TAXILA: Students from four educational institutions exhibited their skills at a function held to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in Attockon Friday.

This year, the day was observed on the global theme of “Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-Covid-19 world” that focused on the challenges faced by persons with a disability during the pandemic and to ensure their inclusive, accessible and sustainable future.

Students from Government Deaf and Defective Hearing School, Government Institute for Slow Learners, Government Special Education Center Attock City and Government Razia Sultana School for Blind Students through various programmes such as tableaus highlighted the problems of special needs children.

The students showed that they could study with normal children and learn everyday life activities in a natural environment.

Wearing colorful dresses, the children also exhibited the cultures of different provinces.

Salma Khatoon, headmistress of Government Razia Sultana School for Blind Students, said the day was observed in a bid to raise awareness regarding our responsibilities towards persons with disabilities and bring positive changes in their lives.

Moreover, it was also an opportunity to celebrate their achievements and contributions and highlight the importance of the inclusion of vulnerable segments of society into the mainstream.

Sheeren Aslam, a human rights activist, said differently-disabled people had a lot of potential and energy to contribute to the progress of the country. She said facilitating people with disabilities had been the priority of the government and it was striving hard to ensure their equal access to education and health and other basic facilities.

Addressing the participants as chief guest, retired Colonel Shahid Jameel Mian said challenged children should be given special attention so that they could live independently.

He said the state and society should provide all basic necessities to special children and they should be admitted in general schools.

Later, certificates were distributed among the children who performed at the event.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2021