With a view to organising and co-ordinating the services for the disabled in Punjab, a network of NGOs working for rehabilitation of the disabled must be established under patronage of the Punjab Special Education Department. This recommendation was made at a seminar arranged by Laboured, disclosed a spokesman of NGO here on Friday.
The seminar was presided over by Punjab Special Education minister Qudsia Lodhi and it was addressed by Laboured President Pervaiz Malik, LCCI President Mian Misbahur Rehman, Laboured Secretary General Imtiaz Pervaiz, Samsung Chief Executive Farooq Naseem, Mian Nusrat, Rehmatullah Javed, Madiha Anwar, Professor Abdul Hameed, Professor Dr Haroon Rashid, Sohail Masud and others.
It was also recommended at the seminar that a community centre of cultural uplift of the disabled be set up in Lahore with latest recreational, sports, arts, cultural and other essential services. It was recommended the forms and process of District Assessment Board to determine the eligibility of disabled should be simplified and decentralised in order to provide service at the doorstep. Presently, these were located at district headquarter hospitals.
The Speakers said the Punjab government should provide generous help to all NGOs with clean record of excellent services provided to disabled. A Provincial Rehabilitation Council (PRC) should be established to enforce minimum service standards for disabled, they recommended.
The consensus was also developed that access to education of disabled be increased from the existing four percent to 100 percent to help the disabled get chances to improve their lot through education. The government needs to undertake measures to justify its declared status as disabled-friendly city. It was also proposed that national policy for the disabled should be implemented in letter and spirit.
According to them, print and electronic media should join hands with the government and NGOs (with rating) offering services to the disabled. Moreover, disabled should get reduction in fares for all types of travel with proper accessibility. Wheelchairs should be made available to the disabled at airports, railway stations and bus stations.
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