My blind friend who uses iPhone

“Please support your analysis with proof. Thank you,” Abdulrahman Awal replied to one of the commenters on my Facebook post.  It was a debate on bribery, gratification and corruption.  The question sought to know if giving an employee money or other gifts by a grateful contractor is gratification.  Abdulrahman was one of those who believed […]

“Please support your analysis with proof. Thank you,” Abdulrahman Awal replied to one of the commenters on my Facebook post.  It was a debate on bribery, gratification and corruption.  The question sought to know if giving an employee money or other gifts by a grateful contractor is gratification.  Abdulrahman was one of those who believed it’s gratification and therefore, must be discouraged.

Earlier he commented: “Ibrahim Akibu Jafaru, you have spoken my mind on this note.  It is haram to my understanding.  Allahu ta’ala aalam.”

Later when I told him that I appreciated his participation in the debate, he replied, “I saw that you liked my comment.”

He didn’t only read the comments, but he also saw my “like”.  Which is interesting, because   Abdulrahman is blind.  He can’t see.  But obviously he sees more than many.  

When I told a friend that Abdurahman uses iPhone, he theorized that it must be one with a braille function.  “Probably,” I said.  Many asked me questions about how he uses the iPhone but I couldn’t answer. So I resolved to watch him use the phone.

Then one day he came to my office and was exchanging numbers with my colleague.  When she dictated her number to him, Abdurrahman wrote it down on the keypad of his iPhone.  I looked over to see how he was doing it.  Since I own a similar gadget, I noticed that he was using the phone exactly like I use it, nothing like braille technology.  This was puzzling.  So I asked him.

“You know that some of us who can’t see, have heightened senses in other areas,” he said, “the keypad made sounds when I was taking down the number.  You wouldn’t hear it, but I do.”  Then he brought the phone near my ear. It turned out that it isn’t braille at all that Abdurahman uses, but the accessibility functions of iPhone.  

“I used to use the QWERTY keyboard of other mobile phones like Blackberry.  However, when I visited the internet, I learned that Apple products have some accessibility functions for people like us.  But I couldn’t afford an iPhone at that time.  Later, my father travelled to Saudi Arabia and came back with an iPad.  That was my initiation into the accessibility functions of Apple gadgets.

Then I bought iPhone 4s, before buying the one I’m currently using, “they keep improving the functions,” Abdurrahman said.  

My first familiarity with the concept of the blind using the iPhone was in Malaysia, when a sight-challenged man talked about his use of the phone.  Then it sounded like magic.  It still does, even though now I can see there’s nothing mysterious about it.  

I think what surprises us is the strength of conviction that Abdurrahman and others like him have in their own ability. Which is why we find it so inspirational.

For example, Abdurrahman who is the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Niger State governor on people living with disabilities (PWD), is also a consultant on the use of technology for PWDs.  He was once invited to Zaria to recommend a solution to an aging old man who could no longer read the newspapers.  “When we got there, we realized that the person was over 80 years old,“ he said, “So I told them that this isn’t a disability.  It’s age.  His organs are beginning to fail.  The technology we wanted to recommend would cost at least a million naira, because it would be imported and dollar was even cheap at that time.  So we recommended that they should pay someone to be reading to him.”

Abdurahman Awal is also a teacher at the School for the Handicap in Minna and does counselling.  “There was a friend who lost his sight and thought the world had come to an end,” Abdurrahman said.  “He had started giving out his clothes to people, probably contemplating suicide.  But we got there in time and told him that this may be an opportunity for you.  Probably Allah is trying to make you into something great.”

That was how they saved a soul.

Many weeks ago, the Association of the Blind, invited me to give a talk at the inauguration of their executive council, which Abdulrahman chairs. At first, I was at a loss what to tell them. “Just tell them what you feel about them,” I told myself. 

And what I felt was admiration. So I told them.  

It was there that I first noticed Abdulrahman  was using an iPhone! A beautiful, gleaming iPhone. Which itself is a statement. But which also puts my own iPhone to shame. Mine has so many Nigerian tribal marks on account of dropping it many times. Abdurahman, who can’t see, obviously does not drop his own!

When it was time to take pictures. Abdurahman said, “Let me remove it from XYZ mode. Take us pictures with Doctor. No, you don’t need to use your phone Doc. I will WhatsApp them to you.”

What! There wasn’t any indication at all that he’s blind. He exuded capacity. Quite strong. And no complaining.  “Which of the favours of your Lord would you deny,” the Qur’an says. 

I recall how many times I tried to mentor some regular individuals, and all they gave me were complaints. Sad. 

The MC for that occasion was Mal Auwal Gurgu (my fellow FOSA – we went to the same secondary school), who started his primary school at the age of 18, because he “didn’t want to beg.”

But that’s a story for another day. 

However, these people give me inspiration. Whenever ego tries to cripple me (no pun intended) or when I get lazy, I think of them and kick myself in the backside: “Get up and do something!”

 Abdulrahman Awal told me that he welcomes media interviews.  Also, if you want to donate to their organization, please let me know.