Officially, Bangladesh attaches great importance to the inclusion of persons with disabilities in society. It was one of the first countries to sign the CRPD and its Optional Protocol, and in 2013 passed a national policy – the Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act. This act approaches disability from a human rights perspective and promotes inclusive education, accessibility in all public places, equal opportunities in employment and the protection of inherited property rights. A number of accountability mechanisms at different administrative levels oversee the implementation of the act and strive to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. Nevertheless, persons with disabilities still face many barriers that prevent them from fully enjoying their human rights. As in many developing economies, roads and infrastructure in the district are in poor condition and public buildings and local transport are not accessible for persons with limited mobility because the authorities lack the financial means to remodel the infrastructure at a faster pace. The availability of data is poor due to the lack of officially published national statistics on persons with disabilities and limited comprehensive needs assessments of host populations carried out by humanitarian actors.20 Moreover, respondents reported that employees of local government institutions are working to become more inclusive, but often lack awareness about the specific rights of persons with disabilities and international and national protection standards.21 In host communities, persons with disabilities also face stigma and discrimination and many people still perceive them as ‘passive victims’, who lack any sense of agency.
One respondent explained:
Interview 24. |
In Cox’s Bazar, persons with disabilities face a lot of discrimination. I have bitter experiences here. The communities don’t think that persons with disabilities can organize, do advocacy work or raise their voices. |