Islamabad: First-ever park for visually impaired children

[Naveed Yaseen]

Saadia Khalid
The first-ever park for visually impaired children was inaugurated here Saturday at Almaktoom Center having every possible measure for their safety and security.

The air was filled with joy, laughter, songs and clapping, as it fascinated visually impaired children. Although occupying a small area, the park comprises everything to entertain the special children.

Children on the occasion enthusiastically celebrated the inauguration of the park while singing national songs, staging short skits and participating in different games.

Talking on the occasion, Special Education Directorate Director General Khalid Naeem said that construction of a special park for visually impaired children was undoubtedly a great work that should be appreciated. “Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and civil society should help the government in launching such projects for the facilitation of special children,” he said.

Khalid said that according to United Nations, almost 10 million population of Pakistan comprises persons with different disabilities while according to Pakistan census 1998, there were only 4 million. “Out of such massive population only 700,000 are school going and only 30,000 are getting proper education,” he said.

He said that special persons were an important segment of the society that should not be neglected. “They could perform much better than ordinary people in many fields of life if they are provided with proper opportunities,” he said.

Khalid said that the competency of special children could be witnessed in different sports where they were bringing laurels to the country. “In Beijing Olympics no one was able to bring a single medal except one silver medal in Para Olympics by a special person,” he said.

He said that present government was committed to facilitate special persons and team for National Plan of Action (NPA) has already been constituted to work on national policy for persons with disability.

Pakistan Foundation Fighting Blindness (PFFB) Chief Executive Saima Ammar said that it was the most memorable and unique white cane day in the history of Pakistan. “People with disabilities have equal right to enjoy the privileges of life as other people do,” she said.

She said that the initiative of making a special park would change the definition of disabilities in future. “It would prove that disabled people are no less than normal people in every field of life if they are provided with equal opportunities as that of normal people,” she said.

Saima said that PFFB was striving hard in bringing visually impaired children into mainstream. “We are having medical research centre, rehabilitation training centre, daily life skills, income generating skills and computer trainings,” she said.

She said that the aim of her foundation was to enable special children for performing their routine chores without any hindrance and difficulty. “We want special persons to be able to earn their money respectfully by learning income generating skills,” she said.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) Director Parks Malik Abid said that CDA was trying its level best to turn every recreational facility accessible for disabled persons. “We are now working to modify kid’s devices in public parks in order to facilitate special children.”

Al Maktoom National Special Education Centre President Sohail Altaf said that the institution was established in 1982 under the Directorate General of Special Education. “The centre is providing educational facilities to visually impaired children from nursery to high school,” he said.

He said it also provides numerous services such as assessment and diagnosis of vision, pre-vocational training, training in Braille, mobility, music, library, integration and rehabilitation services and many more.

He announced that two students of the institution, Anis Javed and Zeeshan Gul, have been selected in national cricket team of disabled, which was undoubtedly a matter of pride for them.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=144471