Samina Alvi Calls for Collective Action to Empower PWDs

News Desk

Islamabad: First Lady Samina Alvi underlined the importance of providing opportunities for those with disabilities so that they can participate in mainstream economic activity.

She was speaking at the graduation ceremony of the Network of Organisations Working with Persons with Disabilities Pakistan (NOWPDP) in Islamabad on Wednesday.

The First Lady said it was the joint responsibility of the state and society to accommodate such people by ensuring an inclusive approach. Samina Alvi said persons with disabilities comprised 10 to 12 percent of the country’s population; however, they lacked enough representation in society and the public domain.

Persons with disabilities comprised around 12% of the country’s population: Samina Alvi

She regretted that, due to negative attitudes towards disability, the families restricted their members to homes and avoided their outdoor activities. Also, the lack of infrastructure, such as access ramps at public buildings and parks, restricted the mobility of people with disabilities, she added.

Samina Alvi urged providing education to such students at mainstream schools to ensure their inclusion in society. She stressed the need for the training of teachers and sensitising society that persons with disabilities could play a positive role in society if provided with ample opportunities, including assistive technology and rehabilitation services.

PTA relayed 120 million short messaging services on sensitization about persons with disabilities: First Lady

She recalled that a comprehensive awareness campaign was launched from the platform of the Presidency to raise awareness about mainstreaming people with disabilities. The campaign is supported by non-governmental organizations, chambers of commerce, and the media. Also, the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority relayed 120 million short messaging services on sensitization about persons with disabilities.

She urged the public and private sector departments, including banks, chambers of commerce, and welfare foundations, to adopt inclusive policies to accommodate persons with disabilities. She lauded the fact that the government and banks were extending easy loans to people with disabilities to ensure their financial self-reliance. Also, the government is extending scholarships and fee waivers to such students at universities and other educational institutions.

First Lady Begum Samina Alvi emphasized the need for providing opportunities to persons with disabilities to help them become part of mainstream economic activities. Speaking at the graduation ceremony at Network of Organizations Working with Persons with Disabilities Pakistan, pic.twitter.com/Ljm8EWOUOR

— Samina Alvi Updates (@SaminaAlviUpdts) December 6, 2023

Smina Alvi emphasised fulfilling the quota reserved for people with disabilities in public jobs and also urged the private sector to follow suit. She expressed satisfaction that NOWPDP was giving skill-based training to such people as per market needs and helping them get employment.