Ashfaq (Kash) Hussain, Retired Electrical Engineer, “Be confident in taking your place at the table.”

Ashfaq (Kash) Hussain was born in Pakistan, but left exceedingly early when his father, a physician, moved the family to England in 1955. “My parents moved our family from country to country seeking a better life,” says Ashfaq. He and his brothers attended a Catholic boarding school on the island of Malta, when in 1970 his parents decided to immigrate to Canada. They arrived in Nova Scotia on December 31, 1970, where Ashfaq went on to complete his university education, get married and work as a respected electrical engineer for over 20 years.
Ashfaq identifies as a South Asian male who is blind, losing his sight in his early forties. “I was already established as a husband, father, friend and professional and hence this condition did not define who I was, it added to who I was,” he reflects. He has a clear perspective of his needs and wants stemming from this disability, and it is this perspective that allows him to demand the same for others in similar situations. “I am never quite sure when people meet me if they see me first as a "brown" person or a "blind" person” says Ashfaq. “In fact,” he continues, “I have felt that having dual identities has allowed me to speak with knowledge on the intersection of race and disability.”  He believes that his advocacy is to lift others up to where he is today. “Any time that I have felt pushed aside,” says Ashfaq “I have seized the opportunity to teach and enlighten. My primary contribution to my country as an immigrant is to share what I have and what I know with others, so that they too may soar.”
“As my parents had done when they moved the family to Canada, my wife and I started looking to the future. We knew that the future of our family had to be designed around the needs of our children and hence we moved to Ontario to provide the kids with more opportunities.” The family moved to London in November 1994 when Ashfaq accepted a new challenging role as a Senior Electrical Engineer with Dillon Consulting Limited. London was just the place they were looking for – small with a vibrant community and safe neighbourhoods, a great university, good schools, and a thriving Muslim Community.
Ashfaq’s faith has been the moral compass for his life providing guidance and structure in his day-to-day activities.“I have always treated people with kindness, compassion, empathy and respect,” says Ashfaq. He continues,“The freedom to practise my faith in Canada allows me to decide how I will live my life, and I will be judged on the decisions that I have made, not by what others tell me to do. This is as per the Koran which says there is no compulsion in religion.”
Volunteerism has been a key aspect of Ashfaq’s life, and he has been generous with his time from the moment he arrived in Canada over 50 years ago. Over the past 30 years in London, he has volunteered with several organizations and continues to be involved in many of them today. “I would hope my volunteerism has contributed to making a difference in the lives of Londoners” says Ashfaq. He is passionate about highlighting issues pertaining to accessibility, diversity and inclusion. About the time that he stopped working due to his vision loss he was called on by the City of London to review the Facility Accessibility Design Standard that the City was preparing. Leveraging his engineering knowledge, he provided his input and from that point onwards he became an active advocate for Persons with Disabilities and started to volunteer with the City on their advisory committees.
To newcomers to London, Ashfaq has a few nuggets of advice. “Be confident in taking your place at the table,” he says. “If you want to see change, then you have to be part of the change.”  Ashfaq reflects that to feel at home, immigrants must become part of the community, but that there will be barriers to overcome. “Don't be discouraged,” he advises, “there will be people waiting to embrace you so long as you are ready to reciprocate. Friendship is a two-way street which can only be successful when both parties participate.”

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