MIRPUR (AJK): Dec 03 (APP):The International Special Persons Day (physically handicapped persons) was observed in Azad Jammu & Kashmir on Thursday with the renewal of the pledge to lend maximum services and collective efforts by all classes of the society for the rehabilitation of the disabled persons to enable them to spend a respectable life in the society.
Theme of the Day this year was “Building Back Better Toward a Disability, inclusive, accessibility and sustainable post COVID – 19 World”.
Seminars and symposiums, attended by representatives of various rehabilitation centers of the handicapped persons including blind, mentally, hearing impaired and physically retarded and deaf and dumb persons in various parts of AJK were the hall mark of the day in order to raise wisdom among the healthy people of the society to share their services for the rehabilitation of the handicapped / special persons.
The identical ceremonies were also held in various districts including Mirpur wherein speakers highlighted the importance of observance of the day around the globe.
Speakers called for extension of maximum services by the people including philanthropists and the social welfare organizations for the rehabilitation of the disabled persons.
Major ceremony to mark the day was held under the auspices of the UK-based NGO Muslim Hands in the city.World Health Organization (WHO) joined as partner to celebrate “a day for all”.
“This theme reflects a growing understanding that disability is part of the human condition. Almost everyone will be temporarily or permanently impaired at some point in life.
Despite this, few countries have adequate mechanisms in place to respond fully to the needs of people with disabilities.
In 2020, speakers said. The WHO supported the theme of the day this year by underlining the importance of fostering an inclusive culture and responding to the urgent needs of people with disability in all aspects of society, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The World Special Persons Day reminds as how to overcome the disability issues with the with the assistance of the Government and NGOs.
Speaking on this occasion, Dr. Tahir Mehmood, President Mirpur-based NGO’s Coordination Council Anjuman Falah Behbood Insaniyat, Muhammad Ilyas Ayub, President Azad Jammu Kashmir Association of Blind and other emphasized that the need of hour was to reserve at least 2% of the employment quota by the government for jobless disable persons in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
Dr. Tahir called for the dispensation of all required facilities to the physically handicapped persons including disabled children considering them the special citizens in true perspectives instead of only relying upon the lip service to make them the useful citizens of the country at par with the normal children.
Abdul Rauf from Civil Defense he suggested to impart training to the special persons that how to tackle with disability and how to stop spinal injury.
Nisar Ahmed Malik, focal person from Social Welfare Department, disclosed on this occasion that they were going to develop a project to be named after Financial Support Program next year. “The program will work for the rehabilitation of the special children”, he added.
They called for Collaborative efforts, accessibility of public buildings capacity. Building Trainings of Teachers Exposure to other Organizations,Policy Advocacy with Government, Vocational Education,and launching of awareness campaign with community and the parents for more individual and collective role for encouraging the rehabilitation of the special persons to make them useful citizens of the country.
Prominent among those attended the ceremony include Nisar Ahmed Malik Social Welfare Officer, Muhammad Suleman, Executive Manager Muslim Hands, , Khwaja Zafar Iqbal frin Zobia Nazlay Memorial Trust, Arshad Mehmood from Dar ul Zeenat, Journalist Zafar Mughal, Muhammad Ajmal, Abdul Rauf Qamar, Sikander Hussain, Teacher besides the MUSLIM HANDS Volunteers including Qamar Atta Nadir Salim, Dawood Abbasi and Miss Aliyaa Sayed, Momal Khalid Program Officer Child Development Program, Hussnain Sajjad Social Mobilization and Volunteer Coordinator. Ends / APP / AHR.
