Government plans one-stop services for persons with disabilities.
State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin today said the government is working to ensure the rights of persons with disabilities and improve service delivery through inter-ministerial coordination, with a plan to bring all entitled services under a one-stop service system.
"The Ministry of Social Welfare is already working for persons with disabilities and is now trying to bring all services they are entitled to under a one-stop service framework," she said.
The state minister made the remarks while addressing the Inter-Ministerial Coordination and Implementation Committee meeting on the rights and protection of services for persons with disabilities at the conference room of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare at Secretariat here.
The meeting was organised by the Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders Cell of the Health Services Division.
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhit and senior officials from different ministries were present at the meeting.
Farzana Sharmin said the government would initially begin ensuring healthcare services for persons with disabilities at the upazila level under the Ministry of Health. At the same time, it has plans to launch pilot projects in at least 10 districts or upazilas through the ministries.
She said the pilot initiatives would seek to ensure education, physical and mental health services, skills development training and employment opportunities under a single framework.
The state minister said persons with disabilities would receive training to further develop their existing abilities according to their individual capacities. Arrangements would also be made to market the products they produce.
She said that, as the government is promoting an inclusive education system, there are plans to establish a master service centre within the same complex. The centre will include training facilities where trainees from across Bangladesh will be able to receive training in different sectors. After completing the training, they will have opportunities to work as trainers at various educational institutions, she said.
Farzana Sharmin said the government is planning to introduce a separate legal aid programme for persons with disabilities, as they are often deprived of necessary legal assistance in disputes and other legal complications. "We also want to ensure that right," she said.
"Our main goal is to improve the lives of persons with disabilities. At the same time, we want to help their family members overcome the mental stress and social barriers they face," she added.
She said that, under the initial 10 pilot projects, the government also wants to introduce arrangements enabling parents who bring their children to school and wait for four to five hours to engage in income-generating activities during that period. Meanwhile, the children will remain under the supervision of doctors, physiotherapists and teachers.
She said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the present government wants to bring about a transformation through which persons with disabilities can be integrated into the country's mainstream and developed as valuable national assets.
She expressed hope that the government's plan to advance persons with disabilities would be implemented successfully. "Those who are left behind today can become great assets for the country in the future," the state minister said.
