‘Govt developing accessibility code for specially-abled people’

Education minister pays homage to parents of children with special abilities

ISLAMABAD: Federal Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood on Monday said that the government was working on developing an accessibility code for specially-abled people which will be adopted in all buildings of Pakistan to allow for their easy access.

He was speaking at an event organised by the Special Education Directorate General (DGSE) at the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA) on Monday to mark the International Day of People with Disabilities. Mahmood paid homage to the parents of children with special abilities, noting that they bring up their children despite difficulties and challenges.



The programme included speeches, tableau, performances by specially-abled children.

Ceremony at Air Headquarters

To mark the day, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) arranged a ceremony at the Nur Khan Auditorium at Air Headquarters.

Deputy Chief of Air Staff (Support) Air Vice Marshal Amir Masood highlighted that we have a responsibility to make society more inclusive for people with special needs and special abilities.

Interacting with the special children and their parents, PAF Chief of the Air Staff Mujahid Anwar Khan reiterated his resolve to make the force a compassionate organisation for people with special needs.

“We have all gathered here to raise awareness regarding children with special needs. PAF has always focused on bringing people with special needs in the mainstream and making them useful members of society.”

Students from PAF special school Islamabad sang the national anthem and performed different skits.

Wing Commander Najam, Senior Psychiatrist, PAF Hospital Islamabad gave a talk on how to deal with the needs of special children. The PAF has set up 13 special schools in various cities of the country for specially-abled children, using modern audio-visual teaching techniques.

Indonesia distributes wheel-chairs

The Indonesian Embassy, in collaboration with Saaya Association, distributed wheel-chairs among 20 specially-abled people.

Indonesian Women Association (IWA) Chairperson Rita Berlinia Amri expressed her pleasure in joining hands with Pakistani friends in promoting the rights and well-being of specially-abled people in all spheres of society and development.

She hoped that the embassy’s gesture would highlight the responsibility that the society had to shoulder and help those with disabilities in meeting the challenges of life successfully.

She was moved to learn about Mian Asim Raza and his team of Saaya Association, 80 per cent of whom are specially-abled and contribute on a voluntary basis.

She highly commended them for making a difference and setting an example of willpower and positive attitude by not considering their impairment an excuse and committing themselves for the noble cause of helping others who are specially-abled.

Amri while addressing the guests with special-abilities, encouraged them to have self-belief, never underestimate their gifted abilities and prove themselves as equally important and useful members of society.

Raza appreciated IWA for the distribution of the 20 wheelchairs for the deserving people through the platform of his association.

He apprised the audience that Saaya was contributing toward improving the social-economic, cultural conditions of specially-abled people through the promotion of information, knowledge, skill, awareness and advocacy.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 4^th, 2018.