Lack of accurate data concerning persons with disabilities is hampering the government’s efforts to bring them into the mainstream and to address their needs and rights to education, healthcare and employment, said speakers in a workshop on Wednesday.

The government said the total number of persons with disabilities  in the country was 1.534 million, but non-government organisations have estimated the number to be much higher.

The workshop was held at a  hotel in the capital during the launch of a survey report—Rapid Assessment of Disability in Kurigram and Narsingdi—prepared by the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) and Handicap International.

The report is based on a survey conducted between 2016 and early 2017 to form an idea about the number of disabled people. Dr Wesley Pryor, senior technical advisor of Nossal Institute of Global Health, University of Melbourne, unveiled the report.

Sushanta Kumar Pramanik, additional secretary (institution and disability) to the social welfare ministry, Mahmuda Min Ara, managing director of Jatiyo Protibondhi Unnayan Foundation, Amir Hossain, director general of the BBS, Mansur Ahmed Chowdhury, trustee of the Impact Foundation, Reiza Dejito, country director of Handicap International, and others were present. As per the survey, the overall disability among adults was 5 per cent and among children between 1 and 2 per cent. The prevalence of disability has increased significantly with increasing age.

The report says 16.4 per cent and 13.6 per cent people aged over 55 years have some form of disability in Kurigram and Narsingdi respectively.

The report also says more women than men with disabilities in both districts are reported being separated, divorced or widowed. People with disabilities in  the two districts are less likely to have attended school compared to people without disabilities.