BRAC hosts training on disability-inclusive development

BRAC Skills development programme on Thursday launched a training titled “Disability Inclusive Vocational Training and Youth Employment” aiming to build awareness of the need for inclusive and decent employment for persons with disabilities.

The event was organised at Renaissance Dhaka Gulshan Hotel in collaboration with ADD International, the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) and Light for the World, said a press release.

The organisations are part of the Inclusive Futures consortium, a flagship disability-inclusive development programme funded by multiple donors, including UK aid.

As the chief guest at the event, State Minister for the Social Welfare Ministry Prof Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru said “Inclusiveness is about giving equal access to everyone and also changing the perception of society.”

The government and BRAC need to work together to ensure inclusiveness and access to facilities and services found in the community for persons with disabilities to achieve an inclusive society, he stated.

BRAC Senior Director KAM Morshed said, “Ten per cent of the population, a startling amount, has a disability and makes up one of the most vulnerable groups because they receive little to no help.”

In light of this, BRAC organised a National Policy Dialogue to discuss project learnings and advocate policy to create decent employment opportunities for those with disabilities, he added.

The training is expected to pave the way forward for more collaborative efforts by key stakeholders and the learnings from the project. The learnings from the project and recommended policy changes to create decent employment opportunities for persons with disabilities have been shared in the event.