Thrust for bringing persons with disability under vocational training

GAIBANDHA, Feb 2: Speakers at a function here Monday underscored the need for bringing the persons with disability under the technical vocational educational training (TVET) system for their betterment.
"Through TVET reform, technical education has spread across the country. Many of those who are poor and meritorious have been awarded scholarship. So, all the stakeholders of the society should forward with positive attitude to work for the persons with disability", they also said.
They made the comments while addressing a special dialogue on Disability Inclusion in TVET system with IMAB, local enterprises, parents of students with disability and civil society stakeholders in the conference room of Technical Training Centre (TTC) at Farazipara, an outskirt of the district town with the financial support of European Union, the Government of Bangladesh and International Labour Organisation.
Senior instructor of computer of TTC Md. Amir Hossain, president of Gaibandha Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), Freedom Fighter Moksudar Rahman Shahan, Principal of TTC Abdur Rahim, Programme Officer of Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) Mahfuza Akhter and co-founder and executive director of Access Bangladesh Foundation Albert Mollah addressed the function, among    others.
The speakers, in their speech, termed the challenged people as an integral part of the society and put emphasis on brining the persons with disability under the mainstream of the development through creating TVET Friendly Environment in the society. President of GCCI Moksudar Rahman Shahan underlined the need for ensuring a friendly atmosphere for the person with disability securing a dignified position for them in the society.
Principal of the TTC Engineer Abdur Rahim said, technical and TVET serves multiple purposes.
The key purpose is preparation of youth for work. This takes the form of learning and developing work-related skills and mastery of underlying knowledge and scientific principles, he added.
Programme officer of Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN) Mahfuza Akhter, in her speech, said, the people with special needs are not the burden of the society but wealth and asset. They have to be built as worthy citizen of the society, she also said.
All quarters should come forward towards forging a social movement for welfare of those there by overall development of the society will be achieved, she added.
Co-founder and executive director of Access Bangladesh Foundation Albert Mollah, in his speech, said, "we should bring the disabled in the mainstream so that they could avail all sorts of facilitates as the citizens of the country".  
In this context, the TVET would help the persons with disability be self-dependent and self-reliant also.
A number of IMAB members, local enterprises, stake holders of the society including journalists took part in the special dialogue.