PWDs role must for progress

Islamabad

Disability dynamics must be kept in mind while policy making on poverty alleviation as exclusion of persons with disability from active and productive participation leads to economic losses.

This was stated by Minister of State and BISP Chairperson MNA Marvi Memon at a ceremony organised to launch pilot project on disable care on the International Day for People with Disabilities (PWDs) on Friday. She stressed the need to target the disabled persons and invest resources on them providing them education, skills, health protection and increased subsistence.

The event was attended by a number of Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) beneficiaries and their special children.  The purpose of the event was to motivate and support beneficiaries with special children making them inspiration for other weak and disabled.

During the ceremony, three disabled children Nasreen, Qasim Khan and Aqsa were nominated as brand ambassadors of BISP. BISP chairperson stated that the lives of these brand ambassadors will be tracked by BISP and through the support and platform of BISP they will emerge as a source of inspiration and hope for other special people. She added that the selection of BISP brand ambassadors will be extended to other provinces and regions as well.

BISP chairperson acknowledged the courage of brave mothers who despite financial constraints are managing their special children. During a discussion session on issues of special persons, beneficiary mothers appreciated the efforts of Chairperson BISP for the poor and highlighted their problems. They iterated that lack of education and medical facilities add to the woes of the disable and there must be skill training for their children so that they may become self sufficient.

BISP chairperson directed her team to facilitate in enrolling beneficiary children to special educational institutes and rehabilitation centres. She added that medical treatment would be provided to them under Prime Minister National Health Programme.  Beneficiaries from Punjab would be facilitated in getting Khidmat Card whereas beneficiaries from other provinces would be linked with similar programs in their respective provinces. The chairperson instructed her team to contact Bait-ul-Maal for the provision of automatic wheel chairs and other facilities for the BISP beneficiaries.

Responding to the concerns of the beneficiaries, Chairperson stated that committees would be constituted in every district to support the beneficiaries having special children. Under BISP Beneficiary Committees empowerment initiative, a module on special children would train mothers on special children care.

BISP chairperson highlighted that in the absence of recent population census data, National Socio-Economic Registry (NSER) of BISP is an invaluable source for effective policy making on poverty and disability. The key findings of “Population of Pakistan: An Analysis of NSER” by PIDE highlight that 2.27 million out of 133 million population surveyed in Pakistan in 2010 have some form of disability. The prevalence of disability has reduced over the period, as disability prevalence was found to be 2.5 per cent in 1998 census and is 1.7 per cent as per NSER. Males account for 57.8 per cent and females for 42.2 per cent of total disabled population.  The data of BISP has played an instrumental role in various federal and provincial welfare programs and same can be utilized for designing welfare programs for the disabled.

During the event, an inspirational story was also narrated to the disabled children, aiming to boost their morale and motivating them to pursue their dreams in life. Books were distributed among the disabled children as well.