Disabled Persons Seek CRPD's Vibrant Role For The Socioeconomic Uplift

Disabled Persons Seek CRPD's Vibrant Role For The Socioeconomic Uplift

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Dec, 2022 ) :Persons with disabilities (PWD) have urged the Council on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) to play a vibrant role in their socioeconomic uplifting and social inclusion as talented amongst them are waiting and the right opportunity.

Talking to APP here Wednesday, the Chief Executive Officer of the non-profit welfare organization 'Saaya' Asim Zafar said that the government reconstituted the CRPD and mandated it to ensure different welfare works including health facilities, and employment, making the offices and markets accessible for disabled persons.

He said buildings and offices have built ramps on the directions of CRPD to fulfill the formality and ignored the relevant height that made entries dangerous for persons with disabilities. "Execution of such programs could be successful if disabled persons are made part of it", he added.

Asim said that correct data on disabled persons were not available and it was important as government constitutes policy and allocates the budget based on the available data.

He said to avail the data on disabled persons, the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) included a questionnaire on "Pakistan Social and Living Standards Measurement" which concluded that around 14 percent of persons have disabilities in the country.

Talking about Sayya, Asim Zafar said that functional members of his team were disabled and they understand the real issues and attitudes of society towards disabled persons. He said that his team had been working to make disabled persons independent by inspiring and counseling them.

When contacted, Deputy Director Rana Saeed Ramzan said that the council was the sole organization that was issuing a disability certificate for differently-abled persons and with this certificate, individuals could avail of important services provided by the government of Pakistan.

He said the CRPD has taken various steps in making Islamabad a friendly city for persons with disabilities and ensuring a two per cent quota of jobs in the Federal government. He said that on the proposal of the council, the Capital Development Authority (CDA) has already started to make ramps at 40 different places with signs.

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