APCD Mission Report
Mission to Pakistan
Karachi, Islamabad, Lahore
The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) sent a mission to Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore, Pakistan from 17-23 April 2004. In Karachi, the mission had a network meeting with 8 organizations for persons with disabilities to exchange disability-related information and each organizations' activities with APCD.
H.E. Mrs.Nilofer Bakhtiar, Adviser to the Prime Minister, Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare and Special Education
In Islamabad, it was an honour for the mission to meet with H.E. Mrs. Nilofer Bakhtiar, adviser to the Prime Minister, Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare, and Special Education as the focal point organization. The mission also visited the National Institute of Special Education, National Special Education Center for Visually Handicapped Children, National Institute of Hearing Handicapped, Pakistan Foundation for Fighting Blindness, Al-Maktoom Special Education Center for Visually Impaired Children, Darkshan School for the Blind Girls (Rawalpindi), Hostel for Hearing Impaired Children, and the Sir Syed Deaf Association.In addition, the mission joined the National Seminar on Disability in Islamabad organized by Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) - Pakistan from 21 to 22 April 2004 to present the activities of APCD. During the Seminar, the APCD Information Support team exchanged information with "Special", a Disability Magazine in Pakistan, and were very impressed with their information networking.
APCD Team with representatives of organizations for PWDs in Karachi
The mission visited the Pakistan Independent Living (IL) Center named "Milestone" in Lahore, which is an independent living center established less than one year ago with training courses in Peer Counseling, Personal Attendants, IL Managing as well as Information Services.
Mission to Malaysia
Wai Kuen Dance Studio
APCD had a mission to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from 8-12 June 2004 to build a network and collaborate with disability-related governmental and non-governmental organizations. This mission included the Human Resources Development (Training Implementation) follow-up mission with former APCD trainees.
Minister and Officers of the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development
The APCD team was most honored to meet with the Honorable Dato' Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jali, Minister of the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development and high-level officials on disability-concerned issues, of whom all showed interest towards APCD's activities promoting a barrier-free society and empowerment for persons with disabilities.The team visited various organizations, such as the Rehabilitation Services Division under the Department of Social Welfare, Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development, which acts as the National Coordinating Council on Disability in Malaysia;they also visited the Bangi Industrial Training and Rehabilitation Center which provides comprehensive facilities and services for physically disabled persons to enable them to receive medical rehabilitation and vocational training to increase their ability to work.This Center also includes training for medical professions in the field. Other meetings were with related organizations and the City Hall of Kuala Lumpur promoting a non-handicapping environment for persons with disabilities by the Kulliyyah of Architecture and Environmental Design, International Islamic University Malaysia, where one faculty member is promoting a barrier-free environment.
APCD team with members of the Malaysian Confederation of the Disabled.
APCD visited various organizations of/for Persons with Disabilities in Malaysia such as the Malaysian Confederation of the Disabled, National Council for the Blind in Malaysia, Malaysian Christian Association for Relief, Society of the Blind of Malaysia, Society of the Chinese Disabled Persons of Malaysia, Beautiful Gate Disabled People Caring Independent Living Center, and the Wai Kuen Dance Studio.
The APCD HRD team conducted a Monitoring Workshop to develop networking among ex-trainees and conduct individual interviews to follow-up their performance after their training.
