Persons With Disabilities

‘Double budgetary allocation’

5 May 2010, 18:00 PM

Staff Correspondent

Persons with disabilities (PWD) yesterday demanded double allocation for them in the upcoming national budget. In the budget for 2009-2010, the government allocated only 0.1 percent for their cause out of the total Tk 1,13,819cr, which they termed too insignificant to ensure their rights. They were speaking at a press conference jointly organised by Action of Disability and Development (ADD), National Grassroots Disabled Organisation (NGDO) and National Council of Disabled Women (NCDW) at the National Press Club in the capital. Highlighting the social discrimination against them, Akter Hossain, chairperson of NGDO, said, "Previously many government announced special benefits for PWDs but it only remained in the talks. We are hoping that this government would work to ensure the rights of the PWDs as announced in its election manifesto." There is no national census on persons with disability. According to a survey conducted by World Health Organisation in 2000, ten percent of the total population is disabled in Bangladesh. However, only four percent of them receive formal education, speakers at the press conference informed. Focusing largely on education, they demanded allocation of 10 percent of the educational budget for the PWDs. Joy Chand Karmoker, deputy capacity building coordinator of ADD, said, "The current government announced that every child with disability will be enrolled in school by the year 2011. Only enrolment will not educate these children. The government must ensure reading materials such as brails. Teachers must receive training to understand sign language and how to handle disabled student." Their demands also include allocation of Tk 5 crore in the SME sector for PWDs, Tk 50 crore for production and distribution of assistive technology, Tk 10 crore to provide legal support for women with disability facing various forms of violence, increasing the amount of stipend for disabled students. Nazrana Yasmin Hira, programme manager of Manusher Jonno Foundation, and Ferdowsy Begum Ruby, Deputy Programme Coordinator of ADD, also spoke.