KARACHI, May 11: Speakers at a function on Sunday evening urged the deaf people to struggle jointly to get their rights of equal opportunities in sports, education and economic development.

Speaking at a function organized by the Pakistan Association of the Deaf at the PAD Park, Sindh Women Development Minister Dr Saeeda Malik urged the parents not to keep their special children in their homes but take them out so that they mixed with other children. With time the normal and special children would be behaving normally, she said.

She stressed the need to change the mindset of the society towards the handicapped people and said special people should be given equal opportunities in education, employment and other fields.

She said she was the mother of a handicapped child and knew that if opportunities were given the such people had proven that they were not inferior to their normal counterparts. They were different and needed special gadgets or education, she said.

Announcing a donation of Rs25,000 for the handicapped children she said the government was doing what it could but the philanthropists should assist the organizations helping special people.

PAD chief Laila Dossa, giving a resume of the 16-year-old organization, said it had been trying to promote literacy among its members so that their quality of life enhanced.

She said the PAD was promoting education in computer science, English, maths, Islamiyat and other subjects. It was also assisting deaf people through its marriage counselling department, she said.

She said deaf people had their own sign language and the PAD was trying to universalize their language in the country so that all of them understood each other.

She said that except for hearing, the deaf people lead a normal life and enjoyed sports and that the PAD was trying to convince the government that they be allowed to contest in various events with the normal sportspersons.

She urged the government to extend the lease of the PAD Park, which, being located in Clifton, facing the sea, was being eyed by the land mafia. She said the facility was given by former governor Moinuddin Haider.

The minister and the chief minister’s special assistant, Dr Syeda Sultana Ibrahim, visited various stalls where handicrafts, clothes, decoration pieces, glass work and works of embroidery made by handicapped people were on display.

The children participated in various sports events and staged tableaus and skits.