A Call to Action: National Advocacy Initiative to Strengthen the Functions of District-level Disability Service Centers (Pratibandhi Shahajjo & Seba Kendro – SSK) in Bangladesh
Project Duration: 9 months (March - November 2025)
Implemented by: Bangladesh Disabled Development Trust (BDDT)
Media Partner: Dainik Dhaka Times
Supported by: Free Press Unlimited (FPU)
About the Project
District-level Disability Service Centers (PSOSKs) play a critical role in delivering services for persons with disabilities in Bangladesh. However, many centers face challenges such as staff shortages, accessibility barriers, limited infrastructure, and gaps in service delivery. To address these issues, BDDT implemented a national advocacy initiative aimed at strengthening SSK functions through evidence generation, stakeholder engagement, and policy advocacy.
The project adopted a participatory and evidence-based approach by collecting data from 32 SSKs across Bangladesh and facilitating dialogues among persons with disabilities, government officials, civil society organizations, media representatives, and experts. The initiative sought to identify service gaps, amplify the voices of persons with disabilities, and develop practical policy recommendations to improve disability services nationwide.
The project ultimately moved beyond documenting challenges and created pathways for sustained engagement with policymakers to influence long-term reforms in disability service delivery.
MoU Signing with Media Partner – Dainik Dhaka Times
Strategic Meeting with Media Partner – Dainik Dhaka Times
Strategic Meeting with Media Partner – Dainik Dhaka Times
What BDDT Has Done Under the Project?
Under this initiative, BDDT carried out a series of strategic interventions to strengthen disability service systems and improve advocacy for persons with disabilities. BDDT established a formal partnership with Dainik Dhaka Times to strengthen media-based advocacy. Dainik Dhaka Times not only supported investigative reporting and nationwide media coverage on disability service issues, but also increased public awareness and visibility of challenges affecting SSKs.
Why CSO-Media Collaboration?
BDDT's advocacy efforts can only achieve wider impact when the findings reach policymakers, service providers, and the general public. Through its partnership with media, particularly Dainik Dhaka Times, BDDT has been able to transform evidence collected from 32 district-level disability service centers (PSOSKs) into public discourse. Journalists participated directly in field data collection alongside BDDT representatives, which enhanced the credibility, transparency, and accuracy of the evidence gathered. Media reports helped expose service gaps, workforce shortages, infrastructure challenges, and accessibility barriers that persons with disabilities face. By publishing investigative stories, the media can always create public pressure on relevant government agencies to address these issues and implement reforms.
Roundtable discussions with stakeholders
Data collection from district-based PSOSKs
Advocacy proposal submission & follow-up meetings by BDDT