No official data on children with disabilities yet, although Bangladesh signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid is helping Rakib, a child with autism, to speak at a programme on Sunday
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The Unicef annual State of the World’s Children report says the absence of data on children with disabilities often leaves these children marginalised and out of the reach of services provided by the government and non-governmental organisations.
Pointing out how few countries have any reliable data on how many children there are with disabilities, the report says reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2030 will not be possible if countries do not address the issues of children with disabilities.
A government official told the Dhaka Tribune Bangladesh has no official data on children with disabilities yet, although it signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007.
The executive director of the Centre for Services and Information on Disabilities, Khandakar Jahurul Alam, said: “There is no official data, but our speculation says 8-10% of the children population have different disabilities.”
He also pointed out that according to the 2011 census, 45% of the total population is made up of children.
Sources in the social welfare ministry said it had started, for the first time, a survey on citizens with disabilities.
“The survey started in June and we can only provide the number of persons with disabilities after the survey is done. We do not have any official data now,” an official on the project told this correspondent.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Unicef report, the education minister, Nurul Islam Nahid, said: “The government is sincerely committed to ensuring children’s rights.”
The education ministry will take more steps to ensure the inclusion of children with disabilities, making educational institutions more accessible to them, Nahid said.
Unicef executive director, Anthony Lake stressed the need for the inclusion of children with disabilities, rather than just integrating them into society.
The Unicef report made several recommendations for children with disabilities including restructuring schools in a way that despite the disabilities of some, all children can
learn or play together, ensuring inclusive health service, the coordination of services and dismantling barriers which hinder them to be included in the society.
Pointing out how few countries have any reliable data on how many children there are with disabilities, the report says reaching the Millennium Development Goals by 2030 will not be possible if countries do not address the issues of children with disabilities.
A government official told the Dhaka Tribune Bangladesh has no official data on children with disabilities yet, although it signed and ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990 and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2007.
The executive director of the Centre for Services and Information on Disabilities, Khandakar Jahurul Alam, said: “There is no official data, but our speculation says 8-10% of the children population have different disabilities.”
He also pointed out that according to the 2011 census, 45% of the total population is made up of children.
Sources in the social welfare ministry said it had started, for the first time, a survey on citizens with disabilities.
“The survey started in June and we can only provide the number of persons with disabilities after the survey is done. We do not have any official data now,” an official on the project told this correspondent.
Speaking at the launching ceremony of the Unicef report, the education minister, Nurul Islam Nahid, said: “The government is sincerely committed to ensuring children’s rights.”
The education ministry will take more steps to ensure the inclusion of children with disabilities, making educational institutions more accessible to them, Nahid said.
Unicef executive director, Anthony Lake stressed the need for the inclusion of children with disabilities, rather than just integrating them into society.
The Unicef report made several recommendations for children with disabilities including restructuring schools in a way that despite the disabilities of some, all children can
learn or play together, ensuring inclusive health service, the coordination of services and dismantling barriers which hinder them to be included in the society.
Source : Dhaka Tribune , 24th June 2013
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