ALTHOUGH the prevalence of child abuse in our society is being increasingly exposed and discussed, children with disabilities — who are four times more vulnerable to abuse than non-disabled children, according to WHO — rarely factor into the conversation.

That changed last week, when video footage emerged of the physical violence inflicted on deaf students by their school bus conductors.

The school’s head was suspended for attempting to conceal the abuse, and the Lahore High Court ordered provincial authorities to submit a report on the incident and directed the IGP to have police present on every public special education school bus.

That swift action was taken is laudable, even though it must be asked whether the police solution is sustainable, or if they will be appropriately sensitised and trained in sign language.

But none of the measures address the core issue: deep-rooted discrimination against Pakistanis with disabilities, and their wholesale erasure from public policy planning, compounded by underreporting of their population in the recent census.

The outcry over this incident must be galvanised into a sustained response to disability-related issues. For example, the National Policy on Persons with Disabilities, 2002, identified two focal areas — early detection, treatment and rehabilitation, and education.

With only 1-2pc of children with disabilities attending school, the strategy was twofold; strengthen special education for children with moderately severe to severe disabilities, and promote inclusion in mainstream schools for those with mild to moderate disabilities.

This policy must be revived at the national and provincial levels. Many countries have successfully adopted the inclusive model; investing in accessible spaces and teacher training is both cost-effective and improves overall learning outcomes.

It also ensures that the next generation of non-disabled citizens are more empathetic than we are.

One incident has come to light, but countless more children with disabilities are suffering from abuse and deprivation on the margins.

Moving them to the mainstream — and ensuring their social, political and economic integration — is the only way to guarantee their rights as equal citizens.

Published in Dawn, November 20th, 2017