We saw this LinkedIn Post about how people are said to be uncomfortable with disability. Rivera’s post and what was written in it reflected, if not all, the lives of disabled people in Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan, and the World. Social media has not shown the difficulties of disabled people as it should.

Ableist Clickbaiting versus Disableist Seeking Rights?

We have often had to implement specific social media marketing tactics that were not our choice but society’s demands. Though we can not say that content creators do not have a right to clickbait, in our context, so much clickbait reinforces stereotypes that do not represent us.

The Psychology behind Conformity informs us that people, whether in Rome, Islamabad, or Gilgit, have been forced to think that disabled people can not do anything, can not achieve anything and are a burden on society ( which is very untrue) home.

Just because the Goodwill team reports on facts rather than distorted facts, it somehow gets lost in the Worldwide Web, which should not be the case. To put it simply, in an ideal world, content creators should be discussing these issues rather than fashion

Conclusion

Real-life issues should be discussed on social media, including Persons with Disablities. Much of the content on our website will come last, as much of the social media is clickbait. The issues discussed here are significant and foremost, as they dictate people’s livelihoods and opportunities within a society. People should view the stories as a glimpse of what reality means for disabled people of Gilgit Baltistan and other countries that our stories cover.

By putting fashion icons first, it seems that humans do not want to converse with disabled people on how an ableist has impacted their lives:

• Environment
• Culture
• Language
• The Social Make-up of Society

If there is one place where global society learned its structures, it was Rome, home of the Romans.  The Roman Civilisation, modern-day Italy has historical facilities which tourists can learn from.  Rome is a tourist destination with a historical significance nowadays and in the past.

Hidden Social Meanings found within its buildings and surroundings

Rome is diverse, from the Vatican City to the Coliseum, but with that, Italians appericate their history and reflect upon the past mistakes that were committed.  Academics have highlighted that, like in Pakistan these days and across the world, Depending on one’s status, impairments would have more or less an impact on their daily life.  Read more; for instance, the ‘Great ‘Julius Caesar experienced many seizures.

Secondly, in terms of the present-day Vatican, Pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio, after ten at night, lets people experiencing poverty in Rome sleep in his Gardens palaces.  What message this brings is that even though the Romans and the Roman Church argue that there is a move away from feudalism to socialism, even though people might critique and suggest that feudalism is within the churches, which I agree with, there is a time and place to critique such people.

Romans versus the Pakistan Elite

For the latter part of the discussion, let’s assume that the Brits have taken this Aspect from the Romans/Italians.  Can the Pakistani Elite not do the same for PWDs?  Are we suggesting that the Pakistani Elite are much bigger than the Romans?  Sania Nishtar’s programs, such as Ehsaas and HealthCard, pushed the Social Welfare Agenda, but why was it stopped, especially for PWDs?  Where is that agenda?  A Unjust Budget

Conclusion

Gilgit Baltistan has a rich history, but unlike the Italians, the feudalistic structures still remain within society. We must treat disabled persons the same, no matter whether they are poor or not.

The journey towards building an inclusive society for persons with disabilities (PWDs) demands a proactive and comprehensive approach. One pivotal aspect of this approach is ensuring that policies crafted for PWDs incorporate their perspectives and voices.

Another question that is regularly asked is if the organization’s officials do not have the appropriate qualifications working on the ground, how can they pursue to gain further disabled rights? This is an excellent question with a simple answer because we have Personal Experience.

What is personal experience like for a disabled person?

If we stick to Personal experience, a person with a disability faces more political, sociological, and psychological hurdles around them. There are two phases that we should focus on, which can be divided into the learning and communication phases.

The Learning phase involves the individual’s socialization: can they play and communicate and imitate the actions of their mother? Parenting experiment. Like any mother, parents would enjoy speaking with their children: but the mother might get rejected by their family for bearing a disabled (special child) in Pakistan[1]. Farhad (1999) says, ‘Educational opportunities for children with disabilities in Pakistan and Bangladesh are seen in the context of the countries’ religious, cultural and economic development. The reason is that people do not want to accept the abnormality that they perceive [2]. Abnormality in Pakistan is often linked to disability because the notion of Parsons with Disabilities being accepted was very limited in the 90s, the generation of disabled people we focus on at home. However, that abnormality is now being challenged by disabled persons, including our partner organizations like STEP and the Hashoo Foundation in the Southern region of Pakistan and more due to social media, a positive aspect of it. Another surprise that data shows from Farhad’s work is that based on the data collected by Akbar (1989) and Richter (1996), GBGM can confirm that special education was not a priority for the government as in the south, data shows that in the 1990s there were only 210 schools in the whole of Pakistan [3].

Moving on to the communication phase, in the same article compiled by Farhad (1999), Malik 1998 states that the parents and relatives consider the disabled as an economic liability and curse of God. Government functionaries take them to be nincompoop parasites. For the general public, they are a nuisance. The disabled themselves are unaccepted by society, lose confidence in their faculties, lose self-respect, and consider themselves fit for dependence upon others and beggary. GBGM has to struggle with this. We are constantly critiqued for not being qualified like others, but is it our fault that the public does not realize it? Even the parents are pressured continuously for not accepting their disabled child. That’s why disabled people are stuck in this limbo of the communication phase, and some teenagers and adults might end up like Genie.

People have to realize that qualifications only get you so much: it is the personal experience, to add the emotions, distress and feelings that only make us more resilient as an organization. This has encouraged our ambitions to strive and struggle for our rights: whether one is living in Glasgow or Gilgit. As a team we have to work to improve the communication phase, whereby more disabled adults can use our skill development facilities.

[1] Using the Urdu Slang

[2] Ibid

[3] Gilgit Baltistan was under the state subject rule of the federal government then.

Looks and appearance majorly influence human beings’ actions .  They know their actions when someone says, ‘ I am only human.’ The last article, which mentioned fear, did not go in-depth about how a disabled person interacts in society the previous article.  When representing an organization, an individual jumps into the flight or fight response when they have to report objectively – Political or social Government policies.  However, Humans rely on the aesthetic – Looks and appearances- which is superficial but needs to be addressed.

Seeing a disabled person

When one sees a disabled person walking down the street, one automatically gets into this sympathetic mode: which is acceptable; however, the person could be a scientist or a researcher, which one does not assume.  It is this aesthetic factor that makes us sympathetic.  In Gilgit Baltistan, though one should have sympathy, it does not mean one should think they are incapable of working or studying.  Why should we assume anything when we do not have information?  I recently met a person I took to the training center in Gilgit who initially could not comprehend how technology made it easier for disabled persons to interact with the world wide web.  These situations are terrible to witness because it shows you that the aesthetic matters rather than the personality or the mind.

Silent Workers

The other thing is that most of the time, Persons with Disabilities do not want to disclose information about their disability often because they feel that society will ridicule them for their ‘ health issue.’ During these last few years, I have interacted with many disabled persons – from Pakistan and beyond who would not be concerned about their health issues simply because society will not accept them. We are working on a couple of cases that involve individuals due to their disability not getting any jobs Mumtaz’s story. .

These issues need to be addressed, as basically, one is saying that because of our psychological thoughts, a disabled person should not be employed. Even in Islam, the main religion of Pakistan says that disabled persons should be treated equally.

So who are we to judge based on looks and appearances

The Key to liaising with A Non-Profit Organization in Pakistan is whether they meet specific goals and objectives. The Government of Pakistan defines our organization as an organization that works for the welfare of disabled persons, social welfare act (1961).

The Problems of the Region

Gilgit Baltistan Goodwill Movement only works within the region of Gilgit Baltistan. The organization wishes to see

• Increase access to education and training for people with disabilities.

•          Provide affordable healthcare services to people with disabilities.

•          Promote social inclusion and reduce stigma towards people with disabilities.

•          Provide assistive devices to enhance the mobility and independence of people with disabilities.

•          Improve the quality of life for people with disabilities by providing food and shelter.

In the case of Gilgit Baltistan, the awareness of Persons with Disabilities is extremely low. the National accountability bureau (one of the leading institutes of the government of Pakistan) has illegally occupied the accommodation of the  Special Education Complex within Gilgit: which in summary, was a boarding school-like accommodation for disabled people Pamir Times Report on Disabled People. This then leads to adult employment being hindered, as discussed many a times on this website blogs. It is one thing for human rights organizations to dedicate themselves to supporting and voicing the human rights of political workers but not for disabled people across the country.

Call this a conclusion, but it is factually accurate as disabled people are voiceless in the country even though they are a more significant majority of the State of Pakistan Nation’s report.

Taking Back Control

More than a few times, I have been told how disabled people can progress with such laws. It is time we take back control, I say. Not in a radical way, may I add. But in a way in which the government and local initiatives like ours work together. On different forums, I have suggested this, but with the ambitions that we have, we need moral support as well as financial support in Gilgit Baltistan.

If governing structures are not strong enough, we must make them more robust by liaising with different organizations and individuals my vision.

A disability certificate is an official document issued by the Social Welfare Department to persons  with disabilities, certifying their condition and the level of disability they have. These certificates are crucial for persons  with disabilities (PWDS)

What is Science? How can it be used as a tool?

If one were to say what Science is, one would define it as the study of objectivity. If one wanted an extended definition, one could add to be objective is to be impartial and report on their findings. Whether one is aligned with the natural sciences or the social sciences, Auguste Comte’s principle of positivism, which is if one can see, one can testify, predict & hypothesize. However, Science has been used by the worst of the worst, like those scientists serving the Nazi Regime of the 1940s and eugenicists like Hitler.

Nevertheless, why is there a lack of awareness about how people with disablities can be helpful in society: it is because eugenicists over the years have said that disability is a sickness. Terms like differently abled and disabled, though, might not be used offensively, but it still shows that society, through Science, justifies Ableism.

The Digital Revolution should have been a Disabled Revolution, but it can still happen now in Gilgit Baltistan for PWDs.

In areas like Gilgit Baltistan, where village/country life is possible, the digital revolution should have included Persons with Disablities. Rafi (2021) reports for the IMF, ‘ Their inclusion and empowerment is essential, as it benefits not only the person with disabilities but also family members, who are more likely to leave their jobs to care for relatives in this situation. ‘ Moreover in Gilgit Baltistan, if we assume that 50% of the population are villagers then if there could be a skills development initiative succeeding in India https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3jYVe1RGaU, why can not disabled people follow in this project in Gilgit Baltistan, https://gbgoodwillmovement.com.

Reinvesting in Gilgit Baltistan with an educational purpose

While individuals and businessmen have invested in the area of Gilgit Baltistan in areas of

1. Hotels
2. Lands
3. Other projects

The digital market still requires people from the region, and according to Rafi’s IMF report, Excluding people with disabilities from the workforce can lead to a loss in a country’s GDP of up to 7% https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrqlpY6nl-k&t=28s.

We want investors to reinvest in a more inclusive Gilgit Baltistan through our organization.