Enabling laws: ‘Bureaucratic hurdles adding to the ordeals of the disabled’

Speakers at a consultation urge govt to reform procedures.

FAISALABAD:

Bureaucratic hurdles add to the ordeals of people with disabilities, the speakers at a round-table consultation on Tuesday said.

Stressing the need for comprehensive legislation to deal with the problems faced by people with disabilities, the speakers urged the government to support people with disabilities so that they can lead productive lives.

The consultation, Engaging Civil Society for Voicing out Disability Issues, was organised by the Association of Women for Awareness and Motivation (AWAM) in collaboration with the Milestone Society for Special Persons (MSSP) and the Highly Enthusiastic and Educative Rights Association (HEERA) with the support of US consulate general.

The participants included people with disabilities, lawyers, journalists, human rights activists and representative of organisations working with people with disabilities.



They suggested legislation in light of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. They also stressed the need for sensitising people about the rights of people with disabilities.

They urged civil society groups to work together on drawing lawmakers’ attention of the legislators towards mainstreaming issues related to people with disabilities.

AWAM Executive Secretary Naseem Anthony, Milestone President Shafiqur Rehman, HEERA President Advocate Omer Pervaiz Malik, AWAM Coordinator Shazia George, Advocate Sheikh Pervaiz from LABARD, Samina Farooq from HomeNet, Barsila John from Technical Services Association and rights activist Munawar Ali Shahid spoke at the event.

Anthony said that lack of comprehensive legislation covering disability issues in Pakistan was unfortunate.

He said despite being a signatory of international instrument regarding rights of the disabled, Pakistan had got to make required laws.

He called upon the government to revisit the Disability Ordinance, 1981. He said that people with disabilities must be appointed in departments working for people with disabilities.



AWAM’s George said that people with disabilities were an important segment of society.

She said these challenges they faced caused a stigma, sense of deprivation and exploitation.

She said the government must provide physically accessible buildings and transportation services for the disabled.

Rehman said discrimination against the disabled started at homes.

“We must educate all members of the society to adopt positive attitude towards people with disabilities. The society must include and accept them wholeheartedly.”

Samina Farooq, a labourers’ rights activist, said that job opportunities should be created for people with disabilities.

The speakers also discussed issues in disability registration. They demanded that the district disability boards be devolved to tehsil level.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2013.