Proper data needed for ensuring disability rights
It is disheartening that seven years after passing the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2013, Bangladesh still lags behind many comparable countries in ensuring disability rights. The main reason is, we still do not have proper data about the number of people with disabilities living in the country. The number of people identified in the survey done by the Department of Social Services (DSS) does not reflect the actual figure of the people with disabilities in the country, as experts have pointed out. Although these people are entitled to receive an allowance and should also get priority in accessing various government services and benefits, in reality, a lot of them are being deprived because they are left unidentified.
There are many limitations in the process of registering people with disabilities. What happens now is that they have to go to the local administration offices to register themselves as disabled, which many cannot do due to accessibility, mobility and other issues. Another major problem in identifying these people is that the doctors and social workers who are in charge of registering them are not well-trained to identify different types of disabilities. While physical disability is easy to recognise, there are various types of neurological disorders that are not. As a result, a large number of people are still not registered as disabled. Moreover, corruption often impedes the process of giving allowances to these people. Reportedly, while many disabled people cannot apply for the allowances and other government benefits because they do not have the Golden Citizen Card (given to them after registration) needed for getting the allowance, there are many who do not have any disability but have managed to get the card any way, using political connections.
What the authorities need to do now is update the registration system so that all people with disabilities can be registered without facing any difficulties. Also, identification of disabilities in people should be done by doctors and nurses who have specialised knowledge in the field. The authorities must also work towards changing the corrupt system where a person with actual disability is deprived of their due rights while random people with political affiliations are reaping the benefits of the system. Incorporating the disability data in the 2021 population census, scheduled to be held in October, is also vital. If all these issues are addressed properly, it will make a big difference in the lives of a community that often suffers due to entrenched social prejudices, lack of institutional support and protection and various other problems.
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