Bangladeshi disabilities activist to get Unesco award

Bangladeshi disabilities advocate Vashkar Bhattacharjee is one of the two winners of this year's Unesco Prize for Digital Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

Kuwait Emir Jaber al Ahmad al Jaber al Sabah, will hand over the prize to Vashkar in Paris on December 3, marking the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, said a press release yesterday.

The award acknowledges outstanding contribution to empower persons with disabilities through application of information and communication technologies (ICTs) to access information and knowledge.

Dr Adam Al Mulla, ambassador, Permanent Delegate of the State of Kuwait to Unesco, will deliver the welcome address at the opening ceremony while Lucy Hawking, vice-president, National Star College (UK) will deliver the keynote speech.

Vashkar Bhattacharjee, from a Chattogram-based NGO “Young Power in Social Action”, advocates collaboration with local, national and international partners on production of resources dedicated to learners with disabilities, and training of teachers to use accessible reading materials.

He also established a network of employers that provides fair work opportunities to persons with disabilities and developed Bangladesh's first Accessible Dictionary in four forms, dedicated to persons with visual, print and learning disabilities.

Sheikh Mubarak Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah will hand over another prize to Chinese organisation Tencent, an internet-based technologies and cultural enterprise, for its contributions in empowering persons with disabilities by using inclusive digital technologies.