“Life for a Handicap”
A true story of Nicolas Haddad
For the celebration of the United Nations International Disability Dec 3rd of each year, a slide show presentation, sponsored by the WLCU BC Council, at St Francis de sales Hall in Burnaby BC, on November 28, 2015, delivered by Nicolas Haddad who himself is a person with tri-lateral amputation: bi-lateral amputee above the knee and short left-hand.
Nicolas described during the se session the challenges he has faced throughout his life; he doesn’t know what a normal body “feel” means because he has the disability since birth.
He mentioned how important was how his parents treated and raised him, how their friends did deal with it and the mostly when one counsellor advised him that no matter how difficult things will be it will be always his choice of one of two options: to stand and face it or to play the victim role.
Mr. Haddad has faced many obstacles in his studies when the medical school declined his application just because of his disability then he got challenged to get a job and in his career life he always needed to prove to people that he is able to do the job until one the managers believed in his capabilities and excelled in a unique project given to them; this manager told the management that Nicolas calculates the risk in each step he takes to avoid falling so the company gives him the right training then the company will get the most of him and this what happened.
Nicolas, also advised that it is a joint responsibility to break the ice wall between the people with disabilities and the society however he added that the society tend to help any person with disabilities but they don’t know how so it is crucial that the PWD be aware that he/she needs to educate others too.
Today, he works as a business consultant with a reputable international Bank and completed his Masters in Finance but he didn’t stop here as he is giving back to the society by volunteering with the city of Burnaby as being an adviser for the accessibility committee, also adviser for a CITE “Canadian Institute of Transportation Engineers” working on assessing the level of accessibility in Canada, chair of the People with Disability Group for British Columbia chapter in his company, director with the Lebanese Canadian Society of Vancouver chapter and leader of the young adult group with St George Church.
Finally, Nicolas believes that as long as we breathe with heart beating we must move forward no matter the amount of obstacles we have.