The absence of credible surveys on the country’s physically-challenged people has long been a major concern for government interventions for their development, said State Minister for Social Welfare Promod Mankin on Monday.
Addressing the inauguration of the Disability Detection Survey 2013 at the Department of Social Services (DSS), Promod Mankin also observed that the nation cannot afford to move ahead without the participation of the physically-challenged people in the development process.
He pointed out it is the duty of the government as well as society to the physically-challenged people in overcoming their limitations and ensuring their participation in the nation’s progress. “Government steps are needed to assist the physically-challenged people, and ensure their rights as citizens of the country.”
“The physically-challenged people can very easily live a normal and productive life if they’re facilitated with necessary aid, assistance and education. They, too, can become part of the national development. We can’t afford to move ahead leaving about 1.5 crore physically-challenged people behind us,” said the State Minister.
Speaking on the occasion, DSS director general Nasima Begum said it is impossible to be in line with the country’s commitments under various declarations and resolutions, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Optional Protocol adopted by the 67th General Assembly of the United Nations, Dhaka Declaration on Autism Spectrum Disorders and Developmental Disabilities and Delhi Declaration of South Asian Autism Network.
She noted that the commitments could not be met without the Disability Detection Survey, which will enable the government to detect all the physically-challenged people with their details and ensure their rights to health, education services.
The survey will also help the government properly address some types of disabilities — Autism, Cerebral Pulsy and Intellectual Disability — which are not much talked about until the recent times, she added.
The survey will provide government agencies with a detailed database on the disabled population and, in the way, will inclusion of the disabled people in different government programmes and projects, said officials.
The primary data collection is expected to be completed over the next three months, while the total work of the Survey is scheduled to be completed by the next year, they added, said Social Welfare Secretary Suraiya Begum.
Presided over by Nasima Begum, the inauguration was also addressed by Cultural Affairs Secretary Ranjit Kumar Biswas and National Disability Development Foundation director general Kazi M Nurul Kabir.
Source: UNB Connect
