LAHORE: The Center for Peace and Development Initiatives (CPDI) has formally informed the National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR) of the urgent need to address exclusionary and derogatory language regarding persons with disabilities in official government documents.
CPDI Secretary General Mukhtar Ahmad Ali, in a detailed letter to the NCHR, highlighted several key issues that require immediate intervention to promote dignity, respect and inclusion for all persons with disabilities in Pakistan. Mukhtar Ahmad Ali highlighted the importance of this issue in his interaction with NCHR.
He pointed out that the Finance Department’s “Procedure for Purchase of Babudh Savings Certificates (BSC) by Physically Disabled Persons” contains exclusionary language that inadvertently alienates people with disabilities. “Though the procedure covers all disabilities, the title itself excludes the sensory and intellectually disabled. It should be rephrased as ‘Procedure for Purchase of Babudh Savings Certificates (BSC) by Persons with Disabilities (PWDs)’,” he said.
In addition to the title, he highlighted certain offensive and outdated derogatory terms used in the document, such as “mentally disabled” and “deaf and dumb.” “Instead of using words like ‘physically disabled,’ it is better to say people with physical disabilities. Similarly, instead of ‘blind’ or ‘visually impaired,’ we should use ‘blind people,’ and instead of ‘people with speech and hearing impairments,’ we should say ‘people with speech and hearing impairments,'” he explained.
He also criticized the requirement that persons with disabilities must pay compensation on postage stamp paper, describing it as onerous and unnecessary. “This requirement serves no purpose other than increasing the time and financial costs of persons with disabilities. Investors should be supported through an environment that promotes ease of doing business, not discouraging them from investing,” he said. He noted that other government agencies such as the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra), the Ministry of Social Welfare, and the National Savings Organization (NSO) also use outdated and offensive terms to describe persons with disabilities. “Government agencies should revise their terminology and adopt more respectful and inclusive language so that persons with disabilities are not defined solely by their disability,” he stressed. Specific derogatory terms used by these agencies include “intellectually disabled,” “deaf and dumb,” “physically disabled,” and “mentally disabled.” Along with its letter to the finance department, CPDI enclosed “Guidelines for referring to persons with disabilities in official government documents and conversations.” The guidelines encourage people-first language to ensure respectful and appropriate use of terminology.
“How people with disabilities are represented in official documents has a significant impact on their dignity, respect and participation in society,” Ali stressed.
The guidelines provide comprehensive guidance on preferred terminology and the importance of person-centred language in line with both national and international standards on the rights of persons with disabilities. In a letter to NCHR Chairperson Rabiya Javeri Agha, he requested immediate action under Section 3 of the National Human Rights Commission (Grievances) Rules, 2015 to address these concerns.
“We respectfully request the NCHR to take immediate action to address the concerns raised in the letter to the Treasury Department and to insist on the adoption of the attached guidelines,” he wrote. He stressed the importance of the NCHR’s intervention in promoting dignity, respect and inclusion of all persons with disabilities in Pakistan.
