Technology for Disable People: Bangladesh Perspective

Md Mamunur Rashid

Bangladesh Institute of Management (www.bim.org.bd)

4, Sobhanbag, Mirpur Road, Dhaka-1207, BANGLADESH.

E-mail:mamun87245@gmail.com

Abstract

A disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions

can be an individual for physical, cognitive, mental sensory, emotional, development or some

combination of these. A disability may occur during a person’s lifetime or may be present from birth.

Disable people can be own self compatible with society through technology, and can contribute the

mainstream society. Technology is the branch of knowledge that deals with the creation and use of

technical means as a combination of four basic components-technoware, humanware, orgaware and infor

ware, all of which together accomplished and transformation operation towards solving practical tasks for

life, society, and the environment, drawing upon such subjects as industrial arts, engineering, applied

science, and pure science. In this view, disable people may use technology for sustaining their life as a

normal people and can contribute the society to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). In

this paper, technology is studied for disable people Bangladesh perspective.

Keywords: Disabilities; Technology; Mainstream Society; Rehabilitation, Millennium Development

Goals.

1.0 Introduction

Roughly 10% of the total population is disabled (14.2319 million) of Bangladesh. 70% of disabled

population is totally illiterate. 14% of the population owning less than 0-1 acre of land (functionality

landless) is disabled. Absolute annual growth of disabled population in Bangladesh is approximately

250,000 [1] . Of which half a million are multi-handicapped including 3 million children. The total figure

of disability is increasing with population growth and ageing. Disability on this scale represents not only a

major health issue but also a prime cause of poverty and underdevelopment. In this perspective the

Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) [2] target to end poverty within 2015. It is note that MDGs

goals are eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; achieve universal primary education; promote gender

equality and empower women ; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health ; combat HIV/AIDS,

malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability and develop a global partnership for

development. It is matter of disappointed that disable people are not specific target in MDGs. Except the

participation of disable people, it is difficult to remove poverty within 2015. Although, at the end of 2010,

the MDGs have helped to lift millions of people out of poverty, save lives and ensure that children attend

school, reduced maternal deaths, expanded opportunities for women, increased access to clean water,

freed many people from deadly and debilitating disease, empowered women and girls, promoted

sustainable development, and protected the most vulnerable from the devastating effects of multiple crises

from the world. According to the millennium development goal is to ensure that by the year 2015,

children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a full course of primary schooling and

those girls and boys will have equal access to all levels of education. Children and youth with disabilities

will be an integral part of the population targeted by the millennium development goal of ensuring that by

2015 all boys and girls will complete a full course of primary schooling. At least 75 per cent of children

and youth with disabilities of school age will, by 2010, be able to complete a full course of primary

schooling. By 2012, all infants and young children (birth to four years old) will have access to and receive

community-based early intervention services, which ensure survival, with support and training for their

families. Governments may ensure detection of disabilities as early an age as possible [3]. In this view,

technology can preventing the causes of disability and the need for disseminate the knowledge of

nutrition as many people have become disabled due to malnutrition, reaching out to persons with

disabilities in rural areas and raising awareness and advocacy for the inclusion of persons with disabilities

in all social, cultural and religious activities like Japan. In this perspective , Japan has done remarkable

work for their disable people [4]. Yet Many organizations work for disable people through the world wide

[5-6]. Therefore , a study is done for disable people considering technology for their rehabilitation focus

on Bangladesh disable people.

2.0 Technology

Technology is the systematic application of scientific and other organized knowledge towards solving

practical tasks through as a basic combination of four basic components: technoware, humanware,

orgaware and Inforware. In this section, the author is presented that technology’s component for

rehabilitation the disable people to compatible for mainstream society.

2.1 Technoware

Technoware includes all physical facilities required for the transformation operation, such as, instruments,

equipment, machinery, devices, structures, factories. Some days ago, people believed that disable persons

are separate from society. Recently this scenario is fully changed. People changed their believes, norms,

ideas and perceptions about disable people. There are many disable people who are able to do any type of

work like an able person in developed country like Japan. To remove the distress condition of the disable

people can change and bring them into the mainstream of the development by some technoware

development. There is obviously a solution, where the problem is in this digital world. The technoware

equipments can be walker, wheel chair, digital wheel chair, crutch, elbow crutch, digital pen, disablement

software, disablement hardware, digital wheel chair and other equipments, digital sunglasses, laptop

computer with sensors etc. Disable people can use computer in their homes and also in office or

workplace. Mere special or new software only for them should be developed. The technology that is used

internally in the office can develop specially developed for them. The interior decoration like door,

window, and floor must be decorated for their proper work. Disable people can use lift, escalator, AC, and

other equipment like normal person. Because of using technology now a day nobody is disabling. There

are so many equipments for the disable people. An ideal example can be Hawkins (famous scientists). He

is a total disable person. He can’t move his any part of the body without a finger. He doesn’t say anything

to the other people. Apart from the positive thing is his brain still working and for this plus point. A

Microsoft corporation develops software and added with Hawkins wheel chair. Now whatever Hawkins

think that comes into the monitor and auto speech machine can speak those things. Now Hawkins can

deliver his lecture in the Harvard University and can as so attend much conference and deliver his speech.

Through usages of technology now a day every disable man becomes like normal people. Technology is

the main arm for disable people.

2.2 Humanware

Humanware includes all acquired abilities necessary for the transformation operation, such as, expertise,

proficiencies, dexterity, creativity, perseverance, diligence, ingenuity. Every people belong in a global

world, where they are working for their own betterment. For different disable people the government can

take action which is helpful them. Suppose in Bangladesh for the blind people government take different

treatment. The main thing is that this disable people may be included and their own creativity can be

raised for Bangladesh development. There are some processes to develop the humanware or disable

people. At first, the following work can be done for disable people: to motivate them every work and to

increase their knowledge about everything, and consider these people are human, they have also mind,

power, and personality. These people can be trained about software, hardware, working process and

technology. These people must have some jobs, from where they can earn money and live a standard life

in society. They are not useless, it can be considered and to create an environment like normal people and

also to give a society for their own choice. If anyone is specific blind disable, to train them for sitting

work so that they can work without any problem.

2.3 Inforware

Inforware includes all accumulated facts and figures required for the transformation operation, such as

designs, specifications, observations, relations, equations, charts, theories. The disable people are

generally considered as burden in the society. They are neglected everywhere. As a result, they lose all

the potentiality and opportunity to develop them. In real world, the disable people are very much potential

for the society though they are not considered. Thus, if they have proper assistance and guidance they will

certainly contribute to the wellbeing of the any country. If the society continue to ignore the huge number

of these potential people, the development of the country is difficult. Accordingly, the people must be

brought to the mainstream of development to attain the Bangladesh‘s millennium development goals. To

do so, information will act as an important and helpful factor. Information can play a vital in these

purposes. Disable people can train for use and operate the necessary tool to find the information. The

tools can be internet, media, newspaper, articles etc. The government and other organization who work

for the disable people, they can get their required information about these people by the information

technology. It is a helping tool to develop the current situation. If the organization and the disable people

get proper information, it is certain to develop the country. If all get required information, they get

organized knowledge to develop and the work and other tasks will be easier to them. Therefore, their

productivity will increase.

2.4 Orgaware

Orgaware includes all necessary arrangements required for the transformation operation, such as

practices, groupings allocations, systematizations, organizations and networks. The disable people are

deprived and ignored in all sector of our society. They cannot do any development work or participate in

such work though they have enough potentiality to do so. Nevertheless, the conscious people of the

society can think for development of these people and establish some organization for them. It is why no

one is concerned about their development. Orgaware can come forward to help and share the ideas,

sorrows and happiness of disable persons. Orgaware plays a vital role to develop and establish them like a

normal person. There is lot of essential elements but orgaware is most effective integrants that can make

the dreams truth of a disable person. Orgaware is a place, where a disable person can show their

capability, skill, knowledge, expertise, experience etc and ensure their strong position in the organization

easily. There are many organizations and associations in where the disable person can easily get any type

of related information and some of them are working for their education training, employment and related

other activities that can help themselves at the moment and in future. The amount or quantity of this type

of organization increasing than past. Various orgaware like educational institute, hospital, training

centers, Bank, NGOs, company, research institutions, media etc. can play a vital role to overcome this

situation. In this perspective, both government and private sector can involve mutually enhancing the

development. The educational institutions can educate and train the disable people for coping with other

people of the world. Different type organization/company can provide job facility for them. The facilities

may be quota system, transportation amenity, training program, supportive activities etc. The training

institutes can train the disable people to increase their skill and competitiveness. NGO, bank and other

government organizations can provide loan and create scope to work for them. Hospitals assimilate with

research institutions to invent new technology, equipment and medicine to eradicate their disablement.

Media can create public consciousness and also can concern the authority about the disable people by

continuous and mass publicity. Orgaware can reward the disable persons who act any development

oriented work as an acceptance of their work to motivate them.

3. Discussion

Bangladesh has taken more efforts to establish protection and promotion of the rights and dignity of

persons with disabilities. With regard to the Biwako framework, Bangladesh has been able to initiate

some interventions, but it would require a lot of inputs and resources from national and international

sources with effective and efficient policies, strategies, programs and action plans to change the quality of

life of people with disabilities in the country as like Japan. Japan has promoted based on the following

four basic concepts: rehabilitation, equalization of opportunities, normalization, full participation and

equality for disable people. The first survey of physical disable persons was conducted in Japan in

1951.For this purpose a rule was made in Bangladesh 2008 according to disable welfare act 2001. In

Bangladesh around 70 NGO’s working for disable people; such as , National forum of organizations

working with the Disable (NFOWD), Action Aid Bangladesh, Manusher Jonno, Center for the

rehabilitation for the paralysed (CRP) , CDD,VARC, Handicraft disable, PPKS and Sweet Bangladesh

etc. Different actors and players including people with disabilities, their families and the communities

need appropriate technology to be involved in all the areas from primary to tertiary sectors in the

country’s effort to build a better nation to achieve MDGs through Biwako Millennium Framework

(BMF).

4. Recommendation

The following recommendations are made for rehabilitation the disable people of Bangladesh:

Disable welfare Act 2001 and Rules 2008 can functional with specific targets with compatible MDGs.

An online file server can implement to upgrade and management the information of disable people.

Disabled people before age 20 can receive the basic disability pensions from age 20 with generous

income test. A thorough medical check-up can run before the qualification. The budget can fully

financial by transfers from general revenue.

Technology can considered for disable people for rehabilitation, which are described in Act 2001 and

Rules 2008 of Bangladesh and also considered the fully implemented technology for disable people in

Japan according to Japan Disabled Person’s Fundamental Law 1993 with along 13 associated laws for

disable people can considered.

BMF can functional with compatible MDGs

5. Conclusion

In globe roughly 700 million people are approximately disable. Among them Bangladesh 14.2319 million

people are roughly disable. In this perspective world community / UN with respective government can

rethink for disable people for their rehabilitation program as like MDGs program setting. Moreover,

technology can be considered as a tool for disable people to cope their life with mainstream.

References

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[2 ] http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/

[3 ] http://www.msw.gov.bd/dmdocuments/disablelawnew.pdf

[4 ] http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/idou/3.htm

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