Dhaka Bureau: When Nurjahan, who was visually impaired from birth, went to enroll in school, he was not admitted in any normal school. After passing SSC, he could not get admission in any college normally. If you pass HSC, the same is the case for admission to graduate classes. Later, when there was an opportunity for visually impaired people to study in the Faculty of Law at Chittagong University, Noorjahan enrolled in law. Here he successfully passed LLB, LL.M. Then begins the battle to enter the career.
At first, Nurjahan was stopped when he went to buy the form for appointment to the post of judge. After going through many ups and downs, he got the membership of Chittagong Bar in 2008. As a lawyer, he appeared in court to claim the rights of disabled people. Bhaskar Bhattacharya, another disabled person who has passed a long road of disability, has become a consultant on disability issues in the Prime Minister’s Office. He said that there are many barriers and obstacles, but the employment opportunities for disabled people have increased in the last decade. Similarly, the number of educated unemployed persons with disabilities has also increased.
In this context, International and National Day of Persons with Disabilities is being celebrated today under the theme ‘Transformative Action for Inclusive Development: The Role of Innovation in Building an Accessible and Equitable World’.
Related experts say that in this era of technology, disability-friendly technology development is necessary to achieve sustainable development goals with disabled people.
Just no, no more no
Afia Kabir, who has cerebral palsy, got admission in Anila University subject to conditions. If there are two ‘E’s in his result, he is said to be admitted but if he cannot change the ‘E’ he will have to leave the university. Anila challenged the matter and filed a writ petition. Because people with disabilities study under various discrimination and deprivation. So they have to give some chance. If he wins this challenge, now disabled students have the opportunity to study in universities. Anila said, accessibility for disabled students has not been created. Educational institutions have no accessible buildings, no toilets, no public transport. I did not get mentorship from teachers like others because of lack of accessible infrastructure.
Ashfaq ul Kabir, founder and executive director of Tairi Foundation, which works with disabled people, said that although the issue of education, health and employment and its regulations and action plans are clearly mentioned in the Protection of Disabilities Act-2013, disabled students are still suffering from discrimination. He said, in 2012, it was said by the higher echelons of the government that vehicles would be made disabled-friendly by 2018. But after the year 2018, we finished the year 2022, we did not get any infrastructural changes. Not a single public transport is disabled friendly. Disability friendly metro rail will be inaugurated on December 16. But how can a disabled person go to the metro rail station – Ashrafun Nahar Mishti, executive director of Bangladesh Disabled Women Development Organization, asked this question. He said, we have been working on accessibility since 2001. There have been several laws in this.
