ISLAMABAD, Dec 4 (APP): Samina Alvi, wife of President Arif Alvi on Saturday called for collective efforts to make differently abled persons useful and productive members of society.
While speaking at an event of Association for Rehabilitation of the Physically Disabled (ARPD), she said, “We need to take steps to help differently abled persons and make them useful members of society.”
It should be ensured that these persons were accepted by the society and they had mobility and access to facilities, she added.
She told that the Thar Foundation in Sindh was doing a commendable job and helping out persons with disabilities.
The foundation trained youth so they could get proper jobs and become productive members of society, she noted.
There was a need to connect social welfare organizations and youth who wanted to get training and jobs, she commented.
She underlined the need to end deprivation among differently abled persons and protect their social and economic rights.
She lauded the positive role played by non governmental organizations in supporting needy and vulnerable sections of society.
She told that the government had taken a number of initiatives to make differently abled persons economically independent, adding the government was making efforts to ensure inclusive education for persons with disabilities and to upgrade their facilities.
She called for setting up of vocational training centers for youth who could not get early education.
She said it was responsibility of every citizen to take care of the needs of special persons, adding these persons were immensely talented and could contribute to the economic well being of society.
Samina Alvi said efforts were underway to make buildings accessible for differently abled persons.
Ramps were made in the Parliament and about 4000 bank branches gave access to persons with special needs.
She said the government had initiated a project to build ramps in old buildings to make it easy for special persons to enter them.
She said laws for persons with disabilities would be implemented with the efforts of all concerned.
According to an estimate, 14 percent of the population in Pakistan had some kind of disability and everyone needed to work together to let this segment of society move forward in life, she added.
She urged that differently abled persons should get themselves registered to avail facilities offered by the government.
The persons with disabilities should seek loans being given by banks to set up businesses and live with dignity.
Senator Faisal Javed, Provincial Minister Yawar Bukhari and chairperson ARPD Anjum Anwar also spoke on the occasion and shared their experiences and suggestions for improving lives of persons with disabilities.
