Pakistan’s first deaf vlogger, Hassan Ahmed, is breaking stereotypes, and wants people to view him for more than just his hearing-impairment. He is doing so by creating light-hearted content for people to enjoy during the coronavirus quarantine.
As the world battles COVID-19, Ahmed’s goal is not only to spread joy, but also to make sure that the deaf community has access to important updates from around the world.
While the content creator usually posts everything from product reviews of personal care items to food related videos, after the COVID-19 outbreak, the Rawalpindi resident is focusing on creating clips regarding the pandemic.
Sharing an Instagram post, in which he sent out a message encouraging people to wash their hands in sign language, he wrote: “We all need to keep ourselves safe, especially our family. And, we all can fight with this coronavirus by taking necessary safety measures. Wash your hands for 20 seconds with warm water. Stay maximum at home. If you want to go outside, keep wear mask and gloves. And keep social distancing to safe lives.”
Filling the gap in the industry
Ahmed, who was born deaf calls his mother his support system, as she understands all his struggles, because she also has the same disability.
Currently, he posts on his Instagram account, which has almost 14,000 followers and he also has a YouTube channel.
Not only does he aspire to be a successful influencer, but, he does so while having a day job. He is a user interface designer working at an IT company.
Talking to a local news outlet about what made him start posting online, Ahmed was quoted as saying: “I used to see food reviews of bloggers on several social media platforms in different, inaccessible formats. As a deaf person, I always felt a massive communication gap, since we understand and communicate in sign language. Wishing to be a vlogger too, I started vlogging, and used my platform to share such reviews so that my fellow members of the deaf community can also enjoy vlogs in the same way everybody else can.”
He also had a message about accepting people of determination: “The biggest thing an average Pakistani can do, is accept people with special needs, and make them feel more included in mainstream society.”
Ahmed has gotten support from social media users, who appreciate his efforts in helping people of the deaf community.
Sharing a video of Ahmed, Twitter user @Eimaann1 wrote: "Introducing Hassan, who is deaf by birth. He is the first Pakistani deaf vlogger. He creates visual content for the deaf community of Pakistan. He is brand ambassador of DeafTawk (a tech company for online sign language interpretation services) as well. He is extremely talented and hardworking. Please do follow him."
