Aamir Ibrahim inaugurating the first Telenor Assistive Tehnology Lab, with Manager Corporate Communication Affan Haider and STEP President Atif Sheikh

Twelve persons with disabilities (PWDs) received the certificates from CSO and VP Corporate Affairs Aamir Ibrahim, officiated a ceremony held at the Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) premise in Islamabad.

Assistive Technology Lab

The lab consists of disabled friendly work stations, with adaptations that include speech controlled computers, screen readers, screen enlargement and Braille printers. Softwares have been imported from United Kingdom with the support of Sightsavers.

The objective of the lab is to promote the inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) into mainstream society.

They are now able to access computer systems, information resources, and on-line services on the internet.

This is the first of several Telenor Assistive Technology Centers, with the second one due to open soon at the National Institute of Special Education in Islamabad.

These labs house 28 computers running Assistive Technology softwares such as JAWS and Dolphin.

Roadmap

The course conducted at the Assistive Technology Center by STEP entails a 15-day basic computer training course for two hours every day. Its main focus is to develop the students into trainers who would be able to provide similar basic training to other PWDs in the future.

“It is a paradigm shift when PWDs themselves can go out there and provide training to people. This has only been made possible here with Telenor’s Khuddar Pakistan program,” said Atif Sheikh, STEP President.

“We would love to see such centers replicated across the country, and for the labs to start providing a higher level training such as graphics and html designing.

“That will help us address the big question right now: How to get more PWDs into the mainstream through their inclusion in the workforce and promote independent living.”

Telenor Pakistan has funded the establishment of Assistive Technology labs in National Institute for Special Education and STEP. These labs house 28 desktops with Assistive Technology software such as JAWS and Dolphin. Here Aamir is being shown a demostration of a sign language communication conducted with a person in Canada

Main highlights of activities:

Telenor Khuddar Pakistan is a three-year corporate responsibility program. It aims to create dignity through ability by working with persons with disabilities (PWDs).

Telenor Pakistan’s aim is to become the most disabled-friendly company in Pakistan in terms of employment, service, and community support. To do this we will integrate persons with disabilities fully into the organization, create awareness about their abilities, and include them fully into everyday life with the help of assistive technologies.

Highlights of activities so far:-

Awareness:-

Conducted DAT in North Region; workshops held for Top Management, Extended Management, Corporate Communications & Responsibility, S&SC (CHQ), Islamabad-based bloggers

Working on ‘A Guide to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Pakistan’ (English & Urdu versions)

Conducted employee visits to disabled persons organizations

Conducting a weekly talkshow on disability issues on Radio Pakistan’s FM93 station

Supported National Leadership Conference of Persons with Disabilities 2009

Raising awareness through mass media following launch event on 23 July in Islamabad

Inclusion:-

Careers pages on corporate website made accessible

Khuddar Pakistan Blind Cricket Talent Hunt

Career Development Workshop for PWDs;  LABARD as partner

Integration:-

Building audits and service audits conducted for Paris Plaza and CHQ; Paris Plaza made accessible to PWDs

Proactive hiring of persons with disabilities on equal opportunity basis

Seven PWDs hired as CROs; one PWD hired as Team Leader

All recruitment ads in newspapers encourage PWDs to apply for positionsin Telenor Pakistan

The first batch of students graduating from Telenor Assistive Technology Center recently, along with their certificates. The center not only provides training, but also serves as a community center for disabled youths

The board responsible for issuing a disability certificate is working at a snail’s pace causing problems to the people with special needs, Dawn has learnt. Applicants allege that District Social Welfare Department officials are reluctant in forming a medical assessment board at the Sahiwal District Headquarters Hospital to process 274 pending applications. The board can declare an applicant disabled which is a prerequisite for both the issue of a disability certificate and a computerised national identity card (CNIC) holding a disability logo.

The boards are to be made under a federal government’s scheme through the Provincial Council for the
Rehabilitation of Disabled People to issue separate CNICs to the people facing physical needs. To make the scheme workable in districts, District Labour Department, District Social Welfare Department, a psychologist, a Tevta representative and the medical superintendent of DHQ Hospital are to scrutinise applications. A seven-page computerised form is to be filled by the applicant. Social welfare and labour departments are to help applicants, but these departments have not made any counters for the disabled.

During a visit to both the labour and social welfare departments, this correspondent saw people with physical needs were moving from one department to other seeking help from the officials. Private people offer these applicants to fill up their forms for Rs300 per form.

According to procedures, an applicant submits his application to the Labour Department which after scrutiny forwards it to the District Social Welfare Department to be referred to the medical superintendent. At the hospital, an assessment board will examine the applicant and submit its report to the District Social Welfare Department for the issue of a disability certificate. The National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) issued identity cards only to those applicants who possessed the disability certificate.

“After going through a number of complications to get the disability certificate, I’ve decided to apply for an ordinary CNIC,” says Allah Ditta, of 81/5-R. Seeing the problems of people with special needs, Pakistan People’s Party leader Zaki Chaudhry has devoted the party secretariat to help the applicants. “In the last two months, we have helped 791 applicants submit their forms with the Labour Department,” says Amin Raza, a social worker, working at the secretariat.

“Among them, only 220 applicants have submitted their forms with the Labour Department while 500 applicants are awaiting their turn.”

The district labour officer, who introduced him as Kashif, said his department was entertaining applicants but confirmed that in the last two months only 220 applications were forwarded to the District Social Welfare Department. District Social Welfare Department officer Ijaz says of those 220 applications, only 66 have been forwarded to the assessment board.

“The assessment board will meet on Dec 29 to clear these cases,” he said. So far, no applicant has been issued a disability certificate in the district. Applicants alleged that both departments were reluctant to process their cases. They demanded that the assessment board met thrice a month so that all cases were cleared at the earliest. At the moment, the assessment board has DHQ Medical Superintendent Dr Rashid told Dawn the assessment board would be formed only on the request of the District Social Welfare Department. He said the board was ready to meet even thrice a month if the request was made from the department.

Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/national/disability-certificate-hard-to-get-629

Though late, both civil society and public sector in the country have started responding to the needs of such people, with government determining a must 10 per cent job quota in all public sector organisations and corporate sector providing them level playing field to compete for jobs.

Special Talent Exchange Program (Step) organised a seminar on Friday to mark the International Labour Day on theme of “Employment and Disability”.

In his introductory remarks, Step President Atif Sheikh said though the situation had improved for physically challenged people in cities, but those living in rural areas were still treated as prisoners as they spent their entire lives in their homes.

“Disabled women suffer even more due to prevailing gender bias, hence, need special attention of the policymakers,” Mr Sheikh said.

Barriers which disabled people face in getting jobs and taking their place in society can and should be overcome through a variety of policy measures, regulations, and services, he suggested.

However, he acknowledged the fact that there was increasing realisation within the government towards the welfare of disable people.

Zubair Abbasi, a development economist and policy analyst, said economic growth showed in figures should be translated in terms jobs creation, equal jobs opportunities and improvement in the living styles of ordinary people.

He said there were three basic cornerstones of genuine economic growth – sustainability, equitable distribution of resources and increase in production.

Khalid Naeem, an official of the Ministry of Social Welfare, said discussing disability on the eve of the Labour Day in itself was of great importance. “It does not matter what percentage of country’s population is with disabilities, but the trying circumstances they have to face.” International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country Director Donglin Li, who was chief guest, said the ILO was strong supporter of the provi sion of equal opportunities to people with disabilities.

Source: http://epaper.dawn.com/Default.aspx?selpg=1990

To promote positive role of sports in rehabilitation of people with physical disabilities, Sarmad Tariq, a quadriplegic (paralysed shoulder down), led an enthusiastic group of regular cyclists in the first-ever hand cycling event organised in Islamabad on Sunday.

A source of inspiration not only for disabled but also for the normal people who fail to utilise their capabilities, Sarmad wore a green flag shirt with a small flag adorning his hand cycle, a relatively new adaptive sport for people with physical challenges. The event titled ‘Road to Inspiration’ was a project conceived by Sarmad at the beginning of 2008.

Sarmad was only 15 when in 1991 he broke his neck vertebras C4 and C5 while taking a dive in a pond that was not deep enough for that kind of sports. The injury in turn crushed his spinal cord leaving him paralysed shoulder down for the rest of his life.

“I always wanted to become a world class boxer and for that I intended to join the army before that accident,” he told ‘The News.’ Amazingly, his disability failed to dampen his passion for sports. Sarmad believes that his physical confinement is the reason to his spiritual liberation. “Just as my legs refused to listen to me, I stopped listening to the world.” Resilience being the key to his success, he is living more than an active normal life with a mainstream career.

Among his regular achievements he also holds the world record for the longest non-stop drive by a quadriplegic. He drove his hand-controlled car for 33 hours, covering a distance of 1,847 kilometres from Khyber to Karachi. On January 30, 2005, he was the first ever and the only wheelchair bound athlete in Lahore Marathon. By covering the distance of 42 kilometres in seven and a half hours he qualified to represent his country in the ING New York City Marathon 2005 and made history for Pakistan by returning with a finisher’s medal.

Currently he is busy working on his hand cycle to set a land speed record by going 100 km/hrs. In yet another effort to highlight the challenges brought about due to spinal cord injury and the positive role sports could play in the integration of disabled people into mainstream society, Sarmad was joined by many professional cyclists, friends and children. Some children even brought their tricycles to show solidarity with him. Many came just to see this man of courage. All wore yellow ribbons as yellow is a cycle racing colour.

The cyclists started their journey from the Fatima Jinnah Park and took a round of Sector F-8 while passing through Blue Area and Margalla Road. They returned to the starting point after almost two and a half hours. Many enthusiasts joined them on their way. The participants were also given a folder containing amazing pictures and information about international athletes with disability.

Sarmad said that though Islamabad is better than all other cities with regard to the facilities for disabled people but still there is so much room for improvement. “Pavements are not wheel chair friendly whereas majority of ramps in big plazas and hospitals are too steep making such buildings unapproachable for disabled persons without another person’s help,” he said.

His inspirational story of his way to the life that is certainly better than many normal persons is available on his website www.sarmadtariq.com. “Majority of us can walk but how many of us can actually walk tall,” is the leading message of this amazing website. He mentions in his biography that ever since that accident, he has been plagued by one medical problem or another but his medical problems have not caused as much pain or grief, as many people he has met over the years.

Many times, he was refused admission in colleges due to his disability to write. “Most of the business schools simply refused to entertain my admission application and the only one, which did, had too many stairs. Imagine losing out on a career ladder because of one’s inability to climb stairs.”

“People in my kind of predicament know it better than anybody else that they are not physically normal like others but neither are they inferior in any way. They are just different in appearance. And this is the key point apparently being missed by the majority of the people. Ignorant biases haunt the physically disabled more than their medical shortcomings.”
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=231479

Hearing impaired and physically disabled children enthralled the audience at the Annual Parents Day here by presenting different programmes, especially their performance on national songs and folk dances.

Parents of these children, teachers and people belonging to various walks of life attended the programme, organised by Hassan Academy of Special Children at a local marriage hall.

Speaking on the occasion as the chief guest, President Rawalpindi Chamber of Commerce & Industry (RCCI) Kashif Shabbir said it is our national duty to look after special children and help them become useful citizens.

Appreciating the administration of Hassan Academy, he asked philanthropists and the affluent class to come forward and share the burden by helping these children in different ways. “To encourage special children is a noble cause and it is imperative that people should come forward and take their care,” he added.

He also asked the government to announce incentives for special children, enabling them to stand on their own feet. He announced to allocate a sizeable amount for the Academy on an annual basis in order to assist these children.

In his welcome address, Principal of the Academy Dr Ahmed Hassan informed that a new building for his Academy is being constructed on a piece of land, which has already been arranged. He informed that at present, the Academy is being run in a rented building where more than 160 students are being imparted free education and accommodation, and said that a large number of people are helping us in carrying out this noble cause.

Later, prizes and certificates were distributed among the students, who had shown outstanding performance in the annual examination. Vice President RCCI Ali Raza, Mrs Ahmed Hassan and Maj (r) Saleem Anwar also distributed gifts among the children.r

 Special efforts and measures are being adopted by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education to expedite implementation of the National Plan of Action of Persons With Disabilities, said Minister of Social Welfare and Special Education Samina Ghurki.

She stated this while addressing the concluding ceremony of a National Consultation on Barriers to Inclusive Development. The meeting was organised jointly by Sightsavers International, STEP and CHIP, with financial assistance from the Department for International Development.

The minister said the national policy for persons with disabilities reiterates inclusion as a key priority. “Inter-coordination among different departments for mainstreaming disability and inclusive development cannot materialise without active participation of persons with disabilities,” the minister further said.

Samina acknowledged the role of disabled persons’ organisations in promoting inclusive development by way of increased interaction and community awareness. She assured the participants that the recommendations emerging from the workshop would be implemented in true spirit.

Earlier, the Country Director of Sightsavers International Niaz Ullah Khan explained that the purpose of the meeting is to increase understanding about inclusive development, and provide opportunities for networking and linkages among different actors and organisations. He termed distorted data and lack of appropriate social protection provisions as the key challenges.

President of STEP Atif Sheikh emphasised the need for active participation of disabled persons’ organisations in local development initiatives. Lubna Hashmet, the chief of CHIP, shared the feedback received from all the four provincial consultation meetings held in 2009.

The inaugural session was chaired by Prince Abaas Khan, Director General of the Directorate of Special Education. Later on, two key panel discussions about inclusive development challenges and social inclusion were held where experts from the Ministry of Education, UNESCO, PPAF, international organisations and academic institutes shared their experiences and practices.

In the end, the participants reviewed the provincial consultations in a group to draw national recommendations. The workshop was attended by more than 50 participants across the country including a significant number of persons with disabilities.

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=229733

The collaboration aims to facilitate the inclusion of young people with disabilities into mainstream social action and community development through the ‘Active Citizens’ programme.

The programme aims to build trust and understanding among cultures by establishing an enduring global network of community leaders, who, as actors and influencers in their community dialogue, learn and act together to address global issues.

The programme is working in 16 districts around the country in all four provinces and Azad Jammu & Kashmir, and offers capacity building opportunity to young people between the ages of 18 and 35 years alongside supporting voluntary social action, led by young people in local communities.

At a ceremony, Step President Atif Sheikh said this collaboration would benefit thousands of young Pakistanis with disabilities, who hold immense potential to lead and improve our communities. He said it is necessary to advocate in society about the rights of disabled persons through awareness raising campaigns and demonstrations, and this collaboration would pave the way to do so.

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=229747

With blue ribbon tied on their heads to remind government of their international commitments regarding the disabled persons, they stayed at the Parade Lane for many hours insisting that some government official should come and assure them that their demands will be met in due time. Pakistan People’s Party representative Dr. Israr Shah also joined the protest.

Organised by Pakistan Disability Forum (PDF), the protest was aimed at demanding reserved seats for disabled persons in the upcoming constitutional amendments. Disabled persons from all age groups participated in protest. “We can not access any park, school or government building. We cannot travel through public transport. It is the society and government that has made us disabled,” said a young and bright girl, Saima Aslam, suffering from muscular dystrophy. “Despite having normal minds, we are not given admission in normal schools,” she said.

Also standing quite among the protesters was fragile five-year-old blind child Syed Murtaza. His five sisters and brother are also disabled. When asked what he demands, his answer was as innocent as he was. “I want good things.” Muratza is a resident of Mirpur, Azad Jammu and Kashmir. His elder brother, who is also blind, told ‘The News’ that though their case was highlighted in electronic media, they have received no help from the government.

“The little help we were receiving from Bait-ul-Maal has also been stopped as its offices have stopped functioning from Kashmir,” he said.

Member Central Directorate PDF Asim Zafar said that National Policy for Disabled Persons was launched in the year 2002 but has never been implemented. “The policy has been expired in 2007 without any implementation, as there is no one in the assembly to represent us,” he pointed out. He said that there are only 500 schools functioning for disables persons under Ministry of Social.

“Only 25,000 children study in these schools that are nothing as compared to the total number of disabled population in the country. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) 10 per cent of Pakistan’s population is disabled.

Asim said that government has issued special cards to disabled persons for concessions in train and airfare etc but when they approach relevant department, officials there say that they have not received any notification.

Leaders of organisations working for disabled persons made fiery speeches and vowed to stay at the Parade Lane unless they are ensured at least 2 per cent representation in the Senate and Parliament. “If women and minorities can have reserved seats then why disables persons can not exercise their right to have representation at decision making level,” said Shafiq-ur-Rehman, member Central Directorate PDF.

He said that they after earthquake and terror attacks, the number of disabled persons have increased. “We have staged this protest for everybody as 50 percent of our population is directly or indirectly affected by disability,” he said. “We are fed up of living the life of beggars moving from one office t to the other to demand our rights,” he mentioned adding that they want permanent representation at decision and policymaking level.

Despite reconciliation efforts by Pakistan People’s Party representative Dr Israr Shah, protestors stayed at the D Chowk until Senator Faisal Raza came to meet them and ensured that he will present their demands before President Asif Ali Zardari within this week.

Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=229730

Addressing a press conference at the National Press Club here, General Secretary PAB Aamir Ashraf said that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) records, 10 per cent population of the country comprises persons with disabilities but they have no representative in the Parliament.

“There are reserved seats for minorities and women in the National Assembly and a bill for the protection of women rights has also been approved from both the houses, but no one has paid heed to the grievances of the special persons,” he commented.

Highlighting another important issue, President PAB Qari Saad Noor claimed that in a meeting with a delegation of PAB, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani had approved a grant of Rs10 million for the welfare of the members of Blind Association, which was not been provided to the Association yet.

He added that the prime minister had also promised to provide a two-kanal plot for establishing a Community Centre for the Association in the federal capital but Capital Development Authority has not provided the land so far.

Aamir Arshad informed that on the PM’s order regarding regularisation of employees working on contract basis, Ministry of Social Welfare & Special Education regularised the services of 32 special persons in November 2008 but after that, no persons has been benefited. He also demanded the promotion of Braille employees on same grades since their appointment.

He also asked for providing the facility of duty free vehicles for blind persons as granted to other persons with disabilities. Aamir Arshad announced that if their demands would not be fulfilled till March 31, PAB would start a protest till the approval of their demands.

Source: http://thenews.jang.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=225654

“There is highest level of commitment to the cause of polio eradication in Pakistan. I am personally monitoring the drive to ensure that health officials perform to the optimal level and miss no child during any campaign,” the PM said in his address at the launching ceremony.

“Since February 2008, when the Prime Minister’s Action Plan on Polio was launched, there has been tangible progress in the anti-polio drive with the involvement of sectors beyond health,” the PM stated, referring to the engagement of organisations like Nadra, National Highways and Motorways Police, Traffic Police, Pakistan Post, media organisations and most recently the telecom sector. “In the current round, the country’s largest mobile phone operator is helping us track and reach missed children. Now parents can send a text message reporting missed areas for children to the National Polio Control Cell and an anti-polio team will be dispatched to their homes within an hour,” he remarked.

Flanked by Minister for Health Makhdoom Shahabuddin and other stalwarts working in the health sector, the PM administered anti-polio drops to a few children.

Pakistan has reported five cases of polio so far this year. Of these, two are in Bajaur Agency, and one each from Quetta, Karachi and Peshawar. The country closed 2009 with 89 cases, of which 49 were from NWFP/Fata, their majority from security risk areas. The anti-polio campaign has resumed in Swat after three years and campaigns are now being held in areas cleared by security forces.

Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan have been polio-free for 8 and 10 years, respectively. Global experts have highlighted the possibility of success, if remaining management issues are overcome and the district leadership is held accountable when it comes to the achievement of immunisation targets.

Four nationwide campaigns and four special campaigns in high-risk areas will be conducted in 2010 alongside establishment of polio task forces under the leadership of the Chief Secretaries to promote accountability at the district level. The programme shall continue to develop contingency plans in insecure and security-compromised areas of the country.
Source: http://thenews.jang.com.pk/print1.asp?id=224418