Our ASG grantee Dr. Bushra Yasmin who is a Fulbrighter successfully completed her project. The concluding ceremony of 8-day training workshops on ‘Empowering Persons with Disabilities through Social Skills Training and Workplace Inclusiveness’ was held on 31 August 2022 at Fatima Jinnah Women University (FJWU).
The training was attended by the PWDs employees and their employers from various public and private sector universities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad including Bahria University, Mobilink Microfinance, Nestle, Telenor, Hasna Welfare, Special Education Department, Saya Association, and Fatima Jinnah Women University. The chief guests of the ceremony were Dr. Saima Hamid, Vice Chancellor, Fatima Jinnah Women University, and Paul Giblin, Public Diplomacy Officer, U.S. Embassy Islamabad. Prof. Dr. Shaheena Ayub Bhatti, Director WRRC & Professor of English was the Guest of Honor.
The Project Lead, Prof. Dr. Bushra Yasmin, Professor of Economics, FJWU in her welcome note gave the project brief and thanked PUAN for making this event possible. She appreciated the participants of the workshops who were very receptive and reflected positive attitudes. She hoped that as an outcome of the workshops, the participants with disabilities will realize their full potential and their employers will appreciate the dire need to create a positive environment for PWDs and to provide them a support system in their organizations. In her key address, Dr. Saima Hamid highlighted how these differently abled people are underutilized. She highlighted the importance of inclusiveness while shedding light that Higher Education Commission is very cognizant of enhancing inclusiveness in higher education. She appreciated the efforts of the project team and hoped that this interaction will continue to be cognizant of this important aspect and try to embed inclusiveness within our systems. Prof. Dr. Shaheena Ayub Bhatti elaborated that disability inclusion is understanding the relationship between the way people function and how they participate in society while making sure that everyone has same opportunities to participate in all aspects of life to the best of their disabilities and desires. Paul Giblin (Public Diplomacy Officer, U.S. Embassy Islamabad) congratulated the project team for their initiatives for PWDs from the platform of FJWU.
The workshop was based on the project awarded to Prof. Dr. Bushra Yasmin (Fulbright Alumna), Dr. Shaheryar Naveed, Dr. Aneela Maqsood, and Mr. Hamad Manzoor, by US Mission in Pakistan and Pakistan US Alumni Network. The workshops were conducted with the support of the Saaya Association of Persons with Disabilities and STEP foundation, a signatory of MoUs with FJWU.
https://www.facebook.com/PakUSAlumni/photos/pcb.8234493906590627/8234484756591542/
