The lives of people with disabilities are being put at greater risk due to insufficient action from governments around the world amid pandemic, said a rights organisation.
Sightsavers Bangladesh has launched a petition calling on the United Nations and the government of Bangladesh to meet the needs of people with disabilities who are facing the worst effects of the Covid-19.
The petition is part of Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign, which seeks to amplify the voices of people with disabilities and highlight the rights and dignity that they deserve.
Amrita Rejina Rozario, country director of Sightsavers Bangladesh country office, said this is a very critical time we are passing.
Like everyone else, we are anxious, we are doing our best to ensure protection and safeguarding of all so that we do not spread this virus, while we try to balance between economic need and life saving measures, he added.
Ayon Debnath, advocacy lead at Sightsavers Bangladesh, said in Bangladesh we see people with disabilities are facing livelihood crises on a scale never seen before for decades and again they are not also getting an equal treatment in accessing the existing safety-net programmes of the government.
The campaign urged the UN and member states to step-up their efforts to make this happen.
There are up to one billion people with disabilities who are trying to survive without the recognition or support they need, it added.
Equal World will collect petition signatures until July 15, 2020.