The First Lady Begum Samina Arif Alvi has highlighted the need to create enabling environment and ensuring all-inclusive participation of people with special needs in Pakistan as dignified and respected members of this country. The First Lady expressed these views while visiting the Deaf Education and Welfare Association Trust (DEWA) at Karachi, today. She said that there was lack of facilities for special people which further make their lives challenging, adding that it was high time that people with special needs should not be treated with discrimination and they should be given equal opportunities to play their role in the society as active citizens. Begum Samina Arif Alvi further stated that there were almost 10 to 12 percent population of differently-abled persons in Pakistan. There is three percent quota for differently-abled persons at public and private schools for inclusive education but unfortunately these seats remain vacant due to ignorance, she said. Families try to keep differently-abled children at homes due to the fear of society and the repercussions they will have to face if the child does not fit into the social norms, she said, adding that society needs to understand that children with special needs are a valuable resource of the country and if they are given due attention they can play their role in an effective and efficient manner in the country. Begum Samina Alvi emphasized the need for public-private partnership to create an inclusive environment for the differently-abled persons. Public and private schools, colleges and universities should work on special and inclusive education, teachers should be trained to provide inclusive education to differently-abled students, she said. Likewise, companies and organisations that follow corporate social responsibility model must hire a certain number of differently-abled persons because companies are socially accountable to its stakeholders and the public, she added. First Lady stated that media is a very powerful tool and it can be used to create awareness among the masses about how special the differently-abled persons are and how they should be treated in an inclusive society. Media campaigns should be launched to create awareness among the masses for raising awareness about DAPs' rights. In the end, Begum Samina Alvi praised DEWA and its stakeholders for their work and efforts to make life easy for the differently-abled students of Karachi and providing exceptional inclusive education to differently-abled students. She also praised the teachers for their exceptional work on differently-abled students.
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