Spinal Cord Injuries’ Development Association Bangladesh (SCIDAB)
Spinal Cord Injuries’ Development Association Bangladesh (SCIDAB)
The Spinal Cord Injuries’ Development Association Bangladesh [SCIDAB] emerged in December 2011 following the decision of a concerned group of persons living with spinal cord injury in Bangladesh to come together for a common purpose with the active cooperation of the Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP). SCIDAB started its journey with a view to strengthen CRP’s activities to unite people with Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) and establish their rights in the society as enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
SCIDAB have set-out one of its strategic priorities to maximize their efforts in advocacy with government agencies and their committees for the protection and development of People with Disability. SCIDAB is also organizing advocacy campaign and sensitization among the government bodies and institutes about the rights of universal accessibility of public and private services including transportation and access to public and private building.
Many people with spinal injury continue to live in poverty and without equal rights and opportunities. People with SCI are facing daily barriers in accessing health care, rehabilitation, education and employment, accessible environment, information etc. SCIDAB is working closely with them on social and human rights. The association also provides access to other resources such as advocacy and awareness raising, networking, and related issues, among the community. The plan is to further organize SCIDAB at a divisional level to develop and expand regional branches. We have already established four regional branches at Barisal, Chittagong, Rajshahi and Sylhet-Moulovibazar.
Vision:
SCIDAB envisions a society and country as a whole free from social, cultural, economic, political and infrastructural barrier for Persons with Spinal Cord Injury enable to adhere to equity and justice to human rights base principles.
Mission:
SCIDAB is to unite Persons with Spinal Cord Injury for collective actions towards establishing economic, social, cultural, political and environmental rights for them in the society and in the country.
The main activities that SCIDAB carries out:
Building knowledge and awareness among mass people on rights and entitlement of persons with disability and their accessibility to government resources and services.
Organizing advocacy campaign and sensitization among the people of government bodies and institutes about the rights of mobility and universal accessibility of public and private services including transportation and access to public and private building.
Raising awareness and understanding amongst the general mass people of paraplegia and tetraplegia, its causes, physical and social consequences and to seek reduction in paralysis due to Spinal Cord Injury.
Working together with other disable peoples’ organizations (DPOs) and taking part in events jointly to advocate and raise awareness of disability issues and rights.
Organizing training and workshop on topics such as the legal regulations and the provision of social services, advocacy, rights etc.
Organizing sport activities separately for both men and women. This is performed in collaboration with CRP.
Most recent accomplishments:
Observance of the International day of persons with disabilities, 3rd December’2015
This is the first time SCIDAB organized a program in a number of places at upazila/district/divisional level on a single day. In a joint collaboration with the Center for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed (CRP), local Disable Peoples’ Organization (DPOs) and Upazilla/District Social Welfare Department (DSS) SCIDAB organized a series of the human chain, rallies, cultural program and discussion meeting all over the country to mark the 17th National and 24th International Day of Persons with Disabilities. A variety of events were held in places like Savar, Barisal, Rajshahi, Meherpur, Mirpur-CRP, Chittagong, Nator, Gazipur, Comilla, Sylhet, Brahmanbaria, Dinajpur and many more places on a single day.
Free Health Camp program
A Free Health Camp program was organized by SCIDAB-Barisal and SCIDAB-Chittagong on15 March and 19 Apr’2016 respectively with the co-operation of Doctors and staffs from CRP. The aim of the health camp was to provide free treatment (PT, OT, SLT & Medical care) among the patients suffering with multiple problems related to the services. Doctors advised them various medicines and consultations during camp. They were referred to the appropriate institution as the condition demanded for a number of patients. A total of 195 and 350 marginalized people from Barisal and Chittagong respectively, including elderly men, women and children were treated at the camp.
SCIDAB is developing alliances across different disability organizations
Developing alliances across different disability groups is an essential way to build the legitimacy and credibility of DPOs to represent and advocate on behalf of the persons with disabilities. Realizing the importance of having strong allies with the DPO’s network to advance and improve the situation of persons with disabilities, including SCIP, the SCIDAB decided to build-up a strong relationship with the other parallel organizations mostly to play role of raising awareness in the society and advocating for equal rights. We hope together we can bring significant changes for the betterment of persons with disabilities. In this perspective, SCIDAB was called for and collaborated with unprecedented participation with other DPO’s organization representing all types of disabilities. Few of them are: Turning Point, WDDF, B-SCAN, BVIPS, SDSL, SUCC, PNSP etc.
Capacity Building Training of DPO Leaders
Two of SCIDAB members, Aklima Khatun, Women & Children Affairs Secretary and General Secretary, attended a two day long training on “Capacity Building Training of DPO Leaders” from 30 to 31 January, 2016 which was organized by Protibondhi Nagorik Shangathaner Parishad (PNSP) at PNSP’s Conference Hall. The aim of this training was to develop the leadership skill of DPO leaders in order to promote the full participation of persons with disabilities in all areas and at all levels.
Roundtable Discussion on 'Sustainable Development Goals:
SCIDAB members attended in an open dialogue meeting on “Sustainable Development Goals; Role of Disabled Peoples' Organizations (DPOs) which was held on 29 February’2016 at PNSP’s conference room. The honorable secretary, Mr. Tariq-ul-Islam, Planning Commission, Ministry of Planning was present as the chief guest. Persons with disabilities were instrumental in creating this transformational roadmap to a better future. Now the hard work of real change lies directly ahead. Persons with disabilities must be leaders, guiding the society towards achieving these goals for everyone. This journey demands our persistent and unwavering duty to hold our governments accountable to their own commitments. Our full engagement in ensuring responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels were identified as fundamental, we cannot afford to be left behind again.
Meeting with the Minister of Social Welfare
A member of delegates from PNSP (Protibondhi Nagorik Shangathaner Parishad), a network of DPOs, Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (B-SCAN), Society of the Deaf and Sign Language Users (SDSL), Society of Unique Capable Citizens (SUCC) and Spinal Cord Injuries’ Development Association –Bangladesh [SCIDAB] went to meet Mr Tariq-ul-Islam, Secretary represented the Ministry of Social Welfare at his office on 11 November’2015 to discuss about the law “Rights and Protection of the Persons with Disabilities Act 2013”and its implementation. As a result of the meeting, the government issued the rules and regulations of “Rights and Protection of the Persons with Disabilities Act, 2013”, the most important section, article 36 of the law which ensures and guarantees the protection and the right to complain against any kind of discrimination has been enforced, a gazette notification as per the provision, of which Article 31 guarantees the provision of National Identity Cards (NIDs) to those with disabilities has been issued later on. Even an office order has been issued to incorporate persons with disabilities in various committees at the district level committee.
