Virtually impaired persons can enjoy Braille menu - Pakistan

 Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities on Friday, Serena Hotel Islamabad, for the first time in country’s history introduced Braille menus for its visually impaired guests. 

Serena Environmental and Educational Development (SEED) organised the event in collaboration with Special Talent Exchange Programme (STEP). Sharing the importance of the day with the theme ‘Keeping the promise: Mainstreaming disability in the Millennium Development Goals towards 2015 and beyond” hotel’s general manager Peter Hill said “People with disability are denied basic rights but they are highly productive if given a chance to prove themselves. Employers must take positive steps on this international day and give equal opportunities to them.”

Hill said, “Serena Hotel is the first hotel in Pakistan to launch Braille menu service to serve its visually impaired.”

“There is a need of an inclusive society with accessibility for all – able or disabled” said STEP president Atif Sheikh.

Appreciating the efforts of government for empowering disable, he said government was doing efforts for disable children but no practical steps were being taken for adults with disability. “We want proper legislation for disable people not just policies and conventions,” said Sheikh. Sharing the World Bank statistics, Atif said almost 10% population of Pakistan was disabled but due to the narrow mindset of the people who hide persons with disability. The Braille menu has been designed by Aamir Qayyum who is associated with STEP, a cross disability organization working for the rights of disabled people in the society. “Being a person with low vision disability, Braille is my mother tongue. I feel privileged to play my part in providing accessibility to disable people through this menu.”

“I live a normal life but the only problem I have to face is of inaccessibility,” said Farzana Kauser, a lady with disability. She is 28 years old and working as a filed assistant officer at national education foundation. Special people do not want pity or charity, they want full accessibility, she added. SEED aims to promote a better understanding of disability issues with a focus on the rights of the persons with disabilities. It also emphasises need for integration of persons with disabilities in all aspects of the political, social, economic and cultural lives of their communities.