Over 15pc children till 16 have a moderate or severe disability: survey

Understanding the need to mainstream discourse on inclusion and equity, Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi/ASER Pakistan, in collaboration with FESF and Sightsavers, organised a policy dialogue to discuss the burning issue of inclusion and equity in the country.

It was shared that a staggering 15.15 per cent of the surveyed children (5-16 years) were found to have a moderate or severe disability. It was proposed that there was a need to scale up the survey to the rest of the country as well in order to measure the disability prevalence in the country.

Findings from the learning assessment of visually impaired and deaf children, using the Braille and Pakistan Sign Language adapted ASER learning tools, show that visually impaired children are performing remarkably well, although only 33 per cent of schools have assistive technologies for the visually impaired.

It was emphasised that sign language should be taught to deaf children so that these children could also communicate and learn properly.

Prominent among the speakers were Qasim Naveed Qamar, adviser to the Sindh CM on special education, Khalid Chachar, secretary Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Zubaida Mustafa, an eminent journalist, Richard Geary, executive director, FESF/Deaf Reach, Dr Kausar Waqar, AKUI IED, Dr Ghazala (AKU-IED), Omair Ahmed, NOWPDP director, and Baela Raza Jamil, ITA CEO.