President Arif Alvi urges Int’l community to help PWDs through technology

Islamabad: President Dr Arif Alvi has stressed upon the international community to make collective efforts to bring ease to the lives of persons with disabilities through the use of assistive technology.

He was virtually addressing the global community at an event titled “Mobilizing on Assistive Technology towards the second Global Disability Summit,” organized by the global partnership for Assistive Technology in collaboration with World Health Organization.

The aim of the event was to advocate the importance of increasing access to Assistive Technology on the global agenda.

The President said Pakistan is making efforts to reach out to the persons with disabilities and help them through the Ehsaas programme.

Addressing the participants, President Alvi observed that 90 per cent of people among the PWDs did not have access to the assistive technology and the welfare of PWDs and improving their access to AT was an issue that was very close to his heart.

He added that he, along with his wife Samina Arif Alvi, had been working to create awareness about the rights and issues of persons with disabilities.

He observed that 90 per cent of people among the PWDs did not have access to assistive technology and the world required a policy and affirmative action to improve upon.

“They are neglected and sometimes, require simple things like glasses,” he said sharing that with simple assistive technology, PWDs could be assisted.

The president said Pakistan had signed the Convention on the Rights of the People with Disabilities about 15 years ago and it had been the main instrument in bringing the agenda to the WHO executive board as well as the UN General Assembly where in the future, there would be comprehensive discussions.

“Pakistan is making efforts to reach out to the PWDs and help them through the Ehsaas programme,” he said.

He said that under the WHO rapid assessment technology, Pakistan had assessed its unmet needs and the resources gap and would make further efforts to bridge the gap.