Young Maitha creates art in the blink of an eye

Maitha with her mom Manal and therapist Regina. She creates paintings by just gazing and blinking.

Fourteen-year-old Maitha is unable to speak, move her arms or legs but she does something amazing with her gaze. She uses just a few blinks to produce beautiful art works on her computer screen.
A student of Al Noor Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities, she has severe cerebral palsy and epilepsy. Maitha (like other students at the centre) has been trained by a team of expert professionals with love, care, perseverance, encouragement and hope. And the results are outstanding.
Using eye-gaze technology, a gaze interaction software that eliminates the need for a physical mouse, keyboard or even a switch, Maitha creates paintings by just gazing and blinking. Her artwork and patterns are being used on coffee mugs as well as fabrics sold by the institute during exhibitions.
Maitha also is part of the Al Noor's music band called "Al Noor Heartbeats" where she along with other students play various musical instruments online - some use eye gaze technology, assistive technology etc. 
How does Maitha function?
Explaining the technology Maitha uses, Regina Ramdas, assistive technology therapist at Al Noor, said: "The eye gaze camera is fixed to the computer that captures her eye-movement which is then converted into mouse movement. The eye becomes the mouse. As soon as she dwells for a set amount of time on the screen, it gets selected." 
Maitha's designs and patterns were used to design many of the centre's T-shirts, mugs and bookmarks, and were displayed during its assistive technology exhibition.
She gets individual sessions at the centre where specific skills are targeted and these skills have to be learned in isolation as they need repeating trials to understand how to do a particular activity. Maitha uses the learnt skills in all her other classes like painting and playing a musical instrument in class.
Maitha was born in 2003 and was the first child of Manal Obaid bin Roof and her husband. "She was my first child and I was waiting when she would say mama like other kids. But that never happened. We ran from pillar to post and took her to Germany for treatment but were told that we must accept her disability and that nothing could be done. They even said that in such cases kids do not survive for long and said that she will not live beyond the age of 11. My Maitha is 14 now, Alhamdulillah." 
When all other schools closed their doors on Maitha due to the severity of her illness, Al Noor came to her rescue and Manal said she will remain indebted to the centre.
"The centre does not turn away severe cases of profound and multiple disabilities. Maitha was thus admitted to the centre after certain assessments, where her needs as well as strengths were identified. With the use of eye-gaze technology she was trained to use computers. This opened the doors for her to communicate, as well as learn other skills," Isphana Al Khatib, director of Al Noor Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities, told Khaleej Times. 
"Everybody has potential, no matter what the disability. It is important to look beyond the disability and look for possibilities. Providing opportunities by using alternative but evidence based techniques of teaching and harnessing the power of technology go a long way in ensuring the inclusion of our students in the mainstream society," she added.
Family is a strong pillar
"Maitha has made me stronger. I have five more kids and they love Maitha. They all treat her like she is the youngest in the family even when it is the other way round. They laugh and play with her and she thoroughly enjoys their company," says Maitha's mother, Manal. 
Manal, who works at Dubai Municipality, said before joining Al Noor Centre, Maitha was unable to sleep well and would cry all night. "After joining the centre, she is sleeping well but is excited about going to school. She has her friends there and most importantly surrounded by people who treat her with love and care."
Manal says Maitha has given her more than she ever expected from her. "It fills me with so much pride and happiness when her teachers call me and give me her progress report. They tell me how talented my daughter is. Al Noor centre believed in her creativity, believed that she can do something and they made it possible."
Giving a message of hope, Manal said: "I would like to tell this to all - mainly parents of special needs kids - that never give up. Yes, you will feel pained but will emerge stronger. You will learn to love, appreciate and thank God for everything he has blessed us with and all this will be taught to you by this special child of yours. So keep the faith and hold on."
saman@khaleejtimes.com