A third world country of more than one hundred and twenty six million people, Bangladesh, is still under the grip of numerous problems that stands as barriers towards it’s fight for development. Poverty, lack of desired level of education, health standard, poor employment rate etc. are some of the many challenges for the nation. The country had to encounter these insurmountable obstacles with limited resources. Even though people with disabilities represent a countable percentage of the country’s population, limited resources and interventions were available both from the Government and Non-governmental Sectors. Disability is still struggling for recognition in the field of development. It is still recognized more as an issue of welfare and charity, and hardly a crosscutting development issue. The need for it to be recognized as a rights-based issue is still a far cry.

The focus of the country on developmental issues was mainly focused around health, education, skill development, employment, environment, etc. Gender issues gradually became a prime area of concern. Disability was always widely neglected. Only a small number of organizations were working on disability issues. Most mainly saw disability as a separate entity, requiring separate program interventions, and as an area that only specialized organizations would or could work in.


Disability Intervention Trends in the Past:

As far as available information goes, the earliest interventions on disability in this region was initiated by the Christian Missionaries in the late nineteenth century, caring for people with leprosy. These were mainly focusing on charity and welfare oriented work. Non-government organizations came into this field only around the mid to late fifties in the last century. But these too were charity type organizations, located only in and around the major cities and catering to a handful of people. In the pre-Liberation period, the then government had set up a handful of schools for children with hearing and speech disabilities. Development organizations, as they are known as today, mainly started functioning in the field of disability in the early to mid eighties and gradually were coming up in different poverty-prone pockets in the country. While these too were addressing disability as a welfare issue, these were mostly isolated initiatives, without much effort for coordination. Around this time, a few self-help initiatives had also emerged to raise the issue of their own development, but these were focusing mainly on isolation, rather than integrated development ventures. By the early nineties, international development organizations had also entered the scenario. While this latest move brought in increased funding, thereby increasing the outreach of the programs, they also raised the initiative of integrated development work. Disability became recognized as a crosscutting development issue. Part of this may have been addressed as a consequence of their own international development agenda. But most of it was a result of the United Nations Standard Rules, the Global Decade on Disability, the Child Rights Convention, the Jomtien Declaration, the ESCAP Decade on Disability etc.

All these declarations, conventions, charters etc. call for an inclusive society, where the rights and privileges of all people, including people with disabilities, will be upheld without discrimination. However, people with disabilities have always been discriminated against, and kept isolated, invisible from the view of the mainstream society. To make them visible, and to ensure their full participation in the mainstream of the society, interventions based on the charity and welfare perspective will no longer be of any benefit at all. Addressing their development as a crosscutting development issue also will not be enough. It is now time to treat their cause as a rights-based issue, and that calls for equity.

The Current Disability Scenario in the Context of Bangladesh

Social discrimination

When a baby with a disability is born into a family, the family along with their relatives and even neighbors falls into embarrassment with fear of blame. The prevailing superstition leads them feeling inferior, which results into a negative attitude expressed towards the disabled child. Disabled people, with some assistance and treatment, could live and lead normal productive lives, but in most cases are excluded from the normal life or even die from neglect. Many people in this country, like many other developing countries of the world, consider people with disability as a curse of god upon the family, which ultimately invites the negative attitude. Girls and women with disabilities are particularly more vulnerable to social discrimination and neglect in the society. According to available data, about 70% of the people with disabilities have special needs and requirements for rehabilitation services, both in terms of medical rehabilitations and social integration. However, only a negligible amount of interventions has so far been made for such rehabilitation. The situation at various levels may be described as follows:

The effect, disability has within a family may differ, but a common phenomenon can be experienced. Parents find it extremely difficult to acknowledge the disability of their child. These children are usually looked upon as a burden of the family, one who has no or little prospect, and who can never be contributive to the family. The effect this will have on the disabled child is extremely negative. He/she might be neglected and discriminated from other children and members of the family. They may be the last one to receive basic requirements in the family. The family even leaves them out of the development process. The condition of an adult member suddenly becoming disabled is also not that encouraging. He/she may be left out of family affairs. His/her position of importance may decrease; might not be as economically contributive as earlier, may be too alienated from other members of the family.

Social discrimination on people with disability is very common. They are often looked at with over sympathy or neglect. They are left out of social affairs and activities. They are associated with inactivity, divine curse, fear, hatred, etc. No one usually mix with them. They are mistreated and exploited in all spheres of social life. They are relatively invisible in social functions and gatherings.

Access to education

Their access to education is very limited and often inaccessible. Even if a few have the potentialities, they are not always successful in acquiring education. There are very few specialized schools, but these can offer to a limited few. The common education system and materials are not appropriate or enough. Teachers are not trained to teach the disabled. Limited efforts exist in reforming the education approach to make it more accessible for the disabled. It is estimated that, while there are approximately 1.6 million children with disabilities within the school-going age in Bangladesh, less then 20,000 have actually access to school education.

A recent study reflects that only 11% of the children with disabilities had received some form of education. 8% of the children with disabilities are currently enrolled in some form of educational set up. The remaining 3% have either completed primary education, or have dropped out. Children with disabilities that had dropped out from education were mainly because of an unfriendly attitude and situation prevailing both at educational settings and at home. Failure to achieve expected results had also caused many to lose confidence and drop out from schools. The school structures, in most cases, are not mobility-friendly, for the children with physical disabilities and visual impairments.

A lack of assistive devices for both mobility and communication, and also a lack of classroom adaptations were acting as major barriers for children with disabilities. For 83% of the children with disabilities who required adaptations of some sort, none were brought forth at all.

Braille books were not available, even though the Government has a Braille press and a policy to provide free primary level books in Braille to children with visual impairments. As the government-integrated schools are residential, the scope for enrollment is very limited. This is even worse for girls with disabilities. The curriculum is not flexible and humane enough, that could promote inclusion of all children, especially those with special needs into education.

It is however encouraging that, among the ones that had completed secondary level of education, the majority was able to proceed and complete higher education. But those who are unable to cross these barriers are forced to dropout and have a premature end to their education acquiring process.

Economic consequence

Poverty plays a significant role in terms of disability and handicap. It is now well accepted that poverty is both a major cause and consequence of disability. Poverty and disability reinforce each other contributing to increased vulnerability and exclusion. Negative attitudes and practices reinforced by poverty and external causes create impairments. These factors also create barriers that results in a lack of assistance leading impairments to disabilities followed by exclusion. A lack of assistance at this stage results in isolation, marginalization and premature death. All these feed back and reinforce unhelpful attitude, practices and increases the poverty situation.

Access to economic scopes for people with disability is very scarce. After attaining education, people with disabilities have to encounter many barriers in their efforts to find income opportunities. Many employers deny them the access to jobs. Lack of practical experience and vocational skills are also obstructing their access into income generation scopes. Access is also denied in the business sectors. It is very hard for them to access micro-credit facilities and enter into the markets. Exploitation and discrimination is also widely experienced in these areas.

Inaccessible built environment (Accessibility of disabled people)

Inaccessible built environment is one of the vital factors for exclusion of disabled people for integration and inclusion in every sphere of life. Accessibility of disabled person demands consideration of common impairment, mobility and ability, built environment etc.

As a result of impairment, disability and a lack of accessibility, the people with disabilities are still remaining invisible. They have been isolated from the mainstream development initiatives. As an effect, the disabled people are, in a sense, losing the opportunity of developing their inner potentialities. On the other hand, the society and community has the negative attitude and under estimation of the credibility and potentialities of disabled persons.

Employment situation:

The National policies concerning disability issues contain specific policies to promote employment of people with disabilities. The Government had declared a 10% quota for people with disabilities along with the orphans in Government jobs. But this was not adequately practiced in majority of the recruitments. In recent times the Government has emphasized on establishing the quota in all possible Government recruitments.

A recent study reflects that most of the people with disabilities have some or other form of special skills related to employment. The work skills are diverse. Some had training on different skill areas, which is an added qualification to have a better access to employment. The government is a source of employment for only 5.07% of the employed respondents with the non-government sector accounting for 16.62%. The rest were self-employed.

The main employment of the employed people with disabilities varied, the maximum are involved with different small businesses. This is followed by agriculture related employments and employment with different service oriented institutions at both the government and non-government sectors.

This is encouraging that some people with disabilities are having an alternative scope for income, but at the same time it could also be interpreted that the income that people with disabilities make from their regular employment, is grossly insufficient in comparison to their needs.

The line of their education is very different from the current employment. The trainings that the people with disabilities have received are focused more on strengthening their existing skills. An individual has to spend a large portion of his / her time in acquiring education, it might at times become frustrating for the individual not to be able to build up a career in the line of their education.

In most cases, the people with disabilities who are employed are not getting equal rights and privileges as their non-disabled colleagues. The case of women with disabilities in employment is much worse. They not only have to encounter the existing barriers that women face every day with regard to employment but also meet the challenges of their disability.

Accessibility to and also inside the workplace is an essential ingredient for effective inclusion of people with disabilities into employment and establishment of equal rights. The contributions of the employed people with disabilities towards the family depend largely on the level of their income.

Availability of Human Resources on disability concerned issues:

In Bangladesh, the work on disability issues, by the Government and the NGOs are still extremely limited in comparison to the ever-increasing demand for interventions and services. One of the prime factors that are resulting in the slow paced growth of the coverage and extent of interventions is the limitation of skilled and competent human resources in this field. It is estimated that about 175 NGOs in Bangladesh are working on disability issues. But some of these NGOs are not adequately active. The active NGOs can be expected to have skilled human resources. But the number of their skilled staff is still too insignificant with regard to the population of people with disabilities and the magnitude of the essential interventions required on disability issues in the country.


Disability Interventions and Achievements over the past years:

Fusion of forces becomes imperative when the issue to be addressed is huge and when one force needs to be supplemented by the other. The issue of disability is one such issue. It is a relatively new issue that the development practitioners have recently focused on. Interventions are essential to address and minimize the negative effects of disability issues. This requires both concentrated and collaborative efforts from all concerned sectors. Among these the roles of the Government and a country’s Non Government Organizations (NGOs) are of immense necessity and significance. This movement also needs to be supported by the community, the families of and the people with disabilities themselves. Both the Government and the NGOs have their respective strengths and weaknesses, along with scopes and limitations. The Governments and the NGOs recognizes and accepts the respective strengths and weaknesses of themselves and subsequently came together to address disability and handicap issues with commitment.

Rights based Initiatives:

The government and NGO forces are fused & tagged together in many aspects of disability interventions in the country. Government as the sole authoritative body of the nation had a positive role in policies and legislation issues and also facilitates coordinated and comprehensive program interventions in partnership with the NGOs.

The Government of Bangladesh in 1995 had formulated a national policy for People with Disabilities. The policy outlined guidelines and projections for promotion of services for people with disabilities.

With a view to protect the rights of people with disabilities, the government of Bangladesh has enacted the legislation on disability (The Disability Welfare Act 2001). This was made through a long persuasion and advocacy by NGOs, DPOs and other actors and activists on disability concerned issues. Although the enactment of the legislation has been accepted and considered as a milestone of development for ensuring the rights and privileges of people with disabilities in this country, the legislation itself has various limitations and shortcomings on its appropriate implementation.


Information:

Adequate importance on the field of information on disability issues has taken place.

A directory of organizations on disability issues has been developed in collaboration with NGOs and the Ministry of Social Welfare and initiatives have also been taken to update the directory bi-annually. This allows the partners and players to have adequate and updated information on national resources and service availability.

This was the first time the information on disability had been incorporated in the national census tools, although it was not adequately handled. It is notable that such inclusion in the census tools will not bring the expected benefit as it was not systematic and the required interventions had not been adequately taken, but it should be considered as a good start in the area of national census.

Specific disability concerned issues are published on a regular basis through periodical journals and documents by NGOs in collaboration with the government. This helps individuals and agencies concerned to access required information and for conceptual clarity.

A large number of NGOs have been regularly publishing issue based communication material for national level sensitisation and advocacy initiatives. This has created an impact on attitudes of people and organizations on handicapping situations of People with disabilities, and to some extent has developed a positive informed attitude on addressing the ensued needs.

Sensitisation materials in Video form have been developed by a few agencies and are regularly telecasted in national and private television channels and also on the satellite network. These programs have covered a wide range of issues related to needs and intervention areas in the form of documentaries, magazine shows, case studies and informative spots.

The Newspapers of the country are being motivated to cover different news items related to national and international disability affairs.

Public Awareness:

In recent years, Bangladesh has gained some achievements in promoting and encouraging agencies / organizations that are directly involved in public awareness activities. The government encourages the role and initiatives taken by the NGOs, private sectors that address their needs and concerns to facilitate integration of disabled persons into the mainstream of the society. The major activities, in this regard were included, the observation of important days, (theatre, music soiree, athletic competition, games etc) for People with disabilities and which was also performed by the children with disabilities. Flexible access has also been created for people with disabilities to perform television and radio programs when situation demands. Apart from all these, other initiatives like publication of newsletter/bulletin, organizing seminars, symposium, workshops, discussion meetings, rallies, lobbying and advocacy for awareness development, training of information and media personnel, development of awareness and information material (basic information booklets, flash cards for awareness raising, posters on community education on disability issues, flip charts, manuals on different disability and handicap issues) have been carried out on a regular basis.

Accessibility and Communication:

Although there is no such notable development so far made, but the importance of accessibility for people with disabilities has been, to some extent, established and in consideration of many players and actors concerning infrastructure.

Government has approved a Building Construction Code incorporating the accessibility of People with disabilities (disability-related facilities). Unfortunately, most real estate business houses and individuals care little in respect of accessibility. All the NGOs are increasingly demanding amendment of existing codes to include mandatory accessibility features in all sorts of construction. But this requires a push mainly from the government to bring it through.

A recent development is that, the Prime Minister of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh has announced a set of long and short term action targets, which includes, along with others, creating options of reserve seats for people with disabilities in trains, river transports, buses etc, provisions for separate ticket counters and discounts for people with disabilities for such transports etc. The circular also includes creating accessibilities in public infrastructure with particular focus on building ramps in government buildings. This has started creating impact like reserved seats in buses has been officially inaugurated, attempted have been taken to establish separate ticket counter, putting ramps in government offices, etc.

Education:

Total Literacy Movement is being implemented in the country but unfortunately, very insignificant portion of the children / people with disabilities are being addressed through these programs. Besides inequity in the distribution of education program for the people with disabilities, which is more applicable for the rural areas within the country, there is a dearth of educational equipment and logistics for teaching the people with disabilities.

There had been notable interventions jointly by government and NGOs for creation of more scopes and opportunities for education of children with disabilities. The strong influence of such interventions and the support of the agencies concerned with disability issues have resulted in a better enrolment of the children with disability into education at a comparatively higher rate then earlier. But still the coverage is far negligible considering the requirement. The ministry of Social Welfare is implementing an integrated education center for the visually impaired students in each district in the country. A few numbers of special centers for education of hearing impaired children are also implemented by the government and a few NGOs. Department of special education in Dhaka University also offers Honors and Master course on special education.

The Primary Education Department of Ministry of Education has conducted a study on the prevailing situation and possibilities for inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream primary education based on which possible steps might be taken to address the issue. This is the first time ever that any other ministry and/or department, apart from the Ministry of Social Welfare, has taken any initiative relating to the education of people with disabilities.

Training and Employment:

The agencies involved in training and employment activities in Bangladesh may broadly be classified into two categories--- one type are dealing with staff development of NGOs and others are involved in providing training to People with disabilities with the objective to develop skills for being self-employed. Among the training providing agencies, some are also provide training on identification, prevention, treatment / rehabilitation of People with disabilities. Government has established two vocational training centers and a national blind training and rehabilitation centers for people with disabilities. The Vocational training center also provides rehabilitation allowances to each of the participants as a means of encouragement to become self-employed utilizing respective skills. Other NGOs in the country are concerned about human resource development of the organizations working for the disabled. The government has created quota options for employment in government job (10%) after enactment of disabilities legislation the quota options for the People with Disabilities are much more focused.

Prevention of causes of disability:

The recent published report of World Health Organization (WHO) clearly indicates that Bangladesh has achieved an outstanding improvement in the sector of health where the mortality rate particularly the infant mortality has reduced in an unconditional manner. Many of the government departments have undertaken projects in collaboration with NGOs, directly or indirectly to promote health in the country, which also cover prevention of disability. NGOs role is increasing awareness in the field of rural development, disaster management, poverty alleviation, transport safety, prevention of disabilities exploitation, abuses of women and children etc. were always thought to be a significant one.

The Government and the NGOs commonly undertake countrywide campaigns directed at the prevention of the five most prevalent preventable causes of disability, together with smoking, consumption of alcohol and other addictive substances. Besides the Government, the activities of the NGOs and other private bodies have also contributed in this regard. Large-scale sensitization activities have been conducted through out the country on all the four mentioned health areas of the target.



Rehabilitation (community-base rehabilitation):

In Bangladesh, The Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) approach is getting wider acceptance and coverage in the recent years. A large number of NGOs are now implementing different programs and projects following this approach across the country.

The significant area of development is inclusion of disability issues in mainstream community development programs of NGOs in Bangladesh. Over 170 development organizations have included disability intervention in their existing development program components. Rehabilitation is one of the priority disability interventions, which includes identification, primary rehabilitation therapy services, referral services for advanced medical rehabilitation therapy, inclusion in community groups and micro-credit for economic rehabilitation etc. The number and strengths of organizations involved in therapeutic services are increasing in the country as the need for such services are establishing gradually.

Assistive devices:

Bangladesh is still in dire need to purchase assistive devices from abroad as because it did not have adequate local production and expertise as well. The most sufferers of this problem are the poor class. Gradually, with the help of government and NGOs, it started developing local entrepreneurship bringing local manpower and indigenous materials together. These people are involved in producing some of the basic assistive device and instrument instruments using local designs to satiate the demand of a particular class of people in the society. Mainly, locally made devices are poor in quality due to lack of proper training and sufficient technological support. Lack of fund, non-availability of technological support and lack of skilled personnel are the principal reason for slow or unsatisfactory development of enterprise involved in production of assistive devices. The step of the government was appreciated a lot when it had exempted the import duties and taxes on these essential items. Bangladesh has its indigenous craftsman who has tremendous potential to produce these sorts of devices with local materials at local level provided if they are properly trained and are supported with sufficient fund.

Interventions to be addressed in future

The focus with regard to the improvement of the quality of life for people with disabilities have advanced chronologically from charity, welfare, development, participation approaches to currently emphasizing on the issues of equity in all spheres of life. In the mission of addressing the needs of people with disabilities focusing on the aforesaid area of focus the following areas need to be considered by all actors at all levels of the nation:

1. Prevention and Early Intervention of Disabilities

a. Launch media campaign through the mass media in order to create awareness amongst the masses about the causative factors of disabilities and measures to avert occurrence of disabilities.
b. Disseminate information through the mass media about pre-natal, peri-natal and post-natal care of the mother and the child
c. Publish and circulate posters, leaflets, supplementary (in national daily news paper) in observance of National Disability Day, International Disability Day, World Leprosy Day, World Health Day, International Family Day, International Literacy Day, International Child Day, World Sight Day, White Cane Safety Day, Social Welfare Day etc.
d. Disseminate information on measures to avert accidents that are causing disabilities.
e. Disseminate information through mass media on causes and prevention of environment pollution.
f. Undertake immediate action to protect production and marketing of adulterated medicine.
g. Provide training and workshop for different local level elected representatives, local level government officials and grass-root workers of different NGOs on prevention and causes of disability.
h. Incorporate appropriate articles of prevention of disability in the different training curriculum of local level peoples representatives and local level government officials.
i. Extend cooperation in implementing the concerned immunization programs for preventing disabilities.
j. Undertake supportive programs for stopping the plying of defective vehicles on roads and prevention of sound pollution.
k. Conduct appropriate research on factors causing disabilities and treatments thereof.
l. Promote activities to improve the quality of life of older persons with disabilities.

2. Identification of disability

a. Undertake immediate actions to ensure birth registration of all children with disabilities.
b. Arrange proper identification of persons with disabilities during the Population Census and preparing a separate list for them.
c. Setup appropriate mechanisms to obtain accurate data and regular updates.
d. Prepare and distribute identity cards among the people with disabilities all over the country.

3. Assistive Devices

a. Take immediate action to set up sustainable systems and procedures, including subsidy schemes to ensure the production and distribution of assistive devices, with due attention to addressing the needs of all, especially the needs of the most marginalized groups of people with disabilities.
b. Ensure the development of appropriate policy to provide quality standard assistive devices for people with disabilities.
c. Exempt customs and other duties on the import of assistive devices, as well as the components, materials and equipment for their production, repair and maintenance.
d. Setup of assistive device units in local, regional and national hospitals.

4. Education

a. Create opportunities for free education to all children and people with disabilities below 21 years of age and provide them books and equipment free of cost or at low-cost, and provide stipends in higher level of education.
b. Train relevant teachers adequately in order to facilitate inclusive, integrated and special education, where applicable.
c. Include disability related topics in all sorts of teacher’s training curricula (e.g. PTI, B Ed, M Ed).
d. In order to raise awareness, to include disability related topics in educational curricula at the school level.
e. Create appropriate educational opportunities and education systems for children with different types of disabilities, depending upon their type and grade of disability.
f. Issue government instruction to all schools (government and non-government) across the country to make arrangements for inclusion, in order to facilitate education of children with disabilities in mainstream educational institutions along with non-disabled children.
g. Give priority to children with multiple and severe disabilities to enroll in institutions providing special education, when their inclusion in mainstream schools are not possible.
h. Provide appropriate educational and communication aids for people with disabilities to assist them in acquiring education.
i. Ensure adaptation in school settings and infrastructure.

5. Accessibility & Communication

a. Create separate ticket counters for people with disabilities at train, bus, launch & air stations and terminals.
b. Make provisions for reserved seats for people with disabilities, while traveling on public transports.
c. Provide discounts on tickets of people with disabilities, and their assisting persons on public transports.
d. Build ramps and install elevators (where applicable) in all publicly used offices and buildings.
e. Install sound-based indicators at busy road intersections, in order to help people with visual disabilities cross the streets.


6. Sports, Culture and Entertainment

a. Organize sports and games events for people with disabilities on a regular basis with government initiative.
b. Promote a national level sports association for people with disabilities.
c. Ensure inclusion of people with disabilities in all national level sports and cultural associations.
d. Send troupes of appropriately trained and qualified people with disabilities to participate in international sports and cultural events.
e. Prepare and telecast cultural programs performed by qualified people with disabilities on radio and television channels.
f. Introduce signed interpretations on news and other important programs on television.
g. Ensure that, any section/act showing people with disabilities, and/or their lives in any derogatory manner, in any feature film and/or drama prepared for public viewing and/or entertainment, is censored by the appropriate censoring authority of the country.

7. Employment

a. Develop and set strategic action targets for the placement and promotion of the employment of persons with disabilities in the public and private sectors.
b. Establish a collaborative body including representatives of the public and private sectors, disabled people’s organizations and other NGOs, to compile and up-date information on new employment and self-employment opportunities in the formal and informal sectors.
c. National and local level dialogues could be organized with concerned players to facilitate inclusion of persons with disabilities in all rural and urban schemes for poverty alleviation, income-generation in both government and non-government sectors.
d. National plans on poverty alleviation, micro credit operation; skills development etc. should include specific strategies to promote employment, (self-employment in particular) to facilitate access to income for people with disabilities. The national and private banks along with NGOs should be facilitated to initiate schemes to include people with disabilities into their mainstream credit operation programs.
e. National media including electronic, press and others could be facilitated to include sensitization on the possible potentialities and scope for employment of people with disabilities.
f. Local level sensitization workshop and seminars may be organized by the initiative of NGOs, self-help group and other concerned agencies. Local level lobbing and advocacy for job placement can be initiated and strengthened to promote such scope.

8. Self help

a. Extend support from Government and Non-Government sectors to initialize and strengthen self-help initiatives.
b. Include self-help organizations’ representatives in all local, regional and national committees on disability concerns.
c. Ensure participation of all disability groups in all planning, execution and monitoring of programs.

Conclusion:

Worldwide interventions on disability issues have been expanding at a rapid pace in recent years. But in comparison the situation in developing countries is much behind. The country situation is much worse, but over the last few years, a platform has been created in Bangladesh with the collaborative efforts and resource generation among the Government and the NGO sectors to address the issues of disability. There had been some progress undoubtedly, but its extent is still far too inadequate in comparison to the population of people with disabilities and the magnitude of the needs and demands on these issues. There is still a long and difficult path that Bangladesh needs to cross in its efforts to earn equalization of opportunities for people with disabilities. Bangladesh has been able to initiate work on many areas and there are still many more that need to be addressed. It would require a lot more inputs and resources from national and international sources with effective and efficient policies, strategies, programs and action plans to change the quality of life of people with disabilities. Different actors and players including people with disabilities, their families and the communities need to be involved in all areas from primary to tertiary sectors in the country’s effort to jointly build a better nation for all including people with disabilities. One of the greatest strength that has been achieved that will facilitate progress is the strong commitment of the nation and the bondage of the Government and the NGOs to work in partnership and togetherness towards equity.


“From Charity To Equity: People with Disabilities in Bangladesh"
A.H.M. Noman Khan
Secretary General
National Forum of Organizations Working with the Disabled

Special thanks to Prof. Khan and Word Disability Journal http://www.disabilityworld.org