Reports
Home Reports 10th Annual National Conference

10th Annual National Conference

1. Legislative Progress and Implementation Gap

  • Successes: The conference celebrated the passage of disability rights legislation in Sindh, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Islamabad, and Punjab.

  • Challenges: Participants noted that despite having laws on paper, actual implementation remains weak due to a lack of departmental coordination and inadequate data.

  • The Census: A major milestone was discussed regarding the inclusion of the “Washington Group of Questions” in the upcoming national census to ensure accurate counting of PWDs.

2. Gender Equity and Addressing Stigma

  • Intersectional Discrimination: Women and girls with disabilities face “double discrimination” and are frequently targets of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

  • Stigma Tool: UN Women introduced a “Stigma Tool” designed to understand and tackle the social prejudices that exclude women from education and economic opportunities.

  • Visibility: Speakers emphasized that rural women with disabilities are often “invisible,” kept at home, and denied basic rights.

3. Inclusive Employability & Economic Empowerment

  • The 5% Quota: Advocacy for the practical implementation of the 5% job quota in both public and private sectors.

  • Entrepreneurship: Case studies were presented, including “Digi-Deaf,” a startup by deaf youth, and the work of the Disability Welfare Association (DWA) in creating independent living spaces and mobility workshops.

  • Future Makers: Sightsavers highlighted their “Future Makers” project, which focuses on building the employment confidence of PWDs and creating an inclusive labor market.

4. Climate Change and Disaster Resilience

  • 2022 Flood Impact: A dedicated session focused on how the recent floods in Sindh and Balochistan disproportionately affected PWDs.

  • Inclusive DRR: There is an urgent need to include PWDs in disaster risk reduction (DRR) frameworks. Currently, many emergency services and relief camps are inaccessible, leaving PWDs without aid.

5. Inclusive Infrastructure (WASH and Education)

  • Water & Sanitation: Water Aid Pakistan discussed the necessity of “Universal Design” in toilets and water points, noting that many PWDs lower their water intake to avoid using inaccessible communal facilities.

  • Higher Education: The conference called for more inclusive spaces in universities, specifically regarding Braille resources and physical accessibility.

Core Recommendations for the Future

  1. Financial Commitment: Increase government funding for the implementation of the UNCRPD across all sectors (health, education, and social protection).

  2. Participation of OPDs: Ensure that Persons with Disabilities and their representative organizations are at the decision-making table for all policy reviews.

  3. Data Systems: Adopt inclusive data collection methods to provide evidence-based progress reports on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

  4. Inclusive Education: Transition from “Special Education” models to fully inclusive general education systems where teachers are trained in Braille and sign language.

Conclusion

The conference concluded with a call for an integrated approach to development—moving away from treating disability in a “silo” and instead making inclusion a mandatory component of all national economic and social planning.

Organized by: CBID Network Pakistan
Partners: HANDS, Sightsavers, UN Women, WHH, AAR Japan, CHIP, and PPAF.

Click here to Download Report