Five years after losing both legs in a road accident, 28-year-old Hamza Ali has rebuilt his life as a food delivery rider in Islamabad, Pakistan.Ali rides a modified motorcycle fitted with hand-operated controls to deliver meals across Islamabad. He told the Associated Press that before the accident, he worked as a foodpanda rider. He lost both legs when the bus he was travelling in collided with a truck.“The first six months after the accident were extremely difficult,” Ali said. “Then I told myself, you have to do something on your own.”After struggling to find work in his hometown of Multan, where employers rejected him because of his disability, Ali moved to Islamabad in 2023. Using his savings, he modified his motorcycle and asked foodpanda to reactivate his rider account. The company only asked if he was confident he could do the job. He said yes.Since returning to work, Ali has become one of the platform’s top-performing delivery riders, according to his colleagues.Rejecting sympathy, Ali said, “People think that because you’re disabled, you’re no good. I never ask for money. I can earn my own living,” he said.He credits his mother for encouraging him to focus on what remained possible after the accident.Pakistan has millions of people living with disabilities, many of whom face barriers to employment, mobility and social inclusion. While the 2023 national census reported that 3.1% of the population has a disability, rights advocates believe the actual figure is likely to be much higher.