Amima Sayeed
The problem lies with you, not me, that you cant see I am differently-abled and not disabled!
A conservative estimate is that almost 16 million people in Pakistan, almost half of them in 0-18 age group, have moderate to severe level of mental, physical or psychological disability. There is a framework and national policy too to facilitate Persons with Disability (developed in 2002), however, they await implementation. No state support or system coupled with social stigma leaves this marginalized group completely INVISIBLE! Only 28 percent of persons with disabilities are literate and only 14 percent are actually working (with 5 percent looking for work). Many families do not even have the basic resources to get proper diagnosis and classification of disability, let alone its treatment and management.
The sheer resilience of the care givers and Differently-abled people is what I want to pay tribute to. Have been working with this group for a while now, and every single interaction leaves me awestruck by the energy, hard work and hope ...whether rich or poor, they are the unsung heroes for making the invisible visible.
ODC: Tribute
The problem lies with you, not me, that you cant see I am differently-abled and not disabled!
A conservative estimate is that almost 16 million people in Pakistan, almost half of them in 0-18 age group, have moderate to severe level of mental, physical or psychological disability. There is a framework and national policy too to facilitate Persons with Disability (developed in 2002), however, they await implementation. No state support or system coupled with social stigma leaves this marginalized group completely INVISIBLE! Only 28 percent of persons with disabilities are literate and only 14 percent are actually working (with 5 percent looking for work). Many families do not even have the basic resources to get proper diagnosis and classification of disability, let alone its treatment and management.
The sheer resilience of the care givers and Differently-abled people is what I want to pay tribute to. Have been working with this group for a while now, and every single interaction leaves me awestruck by the energy, hard work and hope ...whether rich or poor, they are the unsung heroes for making the invisible visible.
ODC: Tribute