Equal access to edu for disabled stressed

A community awareness meeting on Thursday called for greater government support and coordinated efforts to ensure equal access to education for children with disabilities.

Speakers at the meeting said a large number of children with disabilities in Bangladesh remain outside formal education despite the availability of schools, citing inaccessible infrastructure, a shortage of trained teachers, inadequate learning materials, transport difficulties and limited access to assistive technology.

The community awareness meeting “Community Awareness Meeting: Grassroots Conference of Beneficiary Groups” was held at White Palace Convention Hall along the Ring Road in the capital’s Adabor area. It was organised by Visually Impaired People’s Society (VIPS) with support from Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF) and Christian Aid.

The speakers cited the National Survey on Persons with Disabilities 2021, saying only 65 per cent of children with disabilities aged five to 17 were enrolled in primary schools, while the figure was just 35 per cent at the secondary level. Overall, nearly 60 per cent of children with disabilities remained outside the education system, they noted.