KARACHI, May 27: There are not as many new schools and institutions meant for educational needs of the disabled as there are for normal children. There is a need for more centres for special education, this was stressed at a workshop on “The Importance of Vocational Training and Rehabilitation of the Disabled”, organized by the Parents and Teachers Association of the Quaideen Special Education Centre and the Vocational Training Centre for the Disabled, held at Gulshan-i-Iqbal’s Social Welfare Training Institute.

About 2.5 per cent of Pakistan’s population is disabled. The percentage for each province amounts to 2.5 per cent in Punjab, 2.1 per cent in NWFP, 2.2 per cent in Balochistan and 3.1 per cent in Sindh.

In Karachi, the figures are said to be around 1.5 per cent in former district Central, 3.5 per cent in South, 1.7 per cent in district West, 10.3 per cent in district East and 2.7 per cent in Malir. There are only around 35 special education institutions, which are simply not enough.

The workshop was presided over by Farid Ahmed Yousufani, regional director of the Quaideen Special Education Centre. He emphasized the importance of vocational training and early intervention. It was said that parents on observing the first signs of abnormality should immediately approach a neurologist or a special educationist. Vocational training for an 18-year-old disabled individual is next to useless as it is too late. It has to be started as early as possible. Some family members often urge the parents to wait for a few years to see if the child is a late bloomer. That is how valuable time can be lost. Mr Yosufani said a national trust for the disabled had already started work on a programme for early intervention.

In a paper titled “Role of the Community in the Disabled Person’s Rehabilitation”, presented by Dr Fateh Mohammad Burfat, associate professor of Sociology at the University of Karachi, it was said that raising funds for setting up more institutions was not that big a problem as finding people dedicated to the cause.

He pointed out that in one way or the other we could all be called “disabled”. “Maybe someone is unable to drive a car or use a computer or he is unable to control his temper or emotions. There can be so many things that one is disabled to do in life. He doesn’t necessarily have to be physically or mentally impaired to not be able to do everything.

“It’s our society’s shortcomings and weaknesses that hold us back from helping the disabled,” he said. “No one can benefit from looking here and there for help. We have to look after and help our own.”

Through her paper titled: “The Role of the Family in the Rehabilitation of Special People”, Dr Raana Sabah Sultan, assistant professor of Sociology, KU, stressed that special children are not like normal children and so they should be given more time and attention by their parents. In some cases they are even smarter than the normal children. “Nothing is impossible. With help and the correct treatment all disabilities can be overcome,” she said.

Others who spoke included Hanif Sheikh, Mrs Anis Yousufani, Amir Hasan, Ayesha Hamdani, Razia Khan, Naureen Basheer and Jamshed Raza Zaidi.—Shazia Hasan