Speaker National Assembly, Asad Qaiser declares Parliament House disability friendly and accessible for people with disabilities

It has been a major development towards recognition of the rights and needs of people with disabilities (PWDs). The National Assembly Secretariat has made infrastructural adaptations to make the building of parliament house friendly and accessible for people with disabilities.
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On this International Day of People with Disabilities, Honorable Speaker of the National Assembly expressed his views regarding the significance of accessible and disabled friendly infrastructure and communication as a strong enabling factor for the people with disabilities. He said that this is the first ever such initiative in the history of Pakistan that one of the premier institutions of Pakistan (NA) has taken lead to demonstrate disability friendly solutions both for infrastructure and communication. He also anticipated that the government can replicate these solutions of accessibility in other such prime institutions as well. He also conveyed his appreciation for Sightsavers as a strong partner and commended on a successful example of public private partnership to achieve these milestones.
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Honorable Speaker further expressed that the empowerment and inclusion of people with disabilities in the society is a priority and government would like to work with organisations like Sightsavers to accomplish to achieve the goal of an equal and inclusive society. In her remarks at the occasion, Country Director Sightsavers, Munazza Gillani, paid gratitude to honorable Speaker National Assembly for coming so fourth to support the inclusion and protecting the rights of people with disabilities.
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She said that provision of all these facilities at the Assembly building is part of the Sightsavers’ national initiative to mobilize efforts for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CRPD), the principle of ‘Leaving No One Behind’. She explained that Sightsavers is also mobilizing efforts for Pakistan’s effective participation in the second Global Disability Summit being held in Oslo, Norway, from February 15-17, 2022 (GDS22). The summit will stimulate efforts for the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and disability inclusive Sustainable Development Goals.
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The inauguration event was joined by parliamentarians, government officials, civil society, organisations of people with disabilities as well as persons with disabilities. Sightsavers, a UK based international organization working for creating equal opportunities for persons with disabilities in 33 countries and working in Pakistan since 1985.