President Dr Arif Alvi has highlighted the need to make concerted efforts to improve the accessibility and inclusion of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) into the mainstream of society so as to make them equal, productive, and active citizens of society. He added that media had a special role to play in eliminating discrimination, negative stereotypes, and social taboos against PWDs, besides enhancing their acceptance in society. The President expressed these views during an interactive session with persons with disabilities (PWDs), organized by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Punjab Social Welfare Department, at Governor House, Lahore, today. First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi, Punjab Minister for Social Welfare Department, Mr Ghazanfar Abbas Cheema, Chairman NADRA, Mr Muhammad Tariq Malik, senior officials of the Punjab Government and PWDs attended the session. Talking on the occasion, the President underlined the need to enhance the inclusion of PWDs in all sectors of life, besides providing them education and employment opportunities in the mainstream institutions. He said that persons with hearing, visual, physical, and mental disability could be imparted education in regular schools provided they were given the right Assistive Technology and proper training was given to their teachers. The President called for bringing in attitudinal changes at the individual and societal level towards PWDs to make them feel more welcome in society. He said that globally the attitudes towards PWDs were changing and they were increasingly being facilitated and included in all streams of life, whereas Pakistan lagged behind in terms of the participation of PWDs in different activities. He said that PWDs needed to be given jobs as per their quota and PWDs with mild and severe forms of disability also needed to be accommodated as per their abilities and skills in different jobs. The President said that in Pakistan there was a lack of correct data about the number of PWDs in Pakistan, however, as per different estimates they were more than 10% of our population. He added that Pakistan should not ignore this huge section of its population and should make proportionate efforts to provide facilities to them and to develop their abilities to the fullest potential. First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi while talking to the participants emphasized the need to make society more inclusive, providing Assistive Technology to PWDs, easing their registration with NADRA through one-window and online operations, fulfilling the job quota, and educating them in mainstream educational institutions. Participants of the session shared their views on the problems faced by PWDs in different walks of life and shared various suggestions on improving their inclusion and participation in society.
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