Jawaid Rais

Based in the Sindh province of Pakistan, Jawaid Rais has spent his life advocating for policies and initiatives that protect the rights of people with disabilities. As president of the Disabled Welfare Association (DWA) and through his leadership in the Community Based Inclusive Development Network (CBID), he was instrumental in the passage of the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2018 by the Sindh Assembly. He also successfully convinced the Chief Minister of Sindh to increase the disability job quota from 2% to 5% and helped to ensure government jobs to more than 80 qualified men and women with disabilities.

Jawaid pioneered an independent living center in the heart of Karachi, which now functions in partnership with the Health and Nutrition Development Society (HANDS). In 2007, he developed a mobility solution for his own needs by creating a custom-built tri-motorbike, and later pioneered a Mobility Workshop to extend the same technology to others in the disability community.

His efforts were widely recognized when he won a project competition held by World Bank. A 2017 Mobility International USA training alum, Jawaid regularly leads the distribution of food and assistive equipment — such as wheelchairs, motorbikes, and   hearing aids — to individuals in need in his community. He continues to fight for the implementation of the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act across Sindh.