Rights of persons with disabilities
One does not need
to conduct an in-depth research study to
identify the inequalities and injustices that
the disabled people
face in this country
It is a matter of great regret that the biggest problem that persons with disabilities face in Bangladesh is that the social environment and the peoples culture are mostly hostile to them. Many persons disabilities are aggravated by societys apathy towards them. The lives of a large number of people are spoiled and their potential for coming good is lost because of peoples habit of looking down on those with impairment and treating such impairment as the mark of their identification and the dominant feature of their personality. Children suspected of autism suffer greatly at the hands of parents, siblings and teachers.
Millions of people with disabilities in Bangladesh legitimately expect that the government and private sectors would create a more inclusive physical and social environment. Derogatory terms such as crippled, handicapped, disabled, mentally retarded, blind, deaf and dumb are still being used which is rather cruel.
Several scientific studies have proved that if there is a biological disability in a person, it is almost always compensated by a heightened sense or functioning of another faculty. To assume therefore that they are less capable than the rest of us is nothing but an ill-informed opinion.
One does not need to conduct an in-depth research study to identify the inequalities and injustices that the disabled people face here. All one needs is to just take a pause and look around with compassion and understanding. One will find that here are roads with no special arrangement for them, traffic signals do not support visually impaired, nearly all buildings even in big cities including many academic institutions, technical and aid agencies do not have provision of ramp.
Disability is a human diversity and that it would never be possible to completely remove it from this planet. Rather, it will prevail till the existence of the human race. Therefore, the fulfillment of any development goal for a society in particular and that for a country in general lies in taking measures to create an inclusive society and enabling environment for the disabled.
The government and civil society need to coordinate their efforts to help the people get out of their unhealthy attitude towards the disabled. Civil societys potential to help the government in this field cannot be overemphasised. The government must realise that the greater the attention it pays to the rights and needs of special persons, the healthier the nation will be.
