Communities in Kaghan, Oghi, and Siran northern Pakistan grew in knowledge of and sensitivity of living with disability as the result of activities organized by World Vision Pakistan last week in honour of the International Day for Disabled People, 3rd December

In Kaghan, more than 400 representatives from the government, village organizations, partner organizations, college students, teachers, people with disabilities and other community members attended an event organized by World Vision, where people with disabilities and advocates for the rights of those with disabilities presented speeches and papers.

'The ultimate objective of this event was to sensitize all members of the community and devise a plan to mainstreaming people with disabilities in society,' said Farid Aalam, Kaghan Area Development Program Manager.

'Disability is a social barrier, and people with disabilitiy are shown a lack of respect by fellow citizens,' said special guest and speaker, 26-year-old Muhammad Babar Shezad, who is blind. In his speech he described different types of disabilities, and asked participants what sort of relationships they build with people with disabilities.

'I want to develop friendships with people with disabilities and help them live independently,'' said Saiqa Rani, of Sarhad Rural Support Programme (SRSP) a partner organization who participated in the event.

The participants showed their solidarity with people with disabilities by together creating hand prints on a display board. The activity aimed to demonstrate the communities' recognition of people with disabilities as human beings who the community will support at all levels

'I partner with a woman with disabilities from Sachan Village Union Council Hangrai,' said Rashida Khawaja, Kaghan ADP crops coordinator. We work together to ensure that disabled women have training on 'Kitchen Gardening', and are provided with vegetables seed to plant for for their families.

'We raise public awareness of people with disabilities and tried to develop support networks with with organisations that provided services to people with disabilities and those hich are registered with District Resource Centre(DRC). We have also introduced a disability dimension to project activities because many people were left disabled by earthquake 8 October 2005.' said Habib Ahmed, World Vision Pakistan Advocacy Officer.

'World Vision wants to support these people in terms of providing them some livelihood facilities, advocacy for them, and to refer their case studies to DRC. Furthermore we aim to identify them as furture beneficiaries to assist their social and economic status with the help of the village organization' continued, Ahmed.

'We need to eliminate the concept that people with disabilities are inferior; society should be treat people with disabilities as friends and ensure they are provided jobs,' said Muhammad Shakil, who has a physical disability. World Vision has been helping him restore his life since he lost everything in the 2005 earthquake.

In the 2005 earthquake, 69,503 persons were rendered disabled. In Azad Kashmir and the North West Frontier Province and most of them are still experiencing trauma as a result of the quake. World Vision is working hard to rehabilitate the lives of people with disabilities in the areas most affected by the earthquake,' said Raees Alvi, World Vision Pakistan child protection officer.

Finally, the participants showed their solidarity with people with disabilities by together creating hand prints on a display board. The activity aimed to demonstrate the communities' recognition of people with disabilities as human beings who the community will support at all levels

Similar awareness raising and advocacy events took place with in Oghi and in the Siran Valley where over 300 participants from local villages, partner organisations and local government representatives and children with disabilities shared their vision for a world in which people with disabilities were equally included. Local children also presented a play on awareness of Polio in connection to disability.