Bangladesh is in South Asia and is bounded by India, Myanmar and the Bay of Bengal. With a population of 140 million people (2005) and a land mass of 147,570 square kilometers, Bangladesh has one of the highest population densities in the world (878 people per square kilometer). Eighty percent (80%) of the population lives in rural areas. Forty-seven percent (47%) of the population lives under the poverty line, while twenty-eight percent (28%) live in abject poverty.

Bangladesh is challenged by poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, lack of health awareness and health services, as well as the denial of many basic human rights. The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that 10 percent of the country’s population is disabled, amounting to an estimated 14 Persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the country. In Bangladesh, the problems of disability are deep rooted and complex.

PWDs are one of the most underprivileged, disadvantaged and vulnerable groups in Bangladesh. Usually, they are looked down upon, neglected and deprived of most of their basic needs and human rights. Huge numbers of citizens were disabled during the great liberation war in the early 1970s. Additionally, hardcore poverty, illiteracy, lack of awareness and the unavailability of appropriate health services have increased the number of PWDs. The Government is fully aware of this issue and is trying to improve the situation. With limited resources, it is very difficult for the government alone to achieve the desired level of success. Therefore, it has become a responsibility of all development workers and agencies to build an effective, sustainable and affordable national infrastructure.

The lives of most people with disabilities (PWDs) are dominated by the ignorance, fear and superstition held by others. Many view people with disabilities as a curse in the family and are unsympathetic, causing embarrassment to the family as well as often to the PWDs themselves. Women with disabilities are especially vulnerable to social discrimination and neglect in the country. It is not uncommon that this discrimination begins in the home. Parents of PWDs often are ashamed of them and want to hide them from society. They treat them as an economic burden and do not explore their potentialities. The result of such negative attitudes has been an almost total neglect of PWDs, their relative invisibility and their exclusion from normal economic, social and political activities. There exists no systematic intervention for raising awareness on the unacceptable and prevailing situation for most disabled people at the community level. Although notable progress has been made on building awareness on other development issues, the issue of disability has not been integrated into the process of mainstream development for Bangladesh.

Taking simple measures can prevent many types of disabilities. Proper nutrition is one of the most significant ways to prevent disability. Another important area of prevention is early detection and early intervention, which can minimize the impairment and any secondary disabilities. There are many other ways of prevention, such as mass awareness campaigns, education on a healthy lifestyle, reducing accidents, and implementing effective immunization programs. These interventions are limited Bangladesh, particularly in the rural areas.

Appropriate assistive devices assistive devices are not available for the majority of PWDs in Bangladesh, particularly those living in rural and poor urban areas. Only 15 to 20 thousand disabled children receive education in special and integrated institutions – representing significantly less than 1 percent of the estimated number of school age children with disabilities (CWDs).

Access to economic opportunities for persons with disabilities is very limited. After completion of education, PWDs may encounter barriers in finding income generating opportunities. Many employers refuse to provide them with jobs. Lack of practical experience and vocational training are also barriers for their accessing income generation opportunities. It is very difficult for them to obtain loans from banks and other financial institutions or to enter into trade markets. PWDs are often not allowed to participate in economic activities run by different NGOs and by the government. They are denied access because of inadequate skills and a perceived inability to carry out income generation activities. Consideration has not yet been given by the development planners to prepare PWDs to gain access to the mainstream micro-income generation services available in the country.