ISLAMABAD   -   Community Based Inclusive Development Network (CBIDN) Pakistan and Sightsavers have lauded Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) making First National Data Set on Disability, possible in Pakistan through the 7th Population and Housing Census 2023.

The results reveal that the population of individuals with disabilities in Pakistan stands at 9.64 per cent. This was the first ever digital census of the country that used a tool to measure disability prevalence in the country.

This achievement is the result of persistent and collective advocacy efforts by the CBIDN-Pakistan, led by people with disabilities and Sightsavers (an international organization) working in Pakistan since 1985 for the prevention of blindness and empowering people with disabilities’ rights.

Sightsavers, in close collaboration with CBIDN provided technical assistance to the technical committee of PBS in adapting the Washington Group Short set of Questions in the census questionnaire for disability statistics. This tool, developed in consultation with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) from across Pakistan under the umbrella of CBID Network, ensures that the census accurately reflects the prevalence of disabilities within the population. Previously, Sightsavers has provided comprehensive training to PBS’s master trainers on the use of the disability questionnaire ensuring accuracy and inclusivity in Pakistan Social and Living Standard Survey (PSLM).

In her remarks, Munazza Gillani, Director Pakistan and Middle East, Sightsavers, said, “We are grateful to the management of PBS for being patient and supportive for adopting our suggested tools and questions in the census questionnaire and training of their master trainers through our support. But the journey doesn’t end here rather this is the beginning now to improve the way we collect and analyse this data correctly for its appropriate use in informed decision making at all levels.”

It is worth noting that as per the key findings report of National Population Census of 2023 by PBS, the percentage of population with functional limitations is 9.4% (by adding all three levels of FL, i.e., some difficulty, a lot of difficulty to perform a task and or cannot do it at all), which means almost 6.54% of the Pakistan’s population have some form of functional limitation in seeing, hearing, physical, communication and or cognitive skills.