Taxation without representation - is a phrase that has echoed through
centuries, notably as a statement of resistance against colonialism
and more recently visible as a tagline by aggrieved residents of a
certain district. As a quiet manifestation of discontent, it exists in
geographical, cultural, ethnic, linguistic, religious and perception
biases - both figuratively and literally.
http://www.dawn.com/news/1119175
When it comes to being ostracised, people with disabilities are no
strangers, having borne the brunt of perceptional bias as one of the
largest statistical minorities in the world.
According to The World Health Organisation (WHO) - 10 to 15 per cent
of the world's population are people with disabilities, of this number
80 per cent are found in the developing world.
In Pakistan, more than 18 million are people with disabilities, a
figure that is nearly the population of Karachi - one of the biggest
cities in the world.
A person with disabilities has had little to no representation in a
national dialogue on the issues that continue to plague Pakistan as a
nation - barring the 1981 Ordinance passed that sought to cosmetically
address some of the issues. Our architecture continues to be
inaccessible, population unaware, policy framework inadequate and
economic empowerment non-existent for people with disabilities.
Pakistan's federal budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year has endeavored
to address some issues related to people with disabilities -
specifically a reduced tax liability for people with disabilities. The
paraphrased verbiage is appended below:
To encourage employment of people with disabilities and to provide
relief to them it is proposed to reduce tax liability of such persons
on income up to Rs. 1 million by 50 per cent, provided that they have
a Special CNIC and a disability certificate.
While the tax provision is a step in the right direction, a lot more
needs to be done to fundamentally impact the fabric of that segment of
our society which has tremendous potential. Statistics for employment
and education of people with disabilities in Pakistan make for dire
reading and reflect why this tax break will only be beneficial for a
fraction of those it is designed for.
About 28 per cent of the population of people with disabilities are
educated of which only 14 per cent (or about three out of a 100 people
with disabilities) are employed. Similarly only four per cent of
Pakistan's children with disabilities have access to education.
Why is education for the disabled important?
Imagine what a 97 per cent unemployment and 96 per cent illiteracy
rate will lead to in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad, Multan, Faisalabad,
Hyderabad, Quetta or Peshawar.
Statistical reminders notwithstanding, when a society no longer
equates disenfranchised citizens with a lifelong narrative, but merely
as a ticker for ratings or a sympathetic momentary glance in passing -
its existential crisis deepens.
While the situation is dire, it is not irreversible since integrative,
sustainable, and empathetic work is being done in pockets, dotted all
over the country. To enhance the impact manifold, an effective
national network is needed to connect the erstwhile disconnected dots.
A framework should be established addressing the core issues faced by
people with disabilities so that they can be integrated into
mainstream society - from education to healthcare to transport to
employment to infrastructure.
For example, minimum quotas for employment for people with
disabilities should not be treated as a maximum benchmark, rather as a
springboard for further inclusion. Inclusive education should be
encouraged to bridge the yawning gap between societal requirements and
skilled provisions.
For a person with a disability, the procurement of a Special CNIC and
a disability certificate are strenuous and long processes, given the
inaccessibility of services and locations; making this process easier
and accessible should be the responsibility of NADRA.
To ensure accountability, ownership of this nation-wide framework at
the district, city, tehsil, provincial and federal level needs to be
clearly defined so that people with disabilities have vocal and
effective representation and their voices resonate from the grassroots
to the uppermost echelons of power.
A nation and its people are only as strong as their disenfranchised
are integrated, individuals aware, infrastructure accessible, and
policies incl
--
Avinash Shahi
Doctoral student at Centre for Law and Governance JNU
Source : Access India
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