With a lack of accurate statistics and data there are varying estimates for the number of disabled people in Pakistan. There is no specific data on the employment status of persons with disabilities, but a World Bank report estimated that 71 per cent of disabled people in Pakistan are unemployed. There are both direct and indirect economic implications of the exclusion of persons with disabilities from employment.
This research aims to develop an understanding of the perceptions and experiences of, and identifying key challenges faced by, young persons with disabilities in the areas of education, training and employability skills that allow access to work and self-employment. It also helps develop a preliminary perspective of the demand side by considering the views and inputs from stakeholders/key informants, and sector specialists including government representatives, employers and educationists.
The report provides a situational analysis of the challenges facing young persons with disabilities in Pakistan, strives to gauge the existing gaps between supply and demand, and generate discussion on how these might be mitigated.