Daily Times

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities, December 3, 2015, has been themed, ‘Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities.’ The estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide face many barriers to inclusion in many key aspects of society. As a result, people with disabilities do not enjoy access to society on an equal basis with others, which includes the areas of transportation, employment and education as well as social and political participation. The right to participate in public life is essential in creating stable democracies, active citizenship and in reducing differences in society.

It is high time that inclusion matters more than ever for those who are disabled. Inclusion is such a key issue for disabled people that it is unsurprising that the UN has chosen this as a focus for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD). This day aims to promote the benefits of an inclusive society, with campaigns and events arranged by disability organisations, businesses and governments to coincide with the date and complement this year’s theme, ‘Inclusion matters: access and empowerment for people of all abilities’.

Persons with disabilities must be able to fulfil their roles in society and participate on an equal basis with others. It is important to focus on the ability and not on the disability of an individual. Often, the societal image of persons with disabilities is impacted by attitudes based on stigma and discrimination, as well as outdated ideas about disability and persons with disabilities that are often the greatest blockade to their full and equal participation in society and development on an equal basis with others. It is important to note that disability is part of the human condition and that all of us either are or will become disabled to one degree or another during the course of our lives.

By promoting empowerment, real opportunities for people are created. This enhances their own capacities and supports them in setting their own priorities. Empowerment involves investing in people, jobs, health, nutrition, education and social protection. When people are empowered they are better prepared to take advantage of opportunities; they become agents of change and can more readily hold and practice their civic responsibilities.

Sub-themes for IDPD 2015 include making cities inclusive and accessible for all, improving disability data and statistics, and including persons with invisible disabilities in society and development. By 2050, 66 percent of the world’s population is predicted to be living in cities, so the UN is inventing a New Urban Agenda to plan for this possibility. One of the goals of IDPD 2015 is to ensure that the New Urban Agenda takes globally into account the specific needs of disabled people in its planning and strategy to ensure that cities can appropriately cater for this population.

Accurate statistics about disability can be hard to find on local, national and international levels. As a result, disabled people may not be considered when plans and policies are being put into place. IDPD 2015 wants to ensure that statistics are collected and organised to international standards so that data can be compared from country to country. The UN will highlight good practice guidelines and create strategies for involving disabled people and disability organisations in the collection and understanding of the data.

People with invisible impairments can face different challenges to those whose conditions are more observable. The stigma against people with hidden conditions, especially mental health problems, is high and individuals face many of the same barriers as people who are unable to walk or who have impaired vision or hearing. One role that organisations can play for IDPD in helping those with invisible disabilities is to raise awareness of the situation, organise social activities or tackle stigma and discrimination.

It is good to note that Pakistan also ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on July 5, 2015 with the commitment to translate it into the domestic statute. The ultimate purpose is to create such a favourable environment to ensure the social inclusion of persons with disabilities by engaging them in all policy and legal matters, and decision-making related directly to them.

The lack of data and information on disability and the situation of persons with disabilities at the national level contribute to the invisibility of persons with disabilities in official statistics. Efforts are underway in Pakistan to move away from the dual system of education, in which children with special educational needs receive educational facilities in special schools, towards an inclusive school system. Initiatives to mainstream children are being launched in pilot projects and practical efforts are being made by the special education department of the government of Punjab by introducing an inclusive education system to build linkages between special and regular schools. A pilot Punjab Inclusive Education Project has been launched to gather data of children with disabilities and mainstream them into regular schools. Under the term special needs education, the trend is to shift focus from disability categories towards building the capacity of the schools and providing needed support services. It is proposed that the first step in promoting inclusion in Pakistan is to combine the dual directorial structure into a single system, with a clearly defined policy and plan for accommodating children with special needs within ordinary schools.

It has been observed generally in Pakistan that many disabled adults live in low-income households; public places, transportation, buildings, restaurants, etc, are inaccessible. The IDPD will also be used to highlight mobility and unreachable challenges, and map out strategies to involve persons with disabilities and their organisations in disability data and statistics collection and dissemination.

Thousands of activities will occur to mark this day around the world. Charities, governments, NGOs and corporations will celebrate the day. Events are being held in Pakistan too by the government. Private organisations have been conducting various activities in accordance with the themes of the IDPD to promote actions to raise awareness about disability issues and draw attention to the benefits of an inclusive and accessible society for all.

The writer can be contacted at humaoak2000@gmail.com