DICE initiative seeks equal opportunities for disabled people

A new initiative aimed at improving skills, employment opportunities and civic participation for persons with disabilities was officially launched on Sunday.

The project, titled "Disability Inclusive Civic Engagement (DICE)", will be implemented in Narsingdi and Manikganj municipalities and Gazipur City Corporation under the "Nagorikota" programme.

The initiative will be jointly implemented by the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (B-SCAN), and Centre for Services and Information on Disability (CSID), with support from the governments of Switzerland, Canada and the European Union through GFA Consulting Group GmbH, Germany.

A national inception meeting of the project was held at the Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation auditorium in Agargaon, Dhaka.
Speakers at the event stressed the need to change social attitudes towards persons with disabilities and ensure their inclusion through technical education, skill development and employment opportunities.

They said the project would contribute to achieving several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including quality education, decent work, reduced inequalities and sustainable communities.

Participants also highlighted the importance of inclusive technical and vocational education, entrepreneurship support and accessible recruitment systems to strengthen economic empowerment for persons with disabilities.