Youths with disabilities face multifaceted challenges in terms of equal livelihood, employment and inclusive education, and are often denied their rights as per the Disability Act, 2013, a recent research has found.
The findings of the research that looked into the challenges, hopes and aspirations of young people with disabilities in Bangladesh was revealed at an event in Dhaka on Thursday.
The event was jointly hosted by Sightsavers and Brac James P Grant School of Public Health. The project, “British Academy Youth Futures Research”, captured the experiences of young people with disabilities living in urban and rural settings in Bangladesh, said a press release.
It was led by a group of young peer researchers with disabilities, being trained and supported to shape national policy on disability inclusion.
Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru MP, state minister for social welfare, graced the workshop as the chief guest and Prof Md Golam Rabbani, chairperson of the Neuro-Developmental Disability Protection Trustee Board, attended the event as the special guest.
The research tried to understand the experiences, aspirations and challenges of youths with disability in their livelihood in Bangladesh, and to explore their inclusion in policy dialogues around the implementation of SDG8 (decent work and economic growth).
Enhancing the advocacy capacity of the youth with disabilities (peer researchers) so that they can advocate with the government and relevant stakeholders for their own rights was another key objective of the project.
Speaking as the chief guest, Md Ashraf Ali Khan Khasru said: “Research is an important component for societal development and there is no alternative to research for development.”
He praised the research as it helped recognize the aspirations of youth with disabilities in relation to livelihoods and determine barriers to realizing those.
Amrita Rejina Rozario, Sightsavers Bangladesh country director, said: “By employing young researchers with disabilities, we got an authentic insight, and the research has also empowered them to help shape and contribute to the policy decisions that affect their lives. Sightsavers is committed to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities through research and other development initiatives”.
This study took the form of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and employed young people with disabilities from Sirajganj, Gazipur and Narsingdi as peer researchers who worked alongside local and international researchers to gather and analyze data for the study.
“The research has not only made a real difference to understanding the experience of young people with disabilities in Bangladesh but has been led by the people who understand these experiences the best,” said Prof Malabika Sarker of Brac James P Grant School of Public Health who chaired the event.
Dr Mrittika Barua and Sayema Akter of Brac James P Grant School of Public Health of Brac University presented the key findings of the research. Dr Sapana Basnet, senior research associate at Sightsavers UK, Khandaker Jahurul Alam, executive director of CSID, and Zahir Bin Siddique, country director of Leonard Cheshire Bangladesh, among others spoke on the various findings of the research at the event.
