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] Welcome to the first edition of the APCD's newsletter. The primary aim of this newsletter is to introduce the APCD to the global community, particularly, the Asia-Pacific Region. First and foremost, on behalf of the APCD project team, it is a great honor for us to receive congratulatory messages from 4 VIPs; Prime Minister of Thailand, Japanese Ambassador to Thailand, Executive Secretary of ESCAP, Member of the House of Representatives and representatives from related organizations. This Center, we believe, is the first of its kind in the region. The idea of establishing the Asia-Pacific Regional Center on Disability is important and timely. You may know, almost 400 million of people with disabilities reside in this region with most being excluded from education, employment, and information and communication technology. Moreover, they still face stigmatization and discrimination.
This newsletter, thus, reflects the overall goal of this Center, promotion of the empowerment of people with disabilities and a barrier-free society in developing countries in the Asia and Pacific Region. With these in mind, apart from congratulatory messages, it features activities including our training, seminars, and news relevant to disability issues and socially disadvantaged groups. Hopefully, the pertinent information will be of interest to those who are engaged in disability issues. In order to ensure that our newsletter meets your diverse needs and is up-to-date, your ideas and constructive comments are welcome. Please keep in touch with us. Finally, we hope that this newsletter can serve as a means for continuous information-exchange along with an ongoing and long-lasting cooperation between the APCD staff and the public. In addition, it is a milestone for future collaboration and will play a significant part in making a difference to the lives of people with disabilities in this region.
Thank you very much.
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