Born with cerebral palsy, Avakian graduated Magna Cum Laude with degrees in Physics and Mathematics. He subsequently earned advanced degrees in the same subjects from Columbia University in New York city and went on to patent many inventions that help disabled persons be more self-sufficient. Among those inventions is a breath-operated computer, a counter-weighted system that makes it easier to put wheelchairs in cars, and a self-propelled robotic wheel for converting manual wheel chairs to automatic.