KARACHI: The main hall of the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) Museum was abuzz with activity on Friday. Some 140 students from the Karachi Vocational Training Centre (KVTC) with their teachers were there to understand the evolutions and functions of money and banking. The occasion was celebrating ‘International Day of Persons with Disability’.

There were children admiring the original currency and prize bond printing plates, some seemed more interested in the currency of different countries, coin collections, while others tried making head or tail of the banknote defacing machines, as some decided to play with currency note jigsaw puzzles as they were taken around on a tour of the entire place comprising many displays in various galleries. And they were not alone as they were also joined by students of Nasra School and Iqra University in exploring the museum.

Mirza Babar Ahmad, assistant curator of the SBP Museum, who took the students on a round of the museum, said he was pleasantly surprised by their interest in everything. “They may be special or have a disability but they are in no way any less than normal children. In fact, I found them quite intelligent as it wasn’t difficult explaining things to them,” he told Dawn.

Dr Asma Ibrahim, museum director, said that although the actual International Day of Persons with Disability falls on Dec 3, they decided to hold the programme a day earlier to involve more children as Dec 3 was Saturday, a school holiday. “We also wanted to make it an inclusive affair so we invited the other two educational institutions, too, to send their students as it helps the special children to open up and the normal ones to become more aware that the difference between them isn’t that big,” said Dr Ibrahim.

“The SBP Museum is also the only one here that with ramps, wheelchairs, guides for deaf and mute children. We also have guide books in Braille for the blind along tactile for the blind. Our showcase heights also makes them easily accessible for people in wheelchairs who can easily move around the place as well,” she added.

Tahira Wathra, the wife of the SBP governor, who also attended the programme, said she had a great respect for special and disabled people as they had to struggle more to be accepted in our society. “But as you can see, these children are no way inferior or backward when compared with normal children,” she said while pointing towards a KVTC stall where some fantastic handicrafts and block-prints made by special and disabled children were also on sale. The craft and skill used in making these was really something to be lauded.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2016