Round Table Conference
On
Barriers faced by Women with Disabilities (WWDs);
In education and in legal procedures
[An awareness raising event for the faculties and students on youth with Disabilities]
On Wednesday 2nd of April, 2014
4.30pm to 6.30pm
At BRAC University GDLN center (18th floor), Dhaka, Bangladesh
Physically-challenged Development Foundation-PDF
Reg.No. S-10146.
Lady Sayeda Sarwat Abed with Round Table Conference at BRAC University 2014
Goals of the Round table Conference:
- To interact teachers, students and organizer about the barriers face WWDs in legal procedures and in education
- To raise awareness among the faculties and students on youth with Disabilities
- Develop an action plan for the university to ensure a disabled friendly environment
- Promote the image of the university among the mass people to support students with disabilities
Speakers Comments:
Society needs to change its attitude towards physically challenged persons, and recognise their merit, said speakers at a roundtable Conference yesterday. Showing the results of a survey conducted in one national and six public universities, Md. Mizanur Rahman, president of the PDF, also said that fewer physically challenged women study in these universities compared to their male counterpart due to a lack of accessible classrooms and toilets.
Ashrafun Nahar Mistee, executive director of the WDDF, said not a single trial court in the country has accessibility features for physically challenged persons. Courts do not want to accept the testimony of female victims who are visually impaired even under the prevention of violence against women and children act 2000 (amended 2003), she said. Although there are provisions for taking the statement of hearing impaired victims, it is not specified who will appoint an interpreter, the court or the victim, she said, demanding an amendment to the law.
“We do not need your pity; what we need is a little bit of your cooperation,” said visually impaired Jolly Kowser, senior executive at the compliance department of the Bangladesh Garments Manufacturers and Exporters Association.
The seminar was also attended by Lady Sayeda Sarwat Abed, director of BRAC Institute of Languages. She encourage to the organizers to work with BRAC University to ensure its accessibility. BRAC will take all kind of necessary steps to make it disabled friendly campus.
Comments of the Guests:
Samia Ahmed, Deputy Director, Worldvision Bangladesh
Increase institutional and structural facilities, relax tuition fees for disabled.
Najmun nahar, Associate professor, civil engineering, North South University
Make them visible, represent them everywhere, provide facilities like note takers and make the infrastructure to increase acceptability of disable.
Md. Ashik Sarwar, Lecturer, BRAC University:
BRAC University offers 100% waiver to physically disabled students, need to be maintain through semester results.
Barrister Shehrin Salam, Vice-president, PDF:
Double discrimination towards women, fight for their rights along with them, celebrating 3rd December does not reduce their disability or increase their facilities to ensure proper right. Change of attitudes and acceptability are required, education and employment needs to be ensured.
Osama Bin Noor, President, Volunteer for Bangladesh, Dhaka district:
I felt very ashamed after hearing few stories from differently able (people say physically disabled) people! Rather than decorating the constitution about their rights with words, their rights should be properly implemented. They are tortured everyday in many ways and they don’t even have the accessibility to visit the court. There are many such stories! And I am so happy to hear that BRAC University, Jahangirnagar University and North South University have given a commitment that they will make their campus accessible for differently able students and BRAC U have additionally said that they will provide 100% weaver to such students. They should be seen as a human, treated as a human!
Jointly Organized by:
Physically Challenged Development Foundation (PDF)
pdfbd.org
Women with Disabilities Development Foundation (WDDF)
Wddfbd.org
In association with:
BRAC University Community Service Club at the university
Sponsored by: Ma Ma cash