Disabilty in Pakistan
With the enforcement of disability ordinance of UN the momentum of providing better accessibility and communication for, Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) gathered speed after the International Year of Disabled Persons (1981).
In its Sixth Five-year Plan, the Government of Pakistan stated that people with disabilities are 4 to 6 per cent of the total population, particularly the children and the older person.
The Government is aware that the actual level of disability prevalence in the country is much higher than the figures reported in the 1981 census. A more up-to-date nationwide information and data on the prevalence of disability in Pakistan will be available after the next national census. In this latest survey, a column on disability with variables has been added in the national census form.
The Directorate General of Special Education established 46, and the National Trust for the Disabled has set up three special education centers for Persons with Disabilities. They all provide: assessment and diagnostic services; special education services; provision of personal aids and appliances; curriculum development; sports and recreation, including 11 centers for Visually Impaired Children (VIC), 12 centers for Intellectually Challenged Children (ICC), 12 centers for Hearing Impaired Children (HIC) and 11 centers for Physically Challenged Children (PHC).
