ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s First Lady Samina Alvi on Wednesday stressed the need for providing opportunities to persons with disabilities (PWDs) to help them become part of mainstream economic activities.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Network of Organizations Working with Persons with Disabilities Pakistan (NOWPDP), Samina Alvi said it was the joint responsibility of the state and the society to accommodate PWDs by ensuring an inclusive approach.
Samina Alvi said that persons with disabilities comprised 10 to 12% of the country’s population; however, they lacked enough representation in public domains and society.
She regretted that due to the negative attitudes of society towards disability, the families restrict their such members to homes and avoid their outdoor activities. She added that the lack of infrastructure, like access ramps at parks and public buildings, prevented the mobility of PWDs.
First Lady Urges for Education Opportunities to PWDs
The First Lady urged the provision of education opportunities to such students at mainstream schools to ensure their full inclusion in society.
She stressed the training of teachers and sensitizing society so that PWDs could play a positive role if provided with enough opportunities, including assistive technology and rehabilitation services. She said that a comprehensive awareness campaign was started from the platform of the Presidency to raise awareness about mainstreaming PWDs.
Samina said that non-governmental organizations, media, and chambers of commerce supported the campaign.
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) spread 120 million messages on sensitization about the PWDs. She also urged the public and private sector departments, including chambers of commerce, banks, and welfare bodies, to adopt inclusive policies to accommodate PWDs.
