Lack of initiatives a barrier to ensuring proper facilities
Lack of proper initiatives, monitoring and narrow mentality of a section of people are major barriers for ensuring proper facilities for physically challenged people, speakers said at a roundtable yesterday.
It is very tough for any such person, especially women, to go out alone as there are insufficient services for them, they observed.
The roundtable on “Accessibility Rights of Women with Disabilities” was organised by the Women with Disabilities Development Foundation (WDDF) at The Daily Star Centre in the capital.
The speakers alleged that some buildings, including government ones, kept facilities, such as ramps, but the target group could not benefit as many of the ramps were narrow.
There is no ramp to board public buses, except for some Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) buses plying on long routes, said WDDF Executive Director Asharfun Nahar.
Moreover, there is no easy access facility in trains for people with special needs, she said while presenting a keynote paper.
She said the government has been taking different initiatives for physically challenged people and allocated Tk 100 crore in the 2016-2017 budget for them.
Rounak Jahan Usha, who is physically challenged, alleged that people like her faced negative attitudes from government officials, including those at the social welfare ministry, when they sought services.
She said able-bodied people grab seats reserved for people with disabilities in public buses and there was none to ask them to leave the seat.
Tarana Halim, state minister for posts, telecommunications and information technology, said physically challenged people would easily get proper services if monitoring can be ensured. She also blamed corruption for the situation.
“I have decided to send a letter to BTRC (Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission) as it will give directives to the mobile phone operator companies so that they upload software of international standard easily accessible by all,” said Tarana.
She said she would also send letters to other ministries and government offices for this.
Kamal Krishna Bhattacharyya, additional secretary to the Ministry of Railways, said as there were two types of railways, metre and broad gauge, it was tough for them to provide easy access facilities for physically challenged people.
Architect Iqbal Habib said if the government asked the city corporations and Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha to ensure accessibility in all buildings in the capital, it is possible to create an accessible-friendly city within six months.
Khandakar Atiar Rahman, additional secretary to the Ministry of Social Welfare, expressed dismay over the allegations centring government offices. He said he would talk with officials.
Md Abdul Malek, additional secretary to the Ministry of Road, Transport and Bridges, architect Dr Abu Sayeed M Ahmed and Jahidul Islam, programme associate of CBM International, also spoke at the discussion.
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