Responsible states and societies look at people with disabilities and focus on inclusivity and diversity.
ISLAMABAD: This is with reference to Adam Thomson’s article “Pakistan and the Paralympics” (August 30). I want to thank Mr Thomson for writing on a subject that needs a lot more attention than it gets in Pakistan. In our country, people with disabilities are often looked upon with pity and are thought to be deserving of receiving charity. This is an outdated approach that has changed across the globe. Now, responsible states and societies look at people with disabilities and focus on inclusivity and diversity.
Dealing with people with disabilities through such a perspective means that an environment is created that enables them to lead normal lives, instead of making them dependent on charity. Such a shift in perspective is needed in Pakistan as well. The Paralympic Games provide an opportunity to prove that once the right environment is provided, disability does not remain a disability.
Zubair Faisal Abbasi
Published in The Express Tribune, August 31st, 2012.
