Special Olympians deserve our respect

Talk organised to highlight physically handicapped’s potential

KARACHI: Pakistan’s able-bodied Olympic athletes and special Olympians have one major difference. The former struggle to make the Summer Games every four years, while their counterparts not only participate at the Special Olmypics but also return with a rich haul of medals.

Yet, their feats don’t garner the recognition they deserve, which is down to society’s refusal to accept them as one of their own.

To commemorate Special Olympians’ special feats, a talk was held at Karachi’s T2F, where a panel of four was summoned.



Psychologist Anwar Ahmed urged the audience to own people with physical disabilities, while TV actress Sarwat Gillani, who has worked extensively with Special Olympians, urged the media to come forward and highlight the massive, untapped potential within special people.

“Special folks are special because they can do things we can’t,” explained Gilani. “They have the power to inspire.”

Farhat Rasheed — a living, breathing debunker of the notion that physical handicapped can’t lead normal lives — revealed she was refused by some of Karachi’s biggest universities because they were reluctant to make their facilities wheelchair accessible.



She urged the media to get its priorities right and highlight Special Olympians.

Meanwhile, Special Education Department’s representative Jhamandas Rathi admitted the government’s failure in taking care of physically challenged people, but urged the civil society to play their part on social media, as it then usually leads to government actions.

The high point of the day came at the very end, when a group of children with Down syndrome staged a dance performance, further proving the point that with a bit of care and attention, they can do pretty much everything we can.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2016.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.