Need to create recreational facilities for disabled stressed
By Bushra Makhdoom

ISLAMABAD—Secretary, Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, G.M. Sikandar has stressed the importance of creating recreational facilities for the disabled to provide them healthy environs and boost their confidence.
He was addressing the national workshop on ‘Uplifting Community Based Rehabilitation’ (CBR) of persons with disabilities held at National Institute of Special Education (NISE) on Monday. The two-days workshop was organized by Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons (VREDP).
G.M Sikandar said that the ministry in collaboration with CDA has planned to create playgrounds and parks for disabled persons. He also highlighted the need of establishing more vocational institutions for people with intellectual disabilities, saying this would help them to play their role not only for their employment activities but also nation building.
He opined that a strategy must be introduced to involve people from rural sectors in CBR of persons with disabilities. In recent years, through international conventions and agreements for disabled and formulating National Policy for Disabled, government has taken positive steps to utilize their potential in nation building.
Director, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment of Disabled Persons (VREDP) Dr. Fayyaz Ahmad Bhatti highlighted VREDP initiatives, saying the organization was successfully providing services to those with disabilities at their doorstep. The aim of organizing such workshop, he said, was to promote the methodology of Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) by which the rehabilitation process to make disabled persons useful citizen would carried out at their door step through their skill training and putting them on income generation.
The 5168 disabled were registered so far in VREDP Centres and 268 medical camps were arranged. However 1247 persons with disabilities were given employment opportunities. Ex-Chairman Special Education Department, Punjab University Dr. Abdul Hameed presented a lecture on “Concepts and Practices of CBR in Pakistan”.
Defining Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR), he said CBR is a strategy within a country development for the rehabilitation and equalization of opportunities and social integration of all children and adults with disabilities. He emphasized that CBR efforts must ensure that persons with disabilities are included at all stages and levels and have distinct decision making roles.
A strategy which aims to enable around 80 per cent of disabled people’s rehabilitation needs to be developed in the country, he said adding National Network should be established for training and coordination to support CBR. While the gap between foreign funded across NGOs and local communities must be minimized.
DG Directorate General of Special Education Khalid Naeem said that the quality of life of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) and there is a need to make the environment and existing service delivery system accessible to PWDs.