The Department of Special Needs Education organized one day seminar on “Assistive technology for persons with disabilities” to celebrate white cane safety day. It was joint venture of UMT and Pakistan Disabled Foundation (PDF). The seminar was divided into three sessions.
Speaking to inaugural session, Rector UMT Dr Hasan Sohaib Murad, appreciated the efforts of Dr Abdul Hameed and showed his interest in developing laboratories within UMT for persons with disabilities. He said that all the resources will be provided to develop labs for assistive technology, low vision, and audiology.
Addressing the audience in technical session, Zakia Shah Nawaz, Senior Advisor to Chief Minister Punjab said that it is the first seminar of its kind on assistive technology in the field of special education. She recognized the efforts of the department of special needs education for conducting the seminar. She extended all possible support to the organizers for developing new programs and equipment for the rehabilitation of the disabled. She said that Government of Punjab is actively working to improvement inclusive education in the public schools to increase the enrollment of children with disabilities.
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Principal Govt. Degree College for Disabled, Fazal Cheema said that he is attending a seminar on such a worthy topic of assistive technology for the first time. He congratulated UMT for organizing the seminar and said that the department of special education will undoubtedly play an active part in the initiative taken by UMT.
Shahid Ahmed Memon, Chairman, Pakistan Disabled Foundation (PDF), admired the efforts of UMT and showed interest in collaboration of PDF and UMT to work together in the future for establishing digital laboratory in UMT for persons with visual impairments.
On this occasion Rana Fazal Abbas, Director, Department of Special Education, Government of the Punjab, remarked that the participants of the seminar enjoyed hands on practice at Assistive Technology seminar stall, in UMT.
Dr Abdul Hameed, Dean and Chairman Social Sciences and Humanities and Special Education, thanked the guest speakers. He especially thanked Shahid Ahmed Memon who travelled from Karachi to attend the seminar at UMT on his request. He said that out of 150,000 children with visual impairment, less than ten thousand are enrolled in special schools. He added that we must move to inclusive education to bridge this gap, and UMT is ready to actively collaborate with Government of the Punjab to achieve this end.
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