Community Development for Peace (CDP) works to raise awareness in the society. This time CDP, along with the ACCESS Alumni Society Bangladesh, arranged a seminar for the handicapped students in the American Centre Auditorium, Dhaka 1212 Bangladesh on 10th September 2018. The main goal of this seminar was to motivate and enlighten the physically challenged people about their opportunities and facilities. 40 handicapped audiences participated in this seminar. A workshop was arranged for a focus group discussion to find out some solutions of the topics discussed. The chief guests delivered some lectures and a short documentary was shown about the opportunities of disabled persons in the USA. More than 500 million people in the world are disabled as a consequence of mental, physical or sensory impairment. Children with disabilities are almost four times more likely to experience violence than non-disabled children. Among them, 50% of disabled persons cannot afford health care, whereas they are entitled to the same rights as all other human beings and to equal opportunities. Too often their lives are handicapped by physical and social barriers in society which hamper their full participation. Because of this, millions of children and adults in all parts of the world often face a life that is segregated and debased. The central theme of this seminar is “Find Abilities through Disabilities” for the achievement of full participation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of social and economic life.

PLENARY 1: Welcome speech by Shohan Salek, Alumni Outreach Coordinator of The American Center, Dhaka
PLENARY 2: A brief of ACCESS and CDP activities by Muhammad Ferdaus, President of Access Alumni Society of Bangladesh.
He briefly explained about the Access Alumni Society of Bangladesh (AASB) (United States Alumni, Bangladesh) and their mission which is they aim to build up the most effective alumni relations activity and program by creating a community of language lovers, learners, and young leaders who believe in educated society can build Positive Bangladesh. The ACCESS Alumni get a chance to share their knowledge and experience in their community or society. Then he ended his speech by elaborating the abbreviation of CDP, Community Development for Peace
and its duties and also showed a positive hope to the physically challenged students to provide some help.

The workshop started, followed by a Muhammad Ferdaus speech at 10:30 a.m. There were 40 students of both the genders. The participants were so equally divided in each group. After the workshop the following problems were brought into light with their solutions:

Problem # 1: Communication Gap with friends, family members, relatives and neighbors as they are unable to understand the sign language or sometimes because many people can’t communicate in sign languages. And sometimes it also creates misunderstandings while communicating with others.
Solution: Provide training classes on sign language for better communication to the family members, relatives, friends and teachers.
b. Problem #2: Fewer Opportunities for Higher Education.
Solution: Build up more schools, Colleges and Universities for the special children and create a scope for higher education.
c. Problem #3: Despite having some lacking’s or disabilities, yet they do have some capabilities, but those are neglected by the society which demoralizes their confidence level.
Solution: Recognize their strength and capabilities and provide proper guidelines for a better future.

d. Problem#4: Fewer Job Opportunities.
Solution: There aren’t many job opportunities for the disabled people in our country which makes them a burden to the family and society.
e. Problem #5: Develop Digital Teaching Method
Solution: As the attended, participants were dumb (unable to speak) so they preferred
Audio Visual teaching method for better learning
f. Problem #6: Less scope for recreation.
Solution: the children asked for some recreational activities in their leisure time for
some enjoyment, amusement and pleasure.

Problem #7: For Medical treatment need doctors and nurses who are expert in sign
languages
Solution: Most of the times these children fail to express their health conditions to the
doctors.
h. Problem #8: Unable to follow the traffic rules and use public transport.
Solution: Due to having some disabilities these children face problems while walking on
roads, using transportation. They even sometimes get beaten by people as they can’t
understand spoken or hear.
i. Problem #9: Girls Get Abused or Harassed
Solution: as these children are unable to speak many people take that as an advantage
and sexually abuse or harass these girls as they are aware of the fact that these girls
can’t say complain against these abusers.
j. Problem #10: Fewer numbers of computers are available for learning facilities.
Solution: the children are very eager to develop their skills in technology, but
unfortunately, they are deprived of it.

Problem #11: Fewer Female attendants available.
Solution: Increase the number of female attendants to attend disabled girls.
l. Problem #12: Conduct more Training programs regarding the physical changes in a body that occurs in adultery
Solution: Due to the hormonal changes the body reacts differently and mood swings
occur, but these children can’t recognize them properly for these some awareness and
knowledge sharing seminars should be held in the future.