Our National Agriculture Policy 2018, Disability Rights and Protection Act 2013 and other relevant policies did not give clear directive to establish their rights in the agricultural sector.  Those policies need to be packaged in such a manner as to establish a logical path to escape from poverty and vulnerability through agriculture. Disability is a vital issue with respect to human rights. Article 21 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1948, states that everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country. Despite this, PWDs in Bangladesh face severe difficulties in accessing services, facilities and opportunities. There are a number of reasons behind the poor accessibility in Bangladesh. Perhaps, the origin of the problem is lack of awareness of disability and the needs of PWDs. Readymade garments (RMG) sector is one of the main wheels in our economic engine employing around 3.6 million people. There are larger opportunities at the RMG sector. Reasonable accommodation and accessibility in the work place are the major factors for their employment. Persons with disabilities, usually, face drop out from their work place due to lack of cooperation and negative attitude from the co-workers, lack of adaptability, unfriendly infrastructure (absence of elevator) at the working place, lack of initiatives in further development of skills and lack of awareness of employers.

NGOs are working since our independence. Still our collaboration with the government sector is not as it is projected. If we could work together, the situation would be better. In 2007, Bangladesh government has signed UNCRPD and did ratify at the optional protocol. We are also attempting for a new law with more sensitivity for the rights of persons with disability. We are talking about empathy not sympathy or charity for the persons with disability. They have their constitutional and legal rights. More importantly, they are recognized by UNCRPD and other human rights instruments. We need positive attitude among the whole society. Our combined efforts will help us to improve the perspective at a large level and to include them in mainstream development. In Bangladesh, the number of people with disability (PWD) is fifteen to twenty million, and the number is increasing day by day. Recurrent incidents of road accident and factory fire are making the situation worse. We have to think about the employment of the persons with disability, seriously. Therefore, we need a proper planning to create employment for them. They obviously need training. We have to coordinate our training modules with existing market demands. Viewed by many people as a curse, disability is a cause of embarrassment to the family. People with disabilities (PWDs)  are very poor in Bangladesh where most of them live in the rural areas.

They are often discriminated against, socially marginalized and do not have access to basic social services. They along with their families are often excluded both from their communities and development initiatives. According to World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank(WB), about 10 per cent people in Bangladesh have a disability of one kind or another. Employment of PWDs in a just and fair environment of equal opportunities and scopes will ensure economic sovereignty and contribute in the reduction of poverty. With poverty being addressed, positive influence will occur in improving the situation of the PWDs in the country. Being excluded from agricultural activity means being excluded from community and the opportunity to earn a living. PWDs are thus at greater risk for hunger and poor nutrition, as well as resulting secondary conditions. Projects executed by Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and partners have shown how appropriate some agro-industries are for take-up by PWDs, for example, sericulture production, mushroom production, chicken production, beekeeping, etc. Likewise fish farming, hatching, seed processing, floriculture, horticulture and poultry production are also among the "light" farming activities that can be extensively practiced by the PWDs. Disability is to an increasing extent being addressed as an issue to be included into mainstream development rather than as a matter of separate programmes and charity.

This follows recognition that PWDs are citizens with equal rights, who--given the opportunity --is able to contribute economically and socially to their households and communities. They must be brought into the mainstream of the development process. As PWDs are predominantly poor and marginalized in society, it is necessary to first support their organizing in order to make them "visible" and to empower them to make their voices heard. This results in disabled people being marginalized and barred from the mainstream society. Without understanding disability and the needs of disabled people the situation cannot drastically improve  to solve a problem it first needs to be understood.  Increasingly, societies all over the world are beginning to realize that disability is an issue that can no longer be ignored and left on the sidelines of public policy. As the number of disabled persons inflicted with varying types and degrees of disabilities is on the rise, societies all over the world have come to a consensus that disabled people have rights, they are an integral part of the society and given the opportunity, they too can contribute to the nation's economy. Recent development studies have directly linked poverty as a major influencing factor on issues of disability. Disability and poverty are intricately interlinked. Disables are under vicious circle of poverty as poverty can cause disability and disability can cause poverty.

Poverty causes disability with its associated malnutrition, poor health services and sanitation, and unsafe living and working conditions. Conversely, the presence of a disability can trap people in a life of poverty because of the barriers disabled people face to taking part in education, employment, social activities, and indeed all aspects of life. Negative attitudes and practices reinforced by poverty create barriers that result in exclusion of PWDs from mainstream national development activities. Some other activities that can be carried on by the PWDs are basket weaving, carpet weaving, pottery, running shops for selling fertilizer, seeds and other agricultural products. There are a number of problems, faced by the FWDs, in our agricultural sector. They lack modern training, modern equipment, land, capital, extension services and necessary inputs. There is a lack of proper environment for them in the sector. They find it hard to get credit and there is also high interest of loan. The PWDs have no special agriculture-related facilities. Farmers with disabilities are deprived of getting fair price of their produce due to middlemen, lack of marketing and preservation system. The rights activists stressed on solving those problems so that PWDs can be self-reliant through agriculture. It is needed to arrange special agriculture-related facilities for the PWDs and keep its provision in the national agriculture policy.

Developing disabled-friendly technology should get more priority. Other steps are needed for establishing the rights of PWDs in the sector. It is needed to ensure easy availability of loan for the PWDs at all level of agriculture. PWDs, especially female ones, should get priority in the relevant policies. Countrywide awareness campaign should be launched so that congenial atmosphere for an inclusive rights-based society is created, paving the way for the PWDs to participate in the sector smoothly. Now is the time to address all the barriers for involving the PWDs in the agricultural realm. As we continue to expand our economy and education opportunities, we should also expand opportunities for the PWDs in the agricultural sector. Article 19 of Bangladesh Constitution stressed on ensuring equal opportunities for all the people by removing social and economic inequalities. The needs for agricultural production are beginning to explode and the potential for PWDs to make a substantial, enduring, and fulfilling impact on the agricultural sector remains largely untapped, and must be explored. If the PWDs get specialized support services along with assistive devices, it can ensure their meaningful participation in the agricultural sector. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), adopted by the United Nations, states that all development aid should now be: inclusive of and accessible to, persons with disabilities.

The writer is a contributor to The Independent