The Bangladesh Disabled Development Trust (BDDT) has released its final report calling for urgent improvements to district-level disability service and support centres, known as Protibondhi Seba O Sahajjo Kendra (PSOSK), highlighting major gaps in staffing, infrastructure and essential services.
The report was launched on Saturday at the National Disabled Development Foundation (NDDF) in Mirpur 14.
It is part of an EU-funded initiative implemented by Free Press Unlimited and ARTICLE 19, with BDDT leading the research component.
Drawing on data from 32 centres across eight divisions, the study shows that PSOSKs serve between 10 and 40 beneficiaries daily.
Among them, 64.52% seek assistive devices while 58.06% access therapy services, particularly physiotherapy. The report identifies critical shortages of staff, skilled professionals, modern equipment and women-friendly accessible facilities across the centres.
Speakers at the event described the findings as accurate and reflective of field realities. They noted that many centres struggle to meet high service demand due to limited budgets and inadequate resources.
They called for expanding the supply of assistive devices, recruiting trained personnel, establishing child-focused therapy units, improving caregiver training and strengthening psychosocial support.
Government representatives acknowledged the challenges documented in the report.
Mofizul Islam, assistant director of NDDF, said: “We are delivering the best possible services within our limitations. We have already requested the government to allocate additional staff.”
Ayub Khan, deputy director (Registration) of the Department of Social Services, added: “This research by BDDT will play a significant role in improving service delivery. Currently, 2.45 million persons with disabilities receive government allowances, but all 3.651 million registered persons should be included.”
The report recommends establishing additional service centres at the upazila level, upgrading infrastructure, strengthening hotline and information services, and introducing routine monitoring and evaluation systems.
The event was moderated by Sabrina Tasnim, program officer at BDDT.