This is a more formal article addressing disability rights activists around the globe.
We are reporting today about the situation of Persons with Disablities in Gilgit Baltistan. Like many other mountainous regions, Gilgit Baltistan is home to the K2 and other peaks, including Rakhaposhi, Nanga Parbat, and other mountains, including the Golden Peak. Like other populations, Gilgit Baltistan has a disabled population that has been marginalized in society at a large scale.
Early Childhood Stage
As soon as a disabled person is born into a family in Pakistan, the typical actions towards them change once a ‘special person’ is identified. This person, regardless of if they face a severe disability or not, is often socially excluded from society, meaning the majority does not consider their feelings.
Childhood to Adulthood
Once a disabled person is of school age, they might attend school due to parental influence and university at a push. Still, most students do not get further opportunities in FE or the employment sector. The only schools for disabled persons, commonly known as ‘special persons or differently-abled persons,’ are found in the cities, widely referred to as district capitals.
Consequences and further implications
This then leads to Persons with Disablities suffering from
• Unequal educational opportunities
• Severe unemployment
• Severe poverty
• Poor social integration
• Multiple health issues, leading a disabled adult to be ignored by society.
Why GBGM?
As a result, many disabled activists, including myself have taken the initiative under the Gilgit Baltistan’s Goodwill Movement (GBGM), a nonprofit organization that has been working for the improvement of people with disabilities in the Gilgit Baltistan region of Pakistan for the last three years, https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/about-us/. But this nonprofit organisation faces challenges as a result of a lack of governmental support and a lack of financial support https://gbgoodwillmovement.com/the-recent-passage-of-the-budget-by-the-gilgit-baltistans-government/
Do feel free to browse and contact us for other further information, but this is a human rights issue that should be addressed and raised at the national and international levels.
