'Formulate policy to address needs of persons with disabilities'
About six percent of the total population are suffering from disabilities, he said, adding that funds will be allocated for the disaster management for physically challenged persons in the upcoming budget.
He was addressing a workshop on 'Mainstreaming disability issues in disaster management' organised by the Handicap International (HI) with technical support of Bangladesh Disaster Preparedness Centre (BDPC) at the BRAC INN Centre in the city.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The workshop was held under the project titled 'Reduce communities' vulnerability by empowering them to cope with floods and earthquake in Bangladesh, mainstreaming persons with disabilities'. Handicap International initiated the project in cooperation with European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO).
Project Manager Faizul Kabir said the project is being implemented in four selected wards under Dhaka City Corporation and four upazilas of Gaibandha and Sirajganj districts and about 23,230 people, including 864 physically challenged persons, will benefit from it.
The 15-month project, which started on January 1, 2006, will address specific needs of the persons with disabilities and include them in mainstream disaster management policy.
BDPC Director Md Saidur Rahman stressed the need for 'Damage and need assessment' and rehabilitation of the physically challenged people along with physiotherapy treatment and occupational and vocational training for them.
Other speakers called for adequate technical and financial support and finding out the actual number of persons with disabilities at the grassroots level to improve disaster management.
Valerie A Taylor, coordinator of the Centre for Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Ian Stanford Rector, chief technical adviser, AKM Azizul Haque, managing director of National Federation for Development of Disabled Persons, Blandine Bourgeois, country director of HI, also spoke.
Representatives from government organisations, NGOs and the local government took part in the workshop.