Call for ensuring access to education and employment for visually impaired people

Necessary support should be given to the country's 1.3 million visually impaired people for their empowerment by ensuring their access to education and employment facilities, rights activists said in a discussion.

"People with disabilities want to take part in the country's development activities. They should be given opportunity and their capacities and knowledge should be utilised. All concerned should play their due role in this regard," said Supreme Court lawyer Musherraf Hossain Majumder, who is visually impaired, at the discussion titled "Marrakesh Treaty Accession and Way Forward" at the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) auditorium in the capital's Agargaon on Tuesday.

The event was organised by the Visually Impaired People's Society (VIPS), an organisation for the welfare of visually impaired people, in collaboration with Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and Sightsavers Bangladesh.

Stressing on creating a proper working atmosphere for people with visual impairment, Musherraf, also an advisor of VIPS, said that the scope of their activities should be expanded.

The Disabilities Protection Act should be implemented properly, he added, calling upon the media to highlight the issue.

Nazrana Yeasmin Hira, programme coordinator of MJF, supported the issue of empowerment, adding that MJF would extend necessary support to any initiative aimed at ensuring the rights of people with disabilities.

Khandaker Jahurul Alam, executive director of the Centre for Services and Information on Disability (CSID), emphasised on improving the economic condition of differently-abled people.

While moderating the event, Jahangir Alam, general secretary of VIPS, lauded Bangladesh's ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty, saying that necessary steps should now be taken to reflect the Treaty into the Copyright Act of Bangladesh.

The Treaty's implementation would generate interest and scope for education among visually impaired people, he added, calling for necessary steps to be taken in this regard.

By ratifying the Marrakesh Treaty on 26 Sept, 2022, Bangladesh became the 116th nation in the world to sign the agreement to improve access to books and reading for the country's people with disabilities.

Mansur Ahmed Chowdhury, founding president of VIPS, called for raising mass awareness involving the media about the rights of differently-abled people, saying that the Copyright Act should be amended in light of the Marrakesh Treaty.

Ayon Debnath, campaign lead of Sightsavers Bangladesh, underscored on taking measures for social inclusion of differently-abled people for their empowerment.

At the event, VIPS also gave a reception to Md Saidul Huq, executive director of the Blind Education and Rehabilitation Development Organisation (BERDO), for receiving the "Ekushey Padak" this year for his contribution to social work.

In his speech, Saidul also called for establishing a separate ministry on disability to protect the rights of people with disabilities in the country.

Daud Miah, registrar of copyrights at the Bangladesh Copyright Office, who attended the event as the chief guest, stressed the need for ensuring the rights of visually impaired people, saying that none would be left behind in the efforts to make Smart Bangladesh.

Chaired by Nasrin Jahan, president of VIPS, Bhaskar Bhattcharya, national consultant of Accessibility at ICT Division's a2i programme and Jafor Raja Chowdhury, former registrar of Copyrights also spoke on the occasion.