Pakistan joins the international community in observing the "International Day of Disabled People" on Saturday. The annual observance of the Day aims at creating awareness and understanding disability issues and trends and to mobilise support for practical action at all levels for the persons with disabilities.
Federal Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education Zobaida Jalal in her message on "International Day of Disabled" said her ministry, the provincial and district governments and international and local NGOs were engaged in providing special education, vocational training and treatment to persons with disabilities.
In this regard, the minister said more than 55 special education Centers and vocational training institutes throughout the country were providing those services to physically and mentally handicapped persons and those suffering from hearing and visual impairment.
According to the 1998 census, 2.49 per cent of the country's population is disabled, she added.
To confront this mammoth challenge of bringing persons with disabilities into the mainstream of our society, present government under the dynamic leadership of President General Pervez Musharraf has approved the first "National Plan of Action in the year 2002, Zobaida added.
She urged civil society and the NGOs to assist the ministry in rehabilitation of disabled persons in Pakistan and giving them a new life and a better future.
Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education in collaboration with the international and local NGOs organised a number of seminars across the country to mark this day.
The UN General Assembly decided on the World Programme of Action for Disabled People on December 3, 1982.
However, the International Day of Disabled was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1992.
It was aimed to promote full participation of disabled in social life and development as well as prevention and rehabilitation measures.
Those with disabilities are able and willing to contribute to economic, political and cultural life of their communities, but are facing barriers which must be eliminated to ensure that people with disabilities - along with their families and communities - can participate to their fullest potential in all aspects of life and in society.
WHO estimates there are over 600 million disabled people world-wide, about 10 per cent of the world population.