PERSON WITH DISABILITES
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) has sparked new discussions on disability rights and influenced lawmakers to adopt policies that focus on empowering people with disabilities and engaging them in social activities. The convention emphasizes inclusion, legal protection, and treating persons with disabilities as a diverse group with certain rights and social roles, along with responsibilities similar to those of non-disabled individuals.
Persons with disabilities are often overlooked or excluded from the conversation. While this group has received some acknowledgment from society and garnered sympathy, it has typically been in the context of charity and welfare rather than being recognized as human (whole) and a diverse group. In response to the UNESCAP’s announcement of the first disability decade, Pakistan introduced the ‘Disabled People (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance 1981’. This ordinance was established with the aim of providing persons with disabilities access to medical treatment, financial assistance, and employment opportunities. The government also reserved a 1% quota for employment opportunities, which was subsequently increased to 2%. However, Punjab increased it to 3%.
Persons with disabilities are often overlooked or excluded from the conversation. While this group has received some acknowledgment from society and garnered sympathy, it has typically been in the context of charity and welfare rather than being recognized as human (whole) and a diverse group. In response to the UNESCAP’s announcement of the first disability decade, Pakistan introduced the ‘Disabled People (Employment and Rehabilitation) Ordinance 1981’. This ordinance was established with the aim of providing persons with disabilities access to medical treatment, financial assistance, and employment opportunities. The government also reserved a 1% quota for employment opportunities, which was subsequently increased to 2%. However, Punjab increased it to 3%.
The AWAM is committed to promoting equality of rights and social inclusion for all individuals. Considering its mandate, the organization is educating local communities on disability rights, establishing Self-Help Groups, conducting research studies, and capacitating persons with disabilities to communicate with authorities and parliamentarians. In addition, it is a mandatory component of all the projects and campaigns of the AWAM to educate individuals on dedicated services and reserved facilities. The AWM also engaged in facilitating them in completing essential documentation [which includes disability certificate and National Identity Card with Universal Logo of Disability] and connecting them with social protection hemes.
The AWAM is actively involved in communicating with parliamentarians, authorities, national human rights institutions, and political parties to urge them to take measures that ensure the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These measures emphasize the importance of accessibility, social inclusion, and political participation.