Recommendation of three days Conference on Disability To observe the Decade of Pakistan Disabled Foundation & The International Day of the Disabled Persons From 2nd to 4th of December 2007, LAHORE

Following recommendations are comprehensively prepared by accommodating all the suggestions, received written in advance by the participants by including the recommendations from the floor.

1. The Parent Ministry i.e. Ministry of Special Education and Social Welfare is requested to realize the need of coordination and liaison between the ministries and departments regarding the disability issues to take serious step to develop lawful mechanism for effective arrangements in concerned ministries and departments through the Patronization of Cabinet.

2. For those Disabled Persons who have got disability due to the 2005’s earthquake in AJK and NWFP exclusive attention and arrangements be made to accommodate them Medically, and Otherwise including Training, Education and Rehabilitation.

3. To ensure the maximum effective attention and action towards the disability, it is requested to the Government of Pakistan that the year 2008 may be declared as he year of the Disabled Persons by involving the effective consultation of the representative of disabled themselves.

4. Like rest of the almost entire world the education of the Disabled Persons may be the responsibility of the Ministry of Education as a Patron Ministry to ensure the main streaming Inclusion and Integration.

5. All the media is very sincerely requested to realize their important role towards the betterment of Disabled Community by acquiring appropriate knowledge of all the aspects and issues of Disabled Community and by motivating society including Government accordingly.

6. To remove the difficulties and obstacles regarding the smooth and satisfactory procedure of Examination for Disabled Community specially Visually Impaired, the Inter University and Board’s Committee in consultation with the concerned groups, may developed amicably applicable system to avoid unrest of the concerned.

7. By following the City District Government Karachi all the City Governments in the country are urged upon to make provision in their Policies, Programs and Budget Allocations together with the establishment of Community cum Resource Centres for Disabled Women.

8. The conference appreciates the concessional facilities of Pakistan Railway and P.I.A. however reduction of facilities during last few years in the concession for guide in P.I.A. has been reduced by 50% while Railway has practically reduced the facility but not allowing concessions in all trains as matter of alternate which is really troublesome. Furthermore the procedure of receiving concession every time from commercial office is really troublesome both financially and otherwise moreover Railway has no commercial offices in all the Towns, as such the Blind Citizens of those Towns and Cities can not avail the facility so alternate arrangement be made to avoid injustice.

9. The Disabled Employees on contract in any department including DGSE should not be terminated after the expiry of contract rather they must be accommodated automatically for next term by legal protection.

10. To cater the need of Equipment for Daily Life, Training, Education and Rehabilitation of the Disabled Persons, the Government of Pakistan patronize exercise the arrangement of supply of equipment by establishing largely required Equipment Bank with the support of International Aid Giving Agencies including World Bank together with the share of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mall.

11. The Women Development Ministry must consider the Disabled Women as integral part of the society and ensure provision and funding for them as an equal partner and component of the society.

12. Keeping in mind the significant role of Pakistan Bait-ul-Mall, it is urged upon to reconsider the existing policy and procedure which is not applicable practically to the deserving individuals and institutions of the disabled themselves. The policy may be revised on the basis of realities on the ground, in consultation with the representatives of the consumers and self help moments who are also part of the nation.

12. 1. Education of all children, both with or without disabilities should be the responsibilities of the Ministry of Education.
    2. All schools through out Pakistan should become more inclusive and child friendly.
    3. All children, both with or without disabilities, should have equal access to quality education in an inclusive setting, learning together in the same school and in the same classroom.
    4. School should focus in equal measure on children, social, emotional, physical and academic development.
    5. All school should be made physically, financially and socially and academically accessible for children with diverse background, need, abilities and disabilities.
    6. All children should have equal access to book and reading materially a medium that is suitable to their individual needs either in print,  adjusted print or in Braille.
    7. All children experiencing barriers   to learn should have access to individual support services in order to fulfill their rights and obligations as citizen of Pakistan.
    8. Curricula, assessments, testing and exams for children should be flexible to inspire rather then to create barrier to learning, development and participation.
    9. All students and teachers in mainstream all specialist education programme should be prepared to teach children with diverse needs, abilities and disabilities inclusive community schools.
    10. All government, non government and international donors finance programme should be coordinated in order to support the goal of equality of education for all by 2015.
    11. The government of Pakistan, united Nations, international agencies as well as non government and disabled persons organization should work together to ensure that all children;  specially, children with disabilities and other children vulnerable to marginalization and exclusion have equal opportunities to develop their potential and schools and later in working life.

13. In all the institution of the general education the 2% quota for disabled person must be observed as and when it is needed to be applied.

14. The experts of the sign language preferably appointed and posted at all the public places including social and educational institutions.

15. All the educational, social and public places be accessible to all the disabled persons.

16. To avoid the discrepancies of past it is essential to ensure the consultation and monitoring of the representative of the disabled persons in all the related affairs to the education of the disabled persons.

17.  OA council on special education comprising  parliamentarians, representatives of self help moment of disabled persons and may be lawyers be appointed to review the situation time to time or to consider the matter referred to it when ever it is needed.

18. To introduce and promote the inclusive education it is considered advisable to prefer those instructors who have masters and bachelor’s degrees in special education.

19. To cater  the individual need of each province according to its curricula the Braille presses be established in all the provinces and for the  time being existing Braille presses may be brought into co-ordination and umbrella system to avoid the duplication and to fulfill the requirements of all four provinces centrally controlled area. For this reason the high powered government authority may develop and impose consultative  liaison and proper supervision.

20. In the light of very successful experience and subsequent practice of introduction of Braille as an optional subject in ordinary schools and colleges of Karachi,  It is strongly recommended to introduce the Braille subject as an optional subject in all the four provinces through boards of education and universities so that purpose of inclusion main streaming and employment of the visually impaired be comfortably solved.

21. It was noticed that the blind teachers,   instructors and Braille proofreaders are not normally promoted or not receive subsequent scales as well, because of their blindness. As such it is strongly recommended that discrimination in any case should not be practiced but it should be avoided by providing equal status and equal opportunity to all the teachers including blind and other handicapped.

22. National    Braille Press Islamabad under the federal Ministry of Education is making functional and practical and permanent monitoring may be ensured by the experts of the field by avoiding previous discrepancies.

23. The existing Braille Library and Resource Centre +Talking Book Service should work under the specialized committee comprising of experts of the field including representative from self help moment to avoid the previous lacking and discrepancies regarding  talking book service specially.

24. All the existing hostels under the federal ministry of Special Education specially established for the disabled children should be exclusively used by the disabled children. For this purpose all the occupied hostels by un-desirable groups may be immediately vacated.

25. The National trust for disabled persons may be functional in accordance with its determined aims and objectives so that the benefits of the education of the disabled children may be ensured. For this reason involvements of the representative of the disabled persons may also be involved at implementation and monitoring level.

26. In view of the role and   importance of the National Council for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled Persons (NCRDP) towards the education and   training of the disabled it is strongly recommended that the NCRDP may be activated in accordance with the approved policy,  rules and regulations and the decisions may be implemented accordingly. The National Identity card specially as the assignment of the NCRDP may be full filled without any delay.

27. The components of the education of disabled children may be restored   and activated under the National Commission for Child Development as it was happening as it has been part of the commission at the time of establishment.

28. Keeping in mind the importance of the equipments in training and education of the disabled persons the urgent need of provision of equipments may be full filled by establishing equipment bank under the federal ministry of special education in collaboration with the financial co-operation of international agencies and Pakistan Baitulmal Etc.

29. With reference to the affairs of the disabled and specially education and training of the disabled persons all the ministries, departments, commissions and units like that may be brought into main streaming so that co-ordination and understanding may be ensured which is essential for the disabled persons to enjoy their rights and privileges in all sectors of life without any discrimination,  prejudices and confinements  to implement this recommendation  The President of Pakistan, Prime Minister of Pakistan, Parliament of Pakistan, Judiciary of Pakistan, and Cabinet Division are requested to play their role and responsibilities as per executive, legal and procedural  requirement of the situation so that the main objective of the social integration and inclusion may be achieve as it has been emphasized by the Honorable Prime Minister in his message specially given for the three days conference on special education.

30. To handle with the co-related matters of the general education and training of disabled persons, a workable coordinated mechanism/liaison of all the concerned educational institutions like Universities and Boards may be developed and introduced  in collaboration with the Ministry of Special Education and Federal Ministry of Education (in general) to avoid the difficulties of blind and handicapped, teachers, students and trainees belonging to the ordinary educational institutions and to have the equal attention of the authorities concerned without any hindrance and misinterpretation.

31. The introduction of inclusion and enabling education in Pakistan by International Aid Programme and EE Network through the Ministry of education is encouraging and appreciable and deserves serious attention and cooperation of all the concern responsible authorities in the light of the same it is further recommended that by introducing inclusive education the promotion and up grading segregated institution may be discouraged both by the organizers and consumers of the services.

32. The inclusion of competent and deserving disabled teachers, students and trainees may be male or female be ensured for training abroad and for the delegation to take part in meetings on behalf of Ministry or DGSE within the country or without country. It was seriously noted that in recent meeting on education of visually impaired held in Malaysia under the ICEVI ((International Council for the Education of Visually Impaired) no blind leader or expert of the field has been included in a big delegation taken part in the said conference. As such conference is of the opinion that right and privileges of due representation of the disabled persons should be ensured by the Ministry, DGSE and others related educational training units.

33. It is appreciated that the Baluchistan Government as established disabled complex for the education and training of disabled persons under one roof in Quetta, however in during several years no school com training Centre in others parts specially in remote parts of  the province has been established as such it is recommended to establish basic education-com training institute/Centre may be establish in others part of the province.

34. Keeping in view the poor and in active situation of special education having no counseling and monitoring under the Ministry of Education and specially no contribution in Karachi towards the special education under the Ministry of Education Sindh, deserves serious attention and subsequent action of the top most authorities of the province like Governor and Chief Minister of Sindh for remedial steps.

General Secretary

Pakistan Disabled Foundation