LAHORE, March 13: The City District Government is taking steps for setting up a degree college for the deaf and dumb, providing them hearing aids, paying them stipends and arranging transport facilities for them.

This was stated by District Nazim Mian Amer Mahmood while speaking at the annual prize distribution ceremony of the Hamza Foundation Academy for the Deaf at Johar Town here on Saturday.

The District Nazim said the Punjab government had allocated Rs400 million for the rehabilitation of the special children and doubled the salaries of their teachers. The CDG had made provision of ramps for wheel chairs and toilets for special persons in commercial and public buildings.

He said the government was also taking measures for the establishment of vocational training centres for the special persons and allocation of two percent quota in jobs in private organizations.

Hamza Foundation Director Mrs Faiza Ayaz said that the academy planned to start BA classes for the deaf and establish a post-graduate institute for deaf teachers and a vocational training centre for the deaf.

Children studying at the academy presented skits and tableaus.

Punjab Tourism Minister Mian Muhammad Aslam Iqbal also attended the prize distribution ceremony.