Facilities promised for persons with disabilities: Qamar

SBCA, builders may be told to include toilets, ramps accessible for people on wheelchairs

KARACHI: Special Assistant to Sindh Chief Minister on Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) Syed Qasim Naveed Qamar said that his department is going to a write a letter to Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA), builders and all other stakeholders asking them to build minimum one toilet in all commercial and public buildings and such that the toilet should be of a size which can accommodate a person on wheelchair and this toilet should be equipped with special features.

He said this while speaking to the media, here in Tando Muhammad Khan on Friday. MPA Abdul Kareem Soomro, local leadership of PPP in Tando Muhammad Khan, notables of the city and others were also present on the occasion.

Qamar asked the relevant authorities to make ramps from foot path level to entrance of all commercial and public buildings for easy accessibility through wheel chair which is mandatory for all buildings other than residential houses.

"We should behave with special persons like members of civilized societies because our religion also teaches us to be kind and cooperative with weak, old and special persons," added Qamar.

In response to a question, he said that his department had taken many initiatives for the welfare of special persons, appointments were being made on a five percent quota, reserved for special persons in the public sector, while through a drive, special persons were being provided special CNICs in collaboration with NADRA.

'The private sector is also bound to provide five percent jobs to special persons in their respective organisations and violation of this rule shall be dealt with strictly according to the law," he concluded.  

Published in The Express Tribune, June 8^th, 2019.