There are more than 8 million disabled people in the country, and among them, only 0.8 million hold Computerised National Identity Cards (CNIC), thus keeping a large number of people, out of the voters list. According to World Health Organisation (WHO), disabled people constitute 10 percent of total population.
Talking to APP, Project Manager Special Talent Exchange Programme (STEP) Abia Akram said STEP has coined the idea of leadership of persons with disabilities in Pakistan to ensure a just, accessible and inclusive community in which the human rights, citizenship, contribution and potential of people with disabilities are respected and celebrated.
"Promoting volunteerism, awareness campaigns, leadership training, employment exchange, innovative livelihood opportunities, research and information dissemination are major endeavours of STEP," she maintained. Elucidating the reasons for low percentage, she said inaccessibility of the environment, transportation issues, lack of information and indifferent attitude towards disabled people stop them from voting during the last general elections, whereas those disabled persons who decided to cast their vote despite odds faced attitudinal barriers and majority of them decided not to cast their vote again. "We are hopeful that the new elected members of the parliament would pay heed to the miserable plight of disabled persons and formulate, in coming years, the disabled inclusive policies".