Director General Special Education Khalid Naeem said the government is working on a string of projects to facilitate disabled persons specially those living in the far flung areas. In an interview to APP here on Tuesday, he said according to national census of 1998, there were four million people with disabilities, which is 2.49 per cent of the population.
The functions and services of the Directorate General of Special Education included assessment, diagnostic and referral services, provision of personal aids and appliances, specialised services for hearing assessment, language development and speech therapy, physiotherapy, Braille and mobility training, academic and education services, training in arts and crafts, curriculum development, model library facilities and field research.
He said DGSE established in 1985 as an attached department of Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education with the objective of helping the persons having any kind of disability. Khalid Naeem informed that the Ministry has undertaken various projects for disabled with the assistance of foreign donors.
He said the DGSE has launched pilot projeccts on inclusive education in 14 normal education schools at four provincial headquarters, Gilgit, Muzaffarabad, Islamabad, Turbat and Mirpur Khas. A national policy for persons with disabilities and national plan of action has been prepared while work on the implementation of all UN conventions and treaties signed by Pakistan is continuing. Being committed to such conventions and agreements, Pakistan will soon fulfil its obligations in letter and spirit, Khalid added.