print, or travel without the use of the long white cane. I learnt to compensate for these limitations by using a variety of alternative techniques for travelling and gaining access to information.

School stage
Despite my visual impairment, I went to a mainstream English language school, and I excelled in all subjects including Math and Science, without having access to any specialized rehabilitation services or blindness training, (e.g., Assistive Technology, cane travel, etc.). I was raised with the belief that if I worked hard enough, I can conquer any obstacle, and that giving up on anything is simply not an option for me. This of course attracted the appreciation and admiration of all my teachers and classmates. I also relied on my academic achievements as a means to build my self-confidence. However, this success was not without a huge cost; I used to spend many hours every day trying to keep up with the increasingly rigorous study requirements solely relying on my continuously declining eyesight. However, by the time I reached High school, my vision proved a deterrent to my success. During that difficult time of confusion and uncertainty, my faith in God and my persistent nature forced me to continue believing that there must be another way to reach my dreams regardless of my visual acuity. I did a lot of research, and I discovered, for the first time in my life, that there exists something called “Screen Readers” and “Scan and Read Technology”.

University stage

These tools helped me tremendously to graduate from High school in 2003 with a score of 96.5%, which qualified me to join the English department of the prestigious Faculty of Economics and Political Science at Cairo University, as the first ever blind student.

At that time, I faced the first discriminatory treatment incident of my life; the head of the Economics department informed me in no uncertain terms that she is confident I will not be able to succeed because of my severe visual impairment, and the complex nature of the courses I will be expected to pass. However, I was determined not to let my physical weakness hold me back or deny me the opportunity to pursue my ambitions. I majored in Economics with a minor in Statistics, and with the great help of my parents and my friends, I graduated the fifth in a class of 700, and received my Bachelor’s degree in Economics in 2008 with a GPA of 3.96, and a grade of “A” in all my courses. I have suffered all my life from the frustratingly low expectations that people have for blind individuals in developing countries like Egypt, but my pioneering success in this field as a blind person gave me the opportunity to prove the fallacy of such demeaning and harmful notions.

Because of my rank as the 5th, I had the right to be appointed as a “Teaching Assistant”, which is considered a very prestigious position in Egypt, which led me to the second major discriminatory event of my life. The college informed me that they decided that I will not be able to assume the responsibilities of such a teaching position because of my visual disability. I considered it unfair that someone would steal my right to decide whether I am capable of carrying out a certain task, especially that I already demonstrated my skills and abilities to them. I sent letters to the college dean and the university president and many others, and after two years of conflict, they ruled that since I achieved the necessary rank, I should be appointed as a teaching assistant. One of the major newspapers in the country published the events of my conflict on September 9, 2009, under the title: “The Undebatable Right of the Disabled to Teach in Post-Secondary Educational Institutions”. Furthermore, Egypt passed a new law establishing the right of the blind to pursue university level teaching positions without being subject to any special or discriminatory conditions.

I then got a scholarship from an American organization known as “Academy for Educational Development”; I travelled independently for the first time to join the “Colorado Center for the Blind”, something that I have dreamed of for many years, and this truly proved a major transformation in my life. I realized that I could finally be independent in all aspects of my life. I learnt to read and write in Braille, and was finally able to read and write without having to depend on my family and friends. I also learnt to travel independently using the long white cane, which was liberating and emotionally boosting beyond words; I cannot forget that day I went back home from the center by myself for the first time, tears came to my eyes as I was fitting the key in the lock. I also learnt the alternative techniques that blind people use to live independently at home, (e.g., cooking, laundry, cleaning, etc.). What was shocking and amazing at the same time is that I participated in some activities that I thought impossible before, such as rock climbing, white water rafting, camping, etc.

In 2009, I received another scholarship from an Egyptian organization called “Sawiris Foundation”, to pursue my graduate studies in the US. In 2011, I graduated from George Mason University with a Master’s degree in Education, with a major in Curriculum and Instruction, and a concentration in Special Education / Adaptive Technology, with a GPA of 4.0.

Finally, I would like to send a sincere message to any person with a disability:

“You are intensely loved by God, and you are a unique human being with a great worth. Trust that your life has a purpose and a mission. Realize that your real value lies in your personality and your principles, and not in your outward appearance or physical abilities. Do not surrender to feelings of self-pity, since this road ends in despair and failure. Be assured that no matter your circumstances, there are definitely other individuals on earth who are suffering more than you. Do not feel embarrassed or reserved about expressing your feelings and needs to others.”

I also have a message to the parents of disabled children and to the society as a whole:

“People with disabilities are just normal people with the same needs and ambitions just like you, and their disability is not the center of their personality. People with disabilities are just a sample of society; some of them are successful, others are not, some are cheerful, and still others are not. Blind people are not mentally handicapped, or hearing impaired. Treat the handicapped person with love, genuine care, appreciation, acceptance, and patience. Do not direct your questions or comments to the person accompanying the disabled individual. Do not impose your help on the disabled individual, and please do not be offended if your help is refused. The disabled person has the right to his own privacy just like anybody else. If you are accompanying a blind person, be sure to talk to him and describe what you see, and please avoid the use of silent signs to talk about the person in his presence to other sighted individuals. Treat the person with the disability in the same manner you would treat a non-disabled individual of the same age.”

My final message is to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ:
– My life was like a cloudy night, in which I wandered without hope or sight,
A lonely prisoner, dragging my bonds in a dark prison-like long road.
Chorus: O aching hearts miserable and deprived, I bring you good news:
warmth and safety could only be found in the bosom of Jesus the Lord.

– Jesus broke my bonds, restored my joy again,
His hands brought me through the dark valley of pain.

– In the blink of an eye I saw the sun, all of a sudden despair was gone.
Jesus tenderly touched my heart and again the beat of joy I heard.

– I regained my safety in His embrace, and a smile upon my face.
Now my life with him is such a rosy place.

– And I vowed to declare, his love every where,
for who can give but Jesus, amid the pain, praises.
Sylvia Yasa

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