DHAKA, Nov 18, 2023 (BSS) - Eight percent people of the total population in
Bangladesh have disability, a study revealed here today.

Among the people with disability, seven percent people are male and nine
percent are female, according to the study revealed at a roundtable
discussion titled "Nationwide Assessment of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
(WASH) situation of persons with disabilities and older people in
Bangladesh."

Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (B-SCAN) organised the
roundtable discussion in collaboration with ICDDR,B at the Daily Star Centre
in the city, a press release said.

The study also finds a significantly higher prevalence (47%) among older
adults (70+ years) compared to those 59 years old (5.2%). To unravel the
multifaceted challenges in WASH accessibility, a detailed survey enrolled
2,378 individuals with and without disabilities.

The study highlighted that approximately half of the persons with
disabilities (48%) faced difficulties in personally collecting water from the
sources, while14% encountered difficulties accessing drinking water at home
when needed.

A majority (more than 90%) reported physical constraints as the primary
barrier, while 16% indicated dependency on caregivers, the study added. Most
households (77%) had access to basic sanitation facilities, but they lacked
inclusive features such as wheelchair-friendly entry paths (97%) and height-
adjustable pan/ commode (97%), easily accessible water (74%). As a result,
around 25% of persons with disabilities and older people come in contact with
urine or faeces while using toilets.

The population-based cross-sectional study, conducted from November 2022 to
October 2023, covered all eight divisions and 32 districts of Bangladesh. It
involved screening a total of 17,577 individuals from 6,457 urban and rural
households, to identify persons with disabilities.