Grievances & Suggestions

According to World Health Organization (WHO), in Pakistan, presently 12.29% of the population is suffering from some sort of disability ending up a total number of 20 million. It’s an un-pleasant reality that major part of the effected population is residing in rural and remote areas. These areas are totally deprived from somehow basic facilities including, education, healthcare, vocational training, accessibility while some other fields are still neglected and untouched. It's further indicated; 90% "Persons with Disabilities" are unemployed in Pakistan.

As a matter of fact, there is scarcity of graciousness all around us but the efforts of the President General Pervaiz Musharraf are worthy and encouraging that he made an illuminating example by taking all the communities together in the march of National Development and prosperity. He has provided opportunities to every clan of the nation in representation, legislation, service and politics of the country from domestic institutions to Union Councils to the Senate by establishing reserve seats for Women, Labours and Peasants.

It will be the utmost kindness of relevant ministries/offices/organizations and personnels to considere the actual realities and very sympathetically issue orders to look into the problems faced by Disabled Persons - “"Persons with Disabilities"”. The following grievances and difficulties may be solved with your little bit attention:

1. Keeping in mind the opportunities provided by the president,  NFWT request that seats for “"Persons with Disabilities"” may kindly be accommodated at Tehsil to Senate levels respectively so that they may resolve their common problems and difficulties by their own. Furthermore, they may prove themselves more productive for the nation and country by playing a practical role in the National Development Programs.

2. Precise ABCD categorization of persons with certain type of disabilities for better planning and approach. The person with severe disability (understood as non-curable) would be awarded highest grade i.e. “A” grade. This categorization will facilitate to find out not only the number of persons in a specific disability, but to adopt accurate methodology/planning for their immediate rehabilitation.

3. Registration of each and every “"Persons with Disabilities"” with NCRDP to be implemented by jurisdiction. The District Assessment Board is established to issue Disability Certificate (essential to obtain certain facilities promised by the Government) throughout Pakistan. Lahore District Assessment Board which is set up in Services Hospital, Lahore has an intense need of improvements by different aspects. Currently the Board meeting held on monthly basis and Chairman of Board (M.S Services Hospital), Specialists and other Members don’t attend the meeting simultaneously, instead “"Persons with Disabilities"” have to approach to their offices individually to get their expert opinion. This routine creates a lot of disappointment and difficulties to the “"Persons with Disabilities"” especially wheelchair users to all. Presently, a certificate is issued to a “Special Person” after a long-awaited period of 3 months which is not justified by any means. Below are some suggestions for the kind perusal of concerned authorities to modify the current phenomenon on humanitarian grounds:

   1. The meeting of Board enforced to be held bi-monthly and all the honourable members of the Board should be directed to attend the meeting simultaneously at due time to finalize the process in a single session. Two meetings per month may also be used to assess the persons categorically.

   2. The place of meeting should be easily accessible to "Persons with Disabilities" (preferably on ground floor) and proper guidelines/directions may also be provided.

   3. Application forms may also be supplied in Urdu format as well as in English and its procedure may kindly be more flexible. Moreover, make it possible to issue the Certificate of Disability on the spot or its duration must be minimized to one week. A perception to dispatch the certificate to the applicant’s postal address may also be adopted on compassionate grounds.

4. Two percent (2%) job quota for “"Persons with Disabilities"” in Govt., Semi Govt. and Private Institutions and in factories should be implemented by force. It's further indicated; 90% "Persons with Disabilities" are still unemployed.

5. Free medical treatment may be given on priority basis in all Govt. Hospitals and for the facilitation of “"Persons with Disabilities"”, separate counter should be provided.

6. The population of Lahore is almost 8 million; many of them uses public transport i.e. wagons or buses for their daily travel. It’s painfully noted that among 8 million, there are hardly 80 “"Persons with Disabilities"” that may approach to public transport as they often ignored by the transport staff and public as well. NFWT request to reserve 2 seats in public transport of all major cities and special concessions should be granted to them. This special concession may also be extended while traveling by Railway trains and/or Airplanes on national routs.

7. Issuance of “Special Cards” planned by NADRA and monitoring the execution of facilities rendered to these card holders.

8. Monthly scholarships, special aid for treatment, or grant of any nature from Zakat Fund must be one-windowed. Its procedure should be simplified and flexible. Furthermore, dignity of the recipient must be honoured.

9. A free hostel at district level to accommodate registered "Persons with Disabilities" who doesn’t have any family support, and are promoted to beggary. These hostels should be promoted through Zakat Fund.

10. Campaign to build-up awareness in providing wheelchair access to all public buildings. As far as, old buildings are concerned where permanent wheelchair access cannot be implemented, a portable; wooden, aluminum or iron ramp may be imposed.

    FOR PHYSICALLY DISABLED

11. Campaign to build-up awareness in providing wheelchair access to all public buildings. As far as, old buildings are concerned where permanent wheelchair access cannot be implemented, a portable; wooden, aluminum or iron ramp may be imposed.

12. Providing wheelchairs, hand-driven tri-cycles, artificial limbs etc. to minimize their dependability.

13. Special transport with mechanical ramp to facilitate wheelchair access.

    FOR BLINDS AND DEAF & DUMBS

14. Induce special optical checkup in District Hospital by Eye Surgeons to categorize blind people whom eyesight may be restored with at least one cornea donation. Such blind people may be issued special eligibility cards or alike and young people should be prioritized. Blinds that are not be restored by any means must considered as most deserving and categorized by “A” grade.

15. Special seats should be awarded in public transport and its implementation must be monitored by local authorities.

16. All "Persons with Disabilities" fall in the "Deaf & Dumb" category must be checked with high-tech medical equipments to better categorize their severity. Special hearing aids to be provided to the deaf and special speech training techniques should be imposed to the dumb.

M. Afzaal Humayun
President