Call for defining ‘disability’ to help include disabled persons

Former federal health minister Dr Zafar Mirza, who is professor of population and health practices at the Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, on Saturday said if we want to mainstream inclusivity for disabled persons, we need to define disability.

Dr Mirza was speaking at the seminar organised by The Circle: Caring for Children at the Arts Council of Pakistan, Karachi. Titled ‘Innovating for Inclusion: Shaping a World for All Abilities’, the seminar was arranged in connection with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The ex-minister said that the theme of this year’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities is “innovating for inclusiveness”. He stressed that societies that do not take care of their vulnerable people cannot progress.

He said that 1.3 billion people worldwide live with significant disabilities. The word “significant” is very important, he added, and asked what “significant disability” is and what “not significant disability” is. He then explained that if those wearing glasses lose them, they would be considered disabled. “If we remove the word ‘significant’, probably the entire world’s population would be disabled,” he said, adding that medical practitioners are yet to define what constitutes normal human beings.

He also said that disability is important for people who suffer from it, rather than how we judge the word. He pointed out that if we cannot define a normal human being, there is some degree of ability or disability in all humans.

When we cross certain thresholds, we get into a significant disability, he added. The professor said that in order to mainstream the concept of disability, the precondition is to understand the disability in its broadest meaning. Sadaf Mateen, co-founder and CEO of The Circle: Caring for Children, and a speech-language pathologist specialising in working with children, stressed the need for gainful occupations for differently abled individuals.

Sadaf emphasised the importance of children finding meaningful roles in society. “After the diagnosis of a differently abled child, their journey toward employment becomes crucial.” She highlighted that parents’ biggest concerns often revolve around how their children would communicate and understand the world around them. “This becomes the biggest challenge,” she noted. She explained that language comprises three main components: code, meaningful ideas, and shared ideas.

She said communication between people speaking different languages often lacks meaning. “Communication is the sharing of ideas,” she said, adding that spoken words are not the sole mode of communication. She discussed alternative communication methods, and the purpose of interventions, which she described as essential for fostering social appropriateness in differently abled children.

She cautioned against focusing solely on “fixing” the child, as this approach risks wasting critical developmental years. “A common misconception is that these children will only succeed once they start school or begin speaking.” Nida Khuhro, parliamentary secretary for the health & population welfare department of the Sindh government, and the chief guest at the seminar, spoke about the provincial administration’s efforts to support differently abled children.

She highlighted several development schemes aimed at their welfare. “Inclusion should not just be a policy but a fundamental right,” Nida pointed out. She stressed that fostering inclusivity enriches society as a whole.

Jang Group Managing Director Shahrukh Hasan, speaking on the role of media in mainstreaming inclusivity, said that we are in an increasingly interdependent world, so we need to work together for solutions.

The media cannot provide solutions, but it can highlight problems and amplify solutions that experts such as those assembled at the seminar are providing. He referred to a massive campaign on mental health that the Geo-Jang group had launched in partnership with The British Asian Trust as an example of different stakeholders collaborating on a complex, nuanced subject with media as the platform of amplification.

The seminar was also addressed by Richard Geary founder of Deaf Reach, an organisation that has done commendable work for providing education and mainstreaming to deaf children. Mariam Durrani of CareTech and Misbah Naqvi of NOWPDP spoke about the work being by their organisations.

A panel discussion titled ‘Embracing Diversity: Strategies for Inclusive Growth’ was also held at the seminar. Ahmad Shah, President Arts Council of Pakistan, spoke about the common ground that art and culture can provide and how the Arts Council provided a platform to all, including the specially abled. Falak Sheikhani, Director Aster Schools, former First Lady Mrs Samina Alvi, and Naema Aftab of SOS villages also participated in the panel discussion.

One of the highlights of the seminar was the flawless Qirat presented by a differently abled young boy and the well-researched introduction of Dr Zafar Mirza by an autistic child, both from The Circle - Caring for Children.