People with Down syndrome face challenges from family, society, and service providers, but positive attitude, effectively allocating resources, and monitoring social accountability can significantly improve their opportunities, according to experts at a roundtable discussion.
Titled “Challenges and Opportunities for Children with Down Syndrome in Bangladesh,” the event was organized by the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD) in partnership with Liliane Fonds and Dhaka Tribune on Monday.
“From this discussion, we can identify the challenges that people with Down syndrome face, and the opportunities that they can access at different levels of the society to transform them into resources,” CDD’s Chairman Jowaherul Islam Mamun said.
He noted the potential for employment of people with Down syndrome if proper training is provided, mentioning S Rafan Razzak, a youth with Down syndrome who films and edits his own YouTube vlogs.
SM Ali Hasnain Fatme, Programme Manager, Child Empowerment Programme of CDD, made a brief introduction to the programme.
Professor Dr Sarder A Nayeem, Chairman at Japan Bangladesh Friendship Foundation, stressed the importance of identifying individual interests to include people with Down syndrome into mainstream society.
Experts: People with Down Syndrome need rehabilitation, inclusionAlodia Santos, Liliane Fonds’ Organizational Development Adviser, said with appropriate support, many individuals with Down syndrome can attend school and secure livelihoods.
The Managing Director of Neuro-Developmental Disabilities Protection Trust, Md Shah Alam, the Chief guest of the event highlighted that the government is now more committed to supporting people with disabilities including people with Down syndrome.
Speakers identified a lack of adequate data as the first challenge in providing facilities for people with Down syndrome.
Here is how people with down syndrome are coping with jobsThey said early identification is crucial for their future, adding that public-private partnerships can contribute to creating opportunities for them.
Training teachers and parents about Down syndrome is essential too, panellists said, also highlighting the need for social responsibility in employing people with Down syndrome.
Education and child specialist Tanuva Hossain, who serves as Director (Research) at Triangulum, presented the keynote presentation, based on a study findings from five districts, revealing that early identification of Down syndrome is lower in rural areas (54.8%) compared to urban areas (79.6%).
The presentation noted barriers to accessing health and rehabilitation services, including high costs, lack of availability in rural areas and lack of awareness.
Bullying by peers, attitudes of the teachers and the society, and insufficient support facilities were identified as challenges in education.
Recommendations included increasing emotional support services, combating social stigma, and providing vocational training.
Raising awareness about Down syndrome in BangladeshThe Director of CDD, Nazmul Bari, elaborated on the organization's plan to address the specific needs of children and youths with Down syndrome through its next 5-years plan, especially in the rural areas, by applying the Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) strategy.
Angelique Kester, Liliane Fonds’ Advisor Rehabilitation and CBR, praised the context analysis for reflecting a strong body of knowledge and guiding future actions.
The discussions highlighted that awareness of disabilities is generally lower in rural areas. People with disabilities are often misidentified due to a lack of awareness, and the necessary tests for identification are either unavailable at upazila levels or too costly for low-income families.
Dr Ahmed Abid, Assistant Professor, University of Liberal Arts, Bangladesh (ULAB) moderated the discussion.
Other speakers at the event were Sarder A Razzak, Chairman, Down Syndrome Society Bangladesh (DSSB), Mohammed Zahidur Rahman, Country Director, CBM-Global, Md Mahbubul Monir, Secretary General, SWID Bangladesh, Mohammad Muslim, Technical Specialist, Humanity & Inclusion, Professor Dr Hakim Arif, Founder Chairman, Department of Communication Disorders, Dhaka University, Shahanaj Parven Chowdhury, Director, DSSB, Jagadish Chandra Roy, Executive Director, Dipshikha, Md Arif Mahmud, Operations Specialist, RTI International Bijan Chowdhury, Technical Specialist, Save the Children, Himel Sanjib Kisku, Programme Focal, Banchte Shekha, and Khandoker Shohel Rana, Advocacy and Communications Coordinator, Sightsavers Bangladesh.
