Recognized as ‘Pride of Pakistan,’ deaf teenager spotlights unfair access to education

Kashaf Alvi's fame began last year when he became the first deaf Pakistani to get Microsoft's certified associate certification.

Since then, the 18-year-old boy has written a book, making him the youngest deaf person to do so, and got the Pride of Pakistan award last week. In his book, "The Language of Paradise," published by Liberty Books and released by the Pakistani president's wife, Samina Alvi, last December, Alvi wrote of the hardships he has experienced as a deaf person. "A lack of understanding regarding sign language is a serious concern for hearing challenged persons," he stated. "It was beyond the comprehension of even special education professors."

Alvi added; "In the book, I shared my life experiences, accomplishments, struggles, and sentiments. I wanted to share it with the rest of the world to inspire others to follow in my footsteps and work hard to attain their dreams."

Aside from further education, Alvi's current aims include assisting the deaf community. "I'm working on a smartphone app for hearing and speech impaired persons to call emergency services because there isn't one," he explained. "I'm also preparing a movie to aid my community by translating Pakistan's constitution into sign language." First, I'll modify portions dealing with disabled people."