Rashida Abedi
Rashida Abedi (c.1951-2017) was a Pakistani-British autobiographical writer, who was profoundly deaf.[1]
Life
Abedi, the daughter of a retired railwayman, was born and grew up in Quetta. After meningitis aged 14, she lost the hearing in her right ear. At the age of 21 she also lost the hearing in her left ear, and her engagement was broken off. "It was a cruel blow", she wrote. "I prayed to God I should die".[1]
In 1981 she travelled to live with her brother, who had settled in London. She learnt English at South Norwood Adult Education Centre, and was soon also learning lip-reading and computing. Threatened with deportation in 1983, she successfully fought her case with the help of her local MP, Bernard Weatherill, and the British Deaf Association. She wrote her autobiography to inspire others to overcome similar problems.[1]
She died of cancer in 2017, aged 65.[1]
Works
- From Sound to Silence, 1988. ISBN 978-0951606605
- Āvāz se Khāmoshī tak, 1990.
References
- ^ a b c d Mary Simpson, Rashida Abedi obituary, The Guardian, 7 February 2017. Accessed 11 March 2020.