ISLAMABAD: A sixth grade blind student, Saba Shaukat, has now had a few years to come to terms with her disability and said she has even learnt how to study. However, she said, people`s reactions to her blindness and the discriminatory behaviour she and many like her have to face make life a little bit harder.

Speaking at a reception held on Monday to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Saba and her friend Naila Kanwal, who studies in the eighth grade, said that people were often impatient with them and did not realise that their disability was already posing many hardships.

They urged people to be more mindful of disabled people and to help them live a normal life, instead of making it more difficult for them.

At the event organised by All Pakistan Foundation of Blind (APFB), Saba and many like her spoke about how life is for a disabled person.

According to her friends, Saba is a very good batsman and loves playing cricket. Talking about her love of the sport, Saba said: `Unfortunately, we don`t have a national girl`s blind cricket team, like they do for boys.` She hoped a girl`s team would be formed soon.

She requested the government to provide textbooks for higher classes in Braille for blind students because, she said, she wanted to get a higher degree to help her lead an independent life.

Addressing the guests, Chairman APFB Ghulam Rabbani Butt spoke about the problems faced by the blind community and asked for the formulation of proper legislation and policies for the protection of blind person`s rights.

He said that none of the provinces, except for Punjab, have a Braille press and that the one in Punjab can only meet the needs of 15 to 20 per cent of students and requested more Braille printing presses across the country.

`There are no information technology centre for the blind people in Pakistan and if we don`t ensure that they get proper education, blind people will not get good jobs and will not be able to lead independent lives,` the APFB chairman said.

Chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board Siddiqu1 Farooq vowed to give APFB land in either Lahore or Islamabad and also pledged a grant for construction on the land.

A researcher from the National Defence University, Shabir Awan, said six million people in Pakistan were disabled.

He said Pakistan had ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, but had done nothing to implement it.

`We don`t have policies designed for blind people and, interestingly, when such policies are formulated, the concerned community is not made part of the process,` he said.

Managing Director of Pakistan Baitul Mal. Barrister Abid Waheed, started off APFB`s official website for the first time and said the Baitul Mal`s responsibility was to provide the poor people with the basic necessities. However, it was also providing disabled people with equipment like wheelchairs and white canes. He said the Baitul Mal was working on a policy regarding disabled people.

`We need to take solid steps for the rehabilitation of this community instead of just marking symbolic days,` he said.

APFB also gave out white canes and talking watches and calculators. Students of Government Girls School for Special Education put on a performance themed around unity and peace.ISLAMABAD: A sixth grade blind student, Saba Shaukat, has now had a few years to come to terms with her disability and said she has even learnt how to study. However, she said, people`s reactions to her blindness and the discriminatory behaviour she and many like her have to face make life a little bit harder.

Speaking at a reception held on Monday to commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Saba and her friend Naila Kanwal, who studies in the eighth grade, said that people were often impatient with them and did not realise that their disability was already posing many hardships.

They urged people to be more mindful of disabled people and to help them live a normal life, instead of making it more difficult for them.

At the event organised by All Pakistan Foundation of Blind (APFB), Saba and many like her spoke about how life is for a disabled person.

According to her friends, Saba is a very good batsman and loves playing cricket. Talking about her love of the sport, Saba said: `Unfortunately, we don`t have a national girl`s blind cricket team, like they do for boys.` She hoped a girl`s team would be formed soon.

She requested the government to provide textbooks for higher classes in Braille for blind students because, she said, she wanted to get a higher degree to help her lead an independent life.

Addressing the guests, Chairman APFB Ghulam Rabbani Butt spoke about the problems faced by the blind community and asked for the formulation of proper legislation and policies for the protection of blind person`s rights.

He said that none of the provinces, except for Punjab, have a Braille press and that the one in Punjab can only meet the needs of 15 to 20 per cent of students and requested more Braille printing presses across the country.

`There are no information technology centre for the blind people in Pakistan and if we don`t ensure that they get proper education, blind people will not get good jobs and will not be able to lead independent lives,` the APFB chairman said.

Chairman of the Evacuee Trust Property Board Siddiqu1 Farooq vowed to give APFB land in either Lahore or Islamabad and also pledged a grant for construction on the land.

A researcher from the National Defence University, Shabir Awan, said six million people in Pakistan were disabled.

He said Pakistan had ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, but had done nothing to implement it.

`We don`t have policies designed for blind people and, interestingly, when such policies are formulated, the concerned community is not made part of the process,` he said.

Managing Director of Pakistan Baitul Mal. Barrister Abid Waheed, started off APFB`s official website for the first time and said the Baitul Mal`s responsibility was to provide the poor people with the basic necessities. However, it was also providing disabled people with equipment like wheelchairs and white canes. He said the Baitul Mal was working on a policy regarding disabled people.

`We need to take solid steps for the rehabilitation of this community instead of just marking symbolic days,` he said.

APFB also gave out white canes and talking watches and calculators. Students of Government Girls School for Special Education put on a performance themed around unity and peace.