The Dhaka Times Desk Like other countries of the world, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities is being celebrated with due dignity in Bangladesh today. It is the moral responsibility of each of us to stand by the disabled.
Like other countries of the world, Bangladesh is also celebrating the World Day of Persons with Disabilities on December 3 every year. This day is being celebrated by holding various government and private programs. The Ministry of Health has undertaken various programs on this occasion. The World Health Organization has been celebrating the importance of this day since 1998.
About 1 billion people in the world, which is about 15 percent of the world's population, have some form of disability, and most of them are in the developing world. People with disabilities worldwide continue to face physical, mental, social, and economic stigmatization, which sets them apart from other members of society. They are severely discriminated against in health, education, employment and other social activities. Hence they are often absent from the mainstream of development.
The United Nations General Assembly has emphasized the protection and inclusion of the rights of persons with disabilities to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. The World Health Organization considers disability a global public health and development priority issue. Because deprivation of opportunities for regular education, employment, income and medical expenses increases the poverty of persons with disabilities.
Out of the hundreds of millions of disabled people, about two hundred billion elderly people with disabilities are unable to work, most of whom live in inhumane conditions. They are a hindrance to development and a burden on society. Disability disproportionately affects marginalized and vulnerable populations such as women, the elderly and the poor. Children from poor households, indigenous peoples and minorities are more vulnerable to discrimination. People from low-income countries have more disabilities than high-income countries. In the 66th session of the United Nations, the report of the World Health Organization and the World Bank was accepted as a proposal and an action plan was formulated accordingly. The slogan of the action plan is 'Better Health for the Disabled'.
Even in Bangladesh, the picture of improving the health care and quality of life of the disabled is not very good. Although the government plan is good, it does not have much in common with the reality. The concept of community-based rehabilitation has not gained traction. A large proportion of poor disabled people live by begging. People with disabilities are still not privileged in education, health, employment and other social activities in this country. Society still looks at them with contempt and pity. To make the society aware, to increase their status in the society, the theme of this year's World Health Organization Day of Persons with Disabilities is 'Break down barriers, open doors, everything in society for all'. There is no provision of separate and preferential services for the disabled in the service institutions. There are no ramps for wheelchairs in Bipani Bitan, there are no separate seats in public transport. There is no separate arrangement in public toilets. There is no separate line for buying tickets. Institutions providing services at all levels, both public and private, should ensure the provision of rights to persons with disabilities. We need to go further to bring the disabled back into the mainstream of development. Media can also play an important role in creating awareness in this regard.
# Dr. Md. Shahidur Rahman : Associate Professor, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Dhaka.
(Disabled people are also human beings, they also have the right to live in this society. We who are living with all the facilities of the society. Similarly, the disabled also have the right to enjoy all the facilities of the society. Today on the World Day of Persons with Disabilities, for civic and moral responsibility, this courtesy of Dainik Jugantar Online. Dr. Md. Shahidur Rahman's writing is published)
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