HHCS in collaboration with ARPD has started an elementary school in April 2019 for the children with physical disabilities and children without disabilities. The idea behind the school is to provide quality education to children with disabilities in an inclusive setting, where they learn in a safe and friendly environment, and excel in life with confidence. The school has eight rooms, computer lab and a playground. The entire school building and playground are wheelchair accessible.
Most of Persons with disabilities are uneducated thus poor and have no choice but to beg for survival. There are not enough schools in Peshawar that provide quality education to PWDs in an inclusive environment. Disability has a stigma attached to it and normal people don't like to include persons with disabilities in their activities. In fact PWDs are discriminated against within their families and communities. Due to lac of accessibility, disabled people are uneducated, jobless and poor.
When children learn in an inclusive environment, they accept their peers with their disabilities. In fact, they become aware of the problems persons with disabilities face and become sensitive to their issues. Regular children learning in an inclusive environment will not discriminate against PWDs, but find ways to include them in their activities. Inclusive education system not only focuses on education, but also sensitizes students and creates more friendly & discrimination free environment
Today's students are tomorrow's doctors, lawyers, entrepreneur, policy makers, office holders etc. Learning in inclusive settings will give them an insight on the problems PWDs are facing. Instead of discriminating against PWDs, they will find ways and make policies to include them in the mainstream. Educated PWDs will be aware of their rights and influence the law makers. With education they will be eligible to hold government and private office jobs and will break the poverty cycle.
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
