Estimated figures suggest that 27 million people in Pakistan live with an intellectual or physical disability. According to the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund’s (PPAF) 2012 Disability Survey, 8 in 100 persons have a disability in Pakistan. Disability prevalence is slightly higher in rural areas (3.2%) compared to urban regions (2.9%).
World Health Organization (WHO) defines disability in three broad dimensions: impairment in the body or mental function, activity limitation such as in walking or seeing, and participation restrictions in daily life such as working, recreational activities, or receiving healthcare services.
Globally, persons with disabilities (PWDs) have inequitable access to healthcare, lower levels of education, and higher poverty rates due to social and economic exclusion. The major reason behind this is the systemic barriers in basic services and social protection like health, education, employment, and transport. Moreover, the situation is bleaker in developing countries like Pakistan, where social services, institutions, and governance systems are already weak.
Systemic Barriers to Economic Inclusion
- Education and Skills Development Gaps
Although education lays the foundation of a productive workforce and human capital, only a small portion of people with disabilities learn to read and write, and even fewer complete secondary education, with most schools lacking accessibility infrastructure such as ramps, and qualified professionals like interpreters and trained teachers, most families either decide to send their children with disabilities to specialized centers or not send them to school at all. Although many specialized centers are now working on skills training and capacity building but those are also limited to urban hubs.
- Workplace Discrimination and Accessibility Barriers
A working paper released by the International Labor Organization (ILO) revealed that there is a significant wage gap between PWDs and their nondisabled counterparts, with PWDs earning almost 12-26 percent less per hour. PWDs face widespread discrimination at the workplace, and the lack of accessibility measures in traditional employment settings pushes most towards self-employment, low-paid jobs, or the informal sector.
- Societal Stigma and Policy Implementation Gaps
It is observed in rural areas that family members conceal persons with disabilities and are unwilling to share their information, even for data collection purposes. They view PWDs as a burden, liability, and unproductive members of the household. The social stigma associated with any kind of disability proves to be a significant cultural barrier hindering the inclusion of PWDs in social and economic activities. Moreover, many social protection schemes such as the Sehat Card and other government interventions require registration with NADRA which itself is a difficult and tiresome process.
Existing Laws and Policies for PWDs
Although the government lays down many laws, policies and rights, there remains a huge gap between what exists on paper and on-ground implementation. In 2020, Pakistan passed a landmark disability law to prevent discrimination, especially in the workplace, against persons with disabilities. It covers a wide range of issues, including equity in education and employment, accessibility and mobility, and offers protection from violent, abusive, or discriminatory behaviour.
Employment quotas are the most prevalent and widely used policy measure around the world. They are recognized as a form of affirmative action in the framework of anti-discrimination legislation for PWDs, according to the International Labor Organization (ILO). Federal law in Pakistan requires that all public and private sector organizations allocate at least 2 percent of their workforce positions to persons with disabilities. While provincial laws set an even higher quota of 3-5 percent, depending on the province. However, these remain largely unimplemented, with 70 percent of the disabled population remaining unemployed.
The Ehsaas Disabled Persons Program, launched under former Prime Minister Imran Khan, aimed to support 70 million individuals with disabilities by offering them monthly financial aid of PKR 2000 to meet their basic needs. They were also encouraged and given the opportunity to open savings accounts to manage their finances.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPD) works under the Government of Sindh to empower Persons with Disabilities and ensure their full integration into mainstream society. The DEPD implements the Sindh Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities Act 2018 and provides various services for individuals with disabilities, including but not limited to “special education, vocational training, rehabilitation, assistive devices, registration, and legal protection”.
Organizations Working for PWDs
There are about 270 local organizations and around 4 international organizations working towards the betterment of PWDs in Pakistan. The rise of Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs) in recent years has strengthened advocacy and increased the participation of PWDs in decision-making and policymaking processes.
The most prominent initiative working to mainstream PWDs in Pakistan is NOWPDP. The Network of Organizations Working for People with Disabilities in Pakistan (NOWPDP) divides their work into seven key pillars: Rehnumai (Guidance), Shanakht (Identification), Falah (Success), Taleem (Education), Hunar (Skills), Rozgar (Employment) and Khudmukhtari (Self-determination). These seven areas of service all contribute to the main goal of enabling PWDs to live independent, financially secure, and empowered lives.
Other notable organizations include KDSP, working to empower individuals with Down syndrome while ConnectHear works for deaf inclusion in Pakistan.
Towards an Inclusive Economic Future
Recently, Pakistan took a major step towards promoting inclusive hiring by organizing the first Reverse Career Expo 2025 held at the National Aerospace Science & Technology Park (NASTP). The event reimagined the traditional career fair by placing persons with disabilities in personalized booths where they showcased their skills while recruiters visited and engaged in live interviews. Over 450 companies took part in the career expo, setting a positive example that workplaces in Pakistan are ready to commit to inclusion, diversity, and equity.
Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) should be mainstreamed instead of segregated from the social and economic spheres. Disability should be integrated into all development initiatives with a special focus on economic empowerment. While employment quotas are a step in the right direction, they should be supplemented with other proactive measures such as placement services, technical advice, and workplace support to promote labour force participation of PWDs.
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The views and opinions expressed in this article/paper are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial position of Paradigm Shift.
Jawairiya is a final-year Development Studies student at Bahria University Karachi with a passion for social justice, inclusive development, and community empowerment.