LAHORE: The Punjab Special Education Department and Unicef on Saturday jointly observed the International Day of Persons with Disabilities under the theme ‘Transformative solutions for inclusive development: the role of innovation in fueling an accessible and equitable world’.

The annual observance of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities was proclaimed in 1992, by the United Nations General Assembly resolution 47/3.

The observance of the day aims to promote an understanding of disability issues and mobilise support for the dignity, rights and well-being of the persons with disabilities.

Unicef’s Punjab Chief of the Field Wilbroad Ngambi was the chief guest at the event held at a local hotel. Punjab Special Education Department Secretary Saima Saeed, Director General Sumira Farooq, Additional Secretary Khadijatul Kubra, Special Children Department Chairperson Dr Shazia and others were also present.

The students belonging to the institutions of the Special Education Department presented tableaus and received full applause from the audience. A documentary on special children made by Mahzeb, a special student of a local college, was shown to the audience.

Ms Saeed said the basic purpose of observing this day was creating an awareness about the basic rights and issues of the children with disabilities. She said the role of parents was very important to make special children a useful member of the society.

“If parents try harder and enroll their special children in school, they can make their place in society,” she said.

Mr Ngambi said transformative solutions for inclusive development were the need of the hour for fueling an accessible and equitable world. He said disability inclusion was an essential condition to upholding human rights, sustainable development and peace and security.

He said the people with disabilities, especially the children, deserved attention and their welfare was also central to the promise of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development to leave no one behind. DG Ms Farooq said there were 70,000 people with all the four disabilities in the province and out of them 40,000 were children, who were enrolled in government schools.

The children with disabilities also presented tableaus and skits on this occasion.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2022