THE CHALLENGES AND BARRIERS FACING PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH Having this data will enable us to identify gaps in our knowledge regarding persons with disabilities, where to direct funds and resources, and which groups within persons with disabilities are most marginalised. This data will also allow us to understand which of our public institutions needs to be evaluated for inclusion. Integrating accessibility into the identified primary, secondary, and tertiary levels will get us closer to creating a more inclusive society for persons with disabilities. However, one of the last remaining steps, which is the most crucial of all, is to collaborate across the Commonwealth to facilitate each other in the mission towards ensuring the inclusion of all persons with disabilities. Sustainable Development Goal 17 calls for a cross-sector and cross-country collaboration for the implementation of the SDGs. Therefore, a forum where Commonwealth Parliamentarians can come together each year and exchange dialogue on persons with disabilities is necessary. In this forum, we can discuss our progress on the inclusion of persons with disabilities, the challenges we face, and the lessons we have learned. Collaborating cross-nationally will
allow us to find social and technological solutions that can benefit our societies on a local scale, and our collaboration can one day lead us towards achieving a globally inclusive society. The inclusion of persons with disabilities is not only beneficial to our economies and workforce, but their inclusion is a reflection of our human progress. Together, we as Parliamentarians can use our place in our countries and the power it gives us for the benefit of all humanity. References: 1 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Disability | United Nations https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/about-us/sustainabledevelopment-goals-sdgs-and-disability.html. 2 Disability https://www.who.int/health-topics/disability#tab=tab_1 3 Women with Disabilities Fact Sheet | United Nations https://www.un.org/ development/desa/disabilities/resources/women-with-disabilities-factsheet.html 4 Ibid.
DISABILITY AUDIT: NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF PAKISTAN Special Initiative of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan with regards to persons with disabilities (PWDs). • Report author: Hon. Zill-e-Huma, MNA, Member of the National Assembly of Pakistan. • Co-author: Mr Babrik Habib Sherani, Secretary of the Special Committee on Persons with Disabilities Introduction The socio-economic uplift, mainstreaming and inclusion of persons with disabilities (PWDs) has been the main focus of Hon. Asad Qaiser, ever since he took charge as the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan. Unfortunately, persons with disabilities have long remained one of the most neglected and under-utilised segments of our society. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), persons with disabilities comprise 15% of the world’s population and hence, their significance cannot be swept under the carpet. It is in this spirit that the Speaker of the National Assembly came forward to safeguard the legal and constitutional rights
of persons with disabilities, as delineated in the Constitution of Pakistan, which binds the State to guarantee the social and economic well-being of all its citizens, regardless of sex, caste, creed, race, or any other basis. In the historic commemoration of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2019 in Parliament House, the Speaker of the National Assembly made some commitments of paramount importance, which included: 1. The formation of a Special Committee on persons with disabilities (PWDs). 2. A legislative review of the existing laws in relation to persons with disabilities. 3. Establishment of an impeccable oversight mechanism. 4. Provision of adequate health, education and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. Since then, the Speaker has left no stone unturned for the facilitation of this important segment of our society. Major Initiatives Since 2019, the National Assembly of Pakistan celebrates the International Day of Persons with Disabilities at Parliament House, with an aim to highlight and mitigate the major problems of persons with disabilities through effective legislation and oversight. In an unprecedented initiative, the Speaker formulated the first-ever Special Committee for Persons with Disabilities and the Committee is working indefatigably for the legislative review by scrutinising existing legislation against the best international practices and conventions, in addition to highlighting the
352 | The Parliamentarian | 2021: Issue Four | 100 years of publishing
