I'm Mohamad Sakkal, 31, a Syrian refugee living in Vienna, Austria. I have autism, ADHD, and am blind in one eye. I've been in Austria for eleven years. I haven't seen my family since I arrived.
I did everything the Austrian system asked — learned German, studied at university, sought psychiatric treatment for a decade, applied for over 300 jobs. Every door closed. Two official state assessments of the same person, using the same medical records, reached opposite conclusions about whether I'm disabled enough for support.
Despite all of this, I've been building Cortex — an AI-powered health app for neurodivergent people. Alone. No team, no funding. Because I needed it and nobody else was going to build it.
This is where I share my story.
Reach me at contact@msakkal.com
Writing
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March 16, 2026
My Name Is Mohamad. I Am Still Here.
I came to Austria from Syria in 2015. I was 20 years old. I came alone. I haven't seen my family since. This is what happened in the eleven years that followed.
personal austria neurodivergence -
March 16, 2026
Why I Built Cortex
No app existed that could hold the complexity of tracking how ASD, ADHD, and depression interact with each other and with medications. So I built one.
cortex building -
March 16, 2026
How Austria Assessed My Disability
Two official state documents assess the same person, using the same medical records, 10 weeks apart. They reach opposite conclusions. I am that person.
advocacy disability rights