Help change attitude towards people with disability
This was observed at a daylong workshop on 'Writing the rights: Disability orientation for journalists', jointly organised by National Forum of Organisations Working with the Disabled (NFOWD) and Dhaka Sub-Editors Council (DSEC) in association with ActionAid Bangladesh and Handicap International at the National Press Club yesterday.
NFOWD Chairman Khondoker Zahirul Alam, DSEC General Secretary Shahana Sheuli and workshop coordinator Shah Mutassim Billah delivered welcome address at the inaugural session of the workshop presided over by DSEC President Humayun Sadek Chowdhury.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Zahirul Alam said the general attitude towards the people with disability is not positive and that the media can play a vital role in changing such attitude.
NFOWD is working to remove the stigma attached to disability and help the physically challenged people to contribute to the national development, he added.
He also stressed the need for adequate budgetary allocation for them and its proper utilisation.
Dr Nafisur Rahman, Faisal Bin Majid and Saima Chowdhury of NFOWD and Mahbub Kabir of ActionAid Bangladesh conducted the working sessions.
Fifty sub-editors from various national dailies and the electronic media took part in the workshop.
Dr Nafisur Rahman said physically challenged persons are deprived of their rights although these are enshrined in the constitution.
Even there is no exact figure of physically challenged persons in the country, he said.
Mahbub Kabir said the persons with disability feel that they are often tortured by the dominant section of society the way the majority repress the minority people.
Different topics such as 'Disability: Bangladesh Scenario', 'National and International Commitments', 'Role of NFOWD', 'Words Matter', 'Some Myths and Stereotypes about Disability' were also discussed in the working sessions.