The Siddheswari Boys High School in the capital has arranged for the installation of a lift operated by hand. Photo: Prabir Das

Through facilitating education for physically challenged students, Siddheswari Boys High School in the capital has taken a step forward to meet the goal of “Education for all” set by the government in 2010.
Two ramps and a manual lift have recently been installed at the school in consideration of a student suffering from cerebral palsy.

A ramp. Photo: Prabir Das

The student, whose parents have requested anonymity, could not attend school for a month since the beginning of a new session, as the class was shifted one floor up to the first floor of the two-storey building.  "We were holding classes on the ground floor for the child since his admission in 2010," said Ismail Hossain Patwary, principal of the school.
However, this year when his class was shifted, the student, who used to attend school in a wheelchair, failed to attend classes.
This was when B-Scan (Bangladeshi System Change Advocacy Network), an organisation that aims to raise awareness about the rights of people with disabilities, came forward with offers of help.
"My house is near the school and my mother noticed the student," said Salma Mahbub, secretary general of B-Scan. She contacted the school authorities and the child's parents to extend help from the organisation toward addressing the issue.
"B-scan contacted me through the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), for which I had designed a manual lift," said Mohiuddin Babul, president of Spinal Cord Injuries Development Association of Bangladesh, who also designed the manual lift installed at the school.
The child's father, who is a businessman, financed the lift and an expatriate Bangladeshi cultural organisation in Toronto provided funds for the two ramps, Salma said.
"We are glad that the school authority has allowed us to install the facilities," she said. Many schools do not agree to do so as they will not be able to make any excuse for not admitting children with disabilities, who are perceived as a burden on society.”
Accessibility features have been installed at least in the public schools in the capital but private schools have mostly remained inaccessible to physically challenged children, Salma Mahbub added.    
Most schools have no information or awareness of disability issues, though the primary education development plan mentions inclusive education. There is no comprehensive data available at present on the total number of children with disabilities across the country and the problems they are facing.
A countrywide survey in this regard was initiated by the Ministry of Social Welfare last year but the results are yet to come.   

So that children with physical challenges can attend classes. The photos were taken yesterday. Photo: Prabir Das

Zulfiker Haider, director of the department of social services, said the department had information only on the physically challenged children who were studying in government schools and receiving stipends meant for them, and those who were admitted to special schools set up by the government for disabled students.
Meanwhile, Salma Mahbub pointed out that people with disabilities would be deprived of a chance to watch from the stadium the T20 World Cup tournament to be held this month, since tickets had not been released for the seats built especially for such people at the North Club House of the Sher-e-Bangla National Stadium, the only stadium in the country, which has accessibility features for people with disabilities.
BCB Director Mahbub Anam said, "We do not issue any special tickets for those seats in the North Club house, designated for physically challenged people. They are allowed to enter the stadium free of charge during matches on first-come-first service."
The section at the Mirpur stadium has about 25-30 seats.