Blog 14 of Nusrat Zerin_My Journey with Friendship’s Accessible Boats Connecting the Chars through Inclusion and Care.docx

Through the accessible boats in the char areas, I have seen how a simple, practical solution can bring hope and inclusion for poor, climate-impacted children and persons with disabilities.
This initiative has shown me that accessibility truly changes lives, connecting isolation to opportunity, and turning challenges into progress. My new write up.
My blogs can be found in the link below:
https://disabilityinclusion2.wordpress.com
#Accessibility #FDIDP #FriendshipNGO #DisabilityInclusion #CBR #UNCRPD #Bangladesh #ClimateVulnerability #InclusiveDevelopment

1. Blog post on Disability and Development by Nusrat Zerin
An Educationist, Inclusion Practitioner & Disability Development Professional
2025
Title:
My Journey with Friendship’s Accessible Boats: Connecting the Chars through Inclusion and
Care
By
Nusrat Zerin
Educationist, inclusion specialist & Disability Development Professional
2025
When I joined Friendship NGO in November 2022, I had no idea how deeply the experience
would touch my heart and transform my understanding of disability inclusion. I had previously
worked with Sightsavers, Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), and Helen Keller
International, where I learned and contributed to disability-inclusive initiatives. But all those
experiences were based on the mainland.
When I first started working in the Friendship Disability Inclusive Development Programme
(FDIDP), I stepped into the world of chars, the remote river islands of Bangladesh for the very
first time. Life here is fragile, unpredictable, and full of daily challenges due to floods, erosion,
and isolation. But what I found most striking was the resilience of the people, especially families
who live with and care for children and persons with disabilities.
One of the most beautiful and impactful innovations I have witnessed and worked with in these
three years is the disability-inclusive accessible boats under the FDIDP project in Gaibandha and
Kurigram regions. These boats carry children and persons with disabilities from disconnected
chars to our physiotherapy centres on the mainland. Since our physiotherapists cannot carry
heavy therapeutic equipment across the river every day, these boats make it possible for
beneficiaries to access therapy services regularly and safely.
Inside the centres, we have created special Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (NDD) corners,
where children with different types of neuro disabilities and disorders receive therapy and care.
Mothers also gather here for group sessions, such as awareness discussions, group feeding
sessions for children with cerebral palsy, and sensory stimulation activities. The children receive
Sherborne therapy, speech therapy, balance and toy-based exercises, use assistive devices, and
enjoy music and color-based stimulation. Our committed physiotherapists not only provide
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2. centre-based care but also visit homes for door-to-door therapy, ensuring no child or adult with
disability is left behind.
The accessible boats are truly unique. Each one has wide ramps with railings, color-contrasted
edges, comfortable seats, and stairs designed to ensure safe access for people with mobility,
visual, and multiple disabilities. There is even a toilet onboard, which is essential for long
journeys. The boats are beautifully painted in red, yellow, blue, and white — colors that not only
improve visibility for low vision persons but also bring sensory joy to children with
neurodevelopmental disorders. Some children feel calm seeing these colors, others feel more
lively and cheerful. The journey itself becomes a part of their therapy joyful, engaging, and full
of meaning.
For many families, this service has been life-changing. In distant chars, sometimes only one local
boat travels to the mainland, and if someone misses it, they cannot reach the mainland the
entire day. This isolation often prevents persons with disabilities from getting timely therapy
and care. Now, with our accessible boat service, the service-seeking behavior has improved
remarkably. Families feel confident and happy knowing that their children can regularly reach
the therapy centres.
FDIDP also provides assistive devices to beneficiaries based on their individual needs. Together,
these efforts have made a real difference in the lives of some of the most climate-impacted,
marginalized people in Bangladesh, people who were once invisible to national systems and
surveys. Many of them never even knew they had rights as citizens.
Through this unique experience, I have come to realize the importance of reaching those who
live beyond the mainland, where roads end and rivers begin. Working here has shown me the
true meaning of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR), not just as a concept from WHO, but as
a living practice that changes lives every day.
The accessible boats are not just a means of transportation. They are a bridge connecting
isolation to opportunity, disability to dignity, and exclusion to empowerment.
For me, this journey has been a privilege to work with such a dedicated and compassionate
team, to see smiles returning to the faces of mothers and children, and to witness real inclusion
happening in the remotest parts of Bangladesh. I believe this model can inspire many others
who want to work for people with disabilities in hard-to-reach communities.
These initiatives contribute directly to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs):
SDG 1: No Poverty
SDG 2: Zero Hunger
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3. SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
SDG 4: Quality Education
SDG 5: Gender Equality
SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy
SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
SDG 13: Climate Action
SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Inclusion on the chars is no longer just a dream, it is becoming a reality, one accessible boat at a
time. Through these efforts, children and persons with disabilities from the most remote river
islands are now able to reach therapy and care and it gives them hope.
Working with FDIDP has shown me that real change is possible when care, commitment, and
innovation come together. I am sharing this experience to inspire others to help them
understand the needs, challenges, and possibilities that exist in the chars of Bangladesh. Every
small step toward accessibility brings us closer to an inclusive society where no one is left
behind.
#FriendshipNGO #FDIDP #DisabilityInclusion #CBR #WHO #UNCRPD #Accessibility
#Physiotherapy #AssistiveDevices #InclusiveDevelopment #Bangladesh #NDD
#NeurodevelopmentalDisabilities #CharAreas #InclusionInAction #disabilityinclusion
#disabilityrights #accessibleboats #chars #rehabilitation
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