Call to ensure equal access to employment for persons with disabilities

Speakers called for ensuring easy access to employment as well as an accessible environment in the country for persons with disabilities in an event jointly organized by Leonard Cheshire (LC), a UK-based international development organization, and Centre for Service and Information on Disability (CSID) at the NGO Affairs Bureau at Agargaon in the capital on Tuesday.

Citing a statistic of the World Health Organization (WHO), they said that PwDs comprise about 15% of our total population, and most of them are financially backward. It would be difficult to achieve the target of SDGs by neglecting so many people.

They said this while addressing an event titled 'Distribution of Assistive Devices and Equipment among the Persons with Disabilities and DPOs' in the capital. Stressing on the need for a coordinated initiative, the speakers called for taking steps for enhancing skills of persons with disabilities, restoring quota in the government jobs, and urged all the NGOs to provide jobs to persons with disabilities.

Under the project CSID 'Innovation to Inclusion(i2i)', 10 DPOs, 3 implementing partners and 10I/NGOs and UN agencies working together for the betterment of the PwDs. 14 DPOs received computers and accessories while 20 persons with disabilities received assistive devices at the event.

It was shared that job seekers with disabilities would get training and scope to search and apply for jobs through the 'i2i Career Advisor' which is a first in Bangladesh. It was also said that Leonard Cheshire supported bdjobs for making their online job portal accessible for persons with disabilities.

Mr KM Tariqul Islam, Director General of NGO Affairs Bureau, under Prime Minister's Office, attended as the chief guest, while Khandaker Jahurul Alam, Executive Director of CSID, moderated the event. In his speech, Mr KM Tariqul Islam called upon all concerned from their respective positions to work for the welfare of the PwDs.

Mr Tapan Kumar Biswas, Director (Project-1), NGO Affairs Bureau; Mr AHM Noman Khan, Executive Director of Centre for Disability in Development (CDD); Mr Zahir-Bin-Siddique, Country Representative, Leonard Cheshire Bangladesh; Ms Nasrin Jahan Founder & Executive Director, Disabled Child Foundation (DCF) and Mr Sazzad Kabir, Executive Director of Disabled Development and Research Centre (DDRC) among others spoke at the event.