Budget and the disabled
According to World Health Organisation, about 1.5 crore or 10 percent of the total population is disabled in Bangladesh. Of them, more than seven percent are physically disabled and the remaining intellectually challenged.
Statistics show that only one in 100 persons with a disability in our country get a chance for higher education.
Most of the disabled persons in our country are illiterate. The illiterate persons cannot initiate as well as participate in any disciplined, cooperative and community based development programme. More than half the disabled persons live under poverty line. Due to their economic deprivation, they are being deprived in all other spheres of life. Our population treat their subhuman life as their fate. They tend to avoid novelty and change. They do not show enthusiasm about development initiatives.
Disabled persons are socially ignored. They are considered a burden for their family. So, people generally do not tend to welcome a disable child in their family. They are culturally presented as subordinate to others. Due to their lack of economic activities, the majority of the disabled persons are economically dependent on others. Such dependence on others is mainly responsible for their disempowerment.
We cordially request our Honourable Finance Minister to provide the maximum budgetary allocations for the vulnerable, challenged and disadvantaged people, so that they can lead a better life.
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