Sirajul Islam :The disabled people can lead normal life if they get proper facilities and rehabilitation. But, they are now leading an inhuman life due to lack of those things.Rights activists said people with sight loss face discrimination and infringement of their rights on a daily basis. Most people with disabilities in our country have no access to basic health care, education and other support services. Rahima (not her real name), a blind girl of a village of Sirajganj, lost her eye power at the age of three. She was unable to perform her daily living activities without other’s help. Her family members failed to take care of her as they are busy to work for food.After detecting her, Child Sight Foundation (CSF) provided her with home-based rehabilitation and motivated her family members to spend some time with her. Now, she has some improvement. The girl’s story proved that any disabled person can lead normal life if they get necessary support and rehabilitation. According to CSF, lack of knowledge and awareness about the causes of visual impairment and the potential capabilities of children facing these challenges often results in stigmas, negative attitudes and community apathy towards the visually impaired children.Kamal Hossain, Chairman of the National Federation of the Blind, said, “The disabled people have been deprived of rights and dignity since long mainly due to stigma and ignorance among people about the disability.” Disability exert Prof Dr MA Muhit, Executive Director of CSF, said, “To rectify this disturbing situation, we need to start a campaign on education of various stakeholders. Until the attitudes are changed, it will be difficult to bring all blind and partially sighted people to school, despite any international law or convention.”Disability is a not a problem and the disabled people are not burden to their families. Many disabled people proved their worth by becoming famous in their respective societies. If provided proper facilities and training, they also can contribute to the development of their families as well as the state, said the rights activists. We should support a rights-based society and empower children with disabilities, their families and community members. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which is both a human rights treaty and a development tool, provides an opportunity to strengthen developmental policies related to the implementation of internationally agreed development goals, such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), thereby contributing to the realisation of a ‘society for all’ in the twenty-first century.Our Constitution provided equal opportunities for all the citizens, said the rights bodies, calling upon all to play their due role so that the rights of the disabled people are established. We all need to work for establishing the rights of the disabled persons in the greater interest of the country.
