ISLAMABAD (Online) - On the occasion of International Day of person with disabilities participants of conference emphasised that efforts should be made to secure the rights of 17.5 million disabled people in the country. On the occasion of International Day of persons with disabilities (PWD) IRADAH and district support group organized a national conference on the rights of persons with disabilities. Local and international NGOs also participated in the conference which was coordinated and organized by the person with disabilities themselves. It was highlighted during the conference that Pakistan has nearly 17.5 million persons with disabilities however there has been no coordinated efforts to secure their rights. The conference gave birth to a movement to make Pakistan a country friendly to secure their rights. For this purpose ten NGOs and 25 individuals activists working of disable persons decided to from a coalition and work together to bring about changes in policies and laws regarding persons with disabilities and lobby with the government institutions, departments to make more resources available for the persons with disabilities. During the conference it was told that IRADAH would work as secretariat of the coalition while Mr Zulqurnain Asghar the first visually impaired psychologist of south Asia would work as convener of the coalition. Different speakers of the conference said that media should highlight issues related with impaired people. Participants said that role of society is imperative to facilitate the disabled persons and legislation should be made for admission of special and disable children in all the educational institutes. Participants also emphasized that disabled person should be involved in decision making process and legislation is required to provide basic life commodities to disable persons. Dr Sajid Kazmi a psychologist said that government should provide disability certificate to disabled persons and in this regard practical steps should be taken. She also demanded that government should focus on rural areas where financial situation of disable persons is too poor. The participants of the conference unanimously demanded to provide representation in national assembly senate and all provincial assemblies and implementation of employment quota for persons with disabilities should be ensured in government and private sectors. During the conference it was also demanded that every child with disability must be paid stipend on monthly basis and health services should be provided to disabled person on priority basis.