The term ‘disability’ means one or more physical impairments such as the inability to walk or to coordinate with others. It could be the effect of a disease or accident, it may be congenital or the result of mental challenges.
Pakistan follows the definition of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), “Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”
As per the 5th Population and Housing Census (1998), the population of persons with disabilities in Pakistan was 2.38% of the entire population. However, the 6th Population and Housing Census (2017) indicated that the percentage had decreased to below 0.48%. Unfortunately, the government has no reliable statistics of persons with disabilities in Pakistan. Some stakeholders follow the figure of 15% identified by World Health Organization “About 15% of the world population lives with some form of disability”. Using this figure, the British Council estimated the population of persons with disabilities to be around 27 million in their 2017 report. The Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund conducted a survey in 2011 and found the disability prevalence rate to be around 12%, 2% of whom had severe disabilities.
In Pakistan, persons with disabilities are marginalized and seen differently than in western countries due to cultural and religious barriers. The lack of accurate epidemiological evidence on disabilities, insufficient resources, weak health care facilities and worker/volunteer shortages are major obstacles for meeting the needs of persons with disabilities in Pakistan. This often leads to stigmatization and their segregation from society. They face challenges in employment. The government has allocated a 2% job quota for persons with disabilities and this requires that public and private sector employers hire a certain percentage of persons with disabilities. However, this law is not effectively implemented and they are often deprived of employment opportunities. In the education sector, persons with disabilities have limited access to education, and especially for girls with disabilities, education is often a low priority. Although the government announced it would make all public schools inclusive and accessible, due to a lack of accessibility and an inclusive environment, children with disabilities are dependent on special education centers that are located in urban areas and are inaccessible for poor families. Healthcare facilities to meet the needs of persons with disabilities are more or less non-existent as Pakistan has a severe shortage of chronic pain services. Socially, they are often ostracized from society, and the culture around disability in Pakistan is characterized by pity. Taboos and stigmas lead to isolation and segregation. A child with a disability is rarely regarded as being part of the family. He/she is considered to be the result of sins, or demonstrating the anger of God. The family often retreats into a state of shame, fearing that they have been punished for committing some crime or placed in a situation of adversity as a test of their faith. This is why people do not inform others that a disabled child has been born. It is a taboo/stigma prevailing in rural and remote areas where people are uneducated and lack awareness. Children with disabilities are abandoned at places of pilgrimage, where they are forced into begging in big cities; people take pity on them or give them money. People with disabilities are still referred to in derogatory terms such as ‘crippled’ and ‘mentally retarded’. Women with a disability are doubly discriminated in society. It could be said that the only thing tougher than being a girl in Pakistan is being a girl with a disability in Pakistan. They have limited access to recreation, employment and education, and face challenges in finding a life partner.
Pakistan ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2011 and in 2020 passed a disability law to curb discrimination against persons with disabilities. However, Pakistan has no strong legal framework for protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.
In Pakistan, persons with disabilities are viewed with pity, in need of medical help or charity instead of worthy of empowerment. There is a dire need for the collective efforts of civil society, government departments and organizations to strive for the acquisition of rights of persons with disabilities, including disabled people’s organizations to launch campaigns and programs for the rehabilitation, mainstreaming and inclusion of persons with disabilities in Pakistan.
Author: Sabir Masih, Pakistan
Photo: Mr Badal in Pakistan. Mr Badal and his parents gave consent to publish this photo.