‘Leaving No One Behind’ – Panel Discussion
A panel discussion was recently held at metropolis in an attempt to create awareness about the needs of the persons with disabilities and to provide them with equal opportunities in different fields of life. This panel, titled, “Leaving No One Behind: Working Together to Accelerate Action on Accessibility” was organised by the NOWPDP (Network of Organizations Working For People With Disabilities Pakistan) included the persons with disabilities, corporate organizations and media personnel.
This panel included Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Sindh on disability Sadiq Memon, District Commissioner Malir Irfan Salam Mirwani, Director DALDA Foods and West burry Group of Industries Farhat Rasheed, and Trainer and Specialist of Visual Studies at NOWPDP Adnan Ahmad.
During the panel discussion, President NOWDP Amin Hashwani stated that the organization had been working for past 14 years to bring about practical changes in this field. He further said that accessibility is a basic right for all persons with disabilities and NOWPDP has always worked for the welfare of persons with disabilities, be it through the sensitization and infrastructural guidance to organization or facilitating persons with disabilities with assistive devices.
“We hope that more awareness comes out of such important panels.”
Meanwhile Memon also said that the centers of excellence like Mario Markaz of NOWPDP which focus more on economic empowerment and accessibility would be created in more districts very soon. On this occasion Rasheed shared that there was a need to install proper measures for accessibility and they should be executed for all kinds of disabilities. DC Salam in an attempt to make sure that accessibility becomes basic characteristic of functioning, stressed on working of public-private partnerships.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), 15% of any country’s population consists of persons with disabilities which makes Pakistan’s around 31million of the total population, a statement from NOOWPDP added.
