International Day for Disable Persons

Chairman Baitul Mall Zamurad Khan and other disable persons taking a part in walk in connection with International Day for Disable Persons, passing through H-8.

Lahore marks International Day of Disabled Persons

LAHORE: Experts and educationists reaffirmed their commitment to incorporate mentally and physically disabled persons into mainstream society at ceremonies held to mark International Day of Disabled Persons (Thursday, December 3) on Wednesday. The Punjab Special Education Department and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the city organised functions to commemorate the occasion. According to Punjab Special Education Department Programme Officer Zahid Majeed, there are 18,342 registered disabled persons in Punjab. He said they were categorised as ‘deaf’, ‘blind’, ‘mentally challenged’, ‘physically disabled’ and ‘slow learner’. He said the percentage of disabled men was higher. He said 112 institutions across Punjab were working to promote special education and improve the status of disabled students. He said the department would organise a special programme for disabled students. Humiar Bano, Head of the Punjab University Special Education department, said she called such children “challenging children” because it was unfair to call them ‘special children’. She said technology and expert knowledge must be used to develop the status and personalities of disabled children. staff report

Each year the day focuses on a different issue:

• 1998: "Arts, Culture and Independent Living"
• 1999: "Accessibility for all for the new Millennium"
• 2000: "Making information technologies work for all"
• 2001: "Full participation and equality: The call for new approaches to assess progress and evaluate outcome"
• 2002: "Independent Living and Sustainable Livelihoods"
• 2003: "A Voice of our Own"
• 2004: "Nothing about Us, Without Us"
• 2005: "Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Action in Development"
• 2006: "E-Accessibility"
• 2007: "Decent Work for Persons with Disabilities"
• 2008: "Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Dignity and justice for all of us"
• 2009: "Making the MDGs Inclusive: Empowerment of persons with disabilities and their communities around the world"