Spirit of Hong Kong Awards: how a para-athlete fought for disability rights, social inclusion in city
- Ajmal Samuel has taken businesses to task for not providing wheelchair-friendly or accessible facilities throughout the years
- The seasoned athlete has represented the city in para-rowing at Asian Games and other sports competitions
Ajmal Samuel is a firm believer in hard work.
The 56-year-old entrepreneur, endurance athlete and disability rights activist said he considered a positive attitude at work just as important as a level playing field for ensuring anyone living with a disability could earn their keep.
An erstwhile jobseeker who had the door slammed in his face repeatedly in Hong Kong decades ago because of his nationality and disability, Samuel advised his peers to make sure they were employable, rather than focusing on the lack of opportunities.
“They need to work hard,” he said.
Born in Pakistan, he has achieved career development in Hong Kong through the sweat of his brow and rose from being a computer technician at a network service company to becoming an executive at several technology firms, before starting his own business.
Yet equal opportunity and social justice have always remained his main concern since he moved from Germany, where he had studied and worked for about five years, to Hong Kong in the early 1990s.
He has fought for disability rights and social inclusion in the city on multiple fronts, including taking many property development companies and businesses to task for not providing wheelchair-friendly or accessible facilities.
He lobbied strongly in 2009 – and initially unsuccessfully – for the Standard Chartered Marathon to allow athletes with disabilities to compete. It took three years and many frustrating battles to get event organisers to change their policy.
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Samuel also co-founded the Association for Universal Accessibility Hong Kong to promote equality of access on par with global standards.
The annual event, co-organised by the South China Morning Post and property developer Sino Group, recognises remarkable people whose accomplishments may otherwise go unnoticed.
Victoria Wisniewski Otero, the founder and CEO of the Resolve Foundation, recommended Samuel for the Spirit of Community Award, which honours individuals who dedicate time and energy to making the city a better place.
Samuel is also a seasoned para-athlete who has competed in various marathons and triathlons. He has represented Hong Kong in the para-rowing sport at the Asian Games and different world championship events.
In 2014, he ranked fourth in Asia at the Asian Games in Seoul, while in 2018, he took home a gold medal for Hong Kong for his performance in the Asian Rowing Cup II.
He said the sport gave him a can-do attitude and a sense of freedom.
“I am not confined to home or to a wheelchair,” he said.
“I scuba dive. In the water I am the same as other guys. It gives me confidence.”
He has put a lot of work into helping other disadvantaged groups as well as people living with disabilities to develop an interest in sports or social activities, believing they could benefit from more socialising and that such empowerment efforts could enable them to live a more healthy and productive life.
“They should meet people outside their networks,” he said.
