#WhyArmenia: Emik Avakian

Avakian did not let his disability to stop him from rocking the world with his genius mind!

Emik Avakian was an Armenian American inventor and a holder of numerous innovative patents. Born with a cerebral palsy, Avakian's paralysis gave him the idea of creating a motorized wheelchair so that disabled people don’t have to rotate the wheels manually. 
This wheelchair places all the power components into the cavity of the drive wheels, which are self-propelling, including the batteries and the charging circuits. The wheels are controlled with a joystick. His contribution to the lives of physically challenged people is remarkable. His inventions tremendously help disabled people to become more self-sufficient and to be easily integrated into society! 

No wonder why President Kennedy awarded him the prize of "the most outstanding contribution for the benefit of persons with disabilities"!