The government is working to ensure that people with disabilities can access public services and exercise their rights on an equal footing with other citizens, State Minister for Health MA Muhit has said.

The government views the rights and services of persons with disabilities not as charity, but as constitutional and civic rights, Muhit said on Thursday while speaking at a health ministry event.

He said an integrated action plan involving several ministries was being developed to ensure equal rights for people with disabilities.

A programme to identify children with disabilities and provide them with healthcare has already begun at Korail slum in Dhaka, he said.

He said coordinated efforts by different ministries had already brought progress in several areas.

Persons with disabilities are now entitled to a 25 percent fare discount on all classes of Bangladesh Railway trains and on the metro rail, he said.

Authorities have also instructed that all newly built railway stations include disability-friendly facilities.

Muhit said accessibility should extend beyond ramps and other physical infrastructure.

From buying tickets and boarding vehicles to using toilets, every stage of a journey should be made easier and more accessible for people with disabilities, he said.