Regional News
- The First Women with Disabilities Pasifika Forum
7-9 December 2003
Suva, Fiji -
The Forum focused on building the capacity of women with disabilities in the Pacific, and promoting their equal rights and full participation in the development and implementation of national, regional, and international initiatives pertaining to women and disability. It was funded by the Global Funds for Women attended by 15 women from Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Zealand, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, and Tuvalu.
Participants were encouraged to share their personal experiences and focus on their strengths and capacity to change the situation of Pacific women with disabilities at the local, national and regional levels. The Forum preceded a planning meeting of the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF), the advocacy organization for persons with disabilities, and their partners in the Pacific region. Participants of the First Women with Disabilities Pasifika Forum were able to also attend the PDF meeting, held from 10-12 December 2003, in Suva, Fiji. This provided an opportunity for the women with disabilities Pasifika Forum to present a declaration to PDF, strongly affirming the need to have a distinctive voice of women with disabilities within the Pacific Disability Forum.
Since the Forum was held, a Network of women with disabilities Pasifika has been launched, and is actively functioning with information exchange, facilitating planning and organizing significant upcoming events for women and women with disabilities in the region. "Let us rise with the sun each morning to work constructively in setting our place in society where we rightfully belong".By Sainimili Tawake Veresoni
- Expansion of Schools for the Deaf and Blind in China
14 April 2004
China -
Disabled children, including deaf and blind children, will attend school free of charge in the capital of South China's Guangdong Province from September 2005.
Currently, two special schools, one for the deaf and one for the blind, have expanded from 26, 000 to 40, 000 square metres respectively.
The second plenary session of the 12th Guangzhou People's Congress held late last month highlighted the need to focus more on education of the disabled. The city needs to establish a"life-long education system" for persons with disabilities.
(From the International Deaf Children's Society, 14 April 2004) - Information and Communication Technology (ICT)Fair
17-18 April 2004
Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam -
An ICT Fair on"Web Design for Visually Impaired Persons" and"Forum on Integration of Persons with Disabilities in Society" was held in Ho Chi Minh City. The Sao Mai Center for Blind Persons introduced a web browser for blind persons to read the news, literature, etc. on Vietnamese websites.
- National Seminar on Disability
21-22 April 2004
Islamabad, Pakistan -
National Seminar on Disability at the National Library
This seminar,"Towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free, and Rights-based Society for Persons with Disabilities" was organized by Disabled Peoples' International Pakistan in collaboration with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, Pakistan. It provided participants with an opportunity to build up individual and organizational capacities in order to promote and achieve equality and full participation for persons with disabilities, with an emphasis on their integration as implementers and community development workers in relevant national development efforts.
Participants included government officers from the Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare, and Special Education, representatives from disability-related non-governmental organizations, and representatives from APCD. The Honorable Ms. Nilofer Baktier, advisor to the Prime Minister for Ministry of Women Development, Social Welfare, and Special Education presided at the closing ceremony at the Al-Farabi Special Education Center for Physically Disabled Children and assured participants of the Government's support for a better life for Persons with Disabilities in Pakistan. The Islamabad Declaration was adopted.
- Conference on the Universal Transportation and Road Design: Strategies for Success
23-26 May 2004
Hamamatsu, Japan -
The 10th International Conference in Mobility and Transport for Elderly and Disabled People (TRANSED)was designed to help promote national and local transportation and development policies related to the needs of people with reduced mobility. TRANSED 2004 served the purpose of enabling international delegates to exchange their experiences of strategies and successful implementations. As the first TRANSED conference in Asia, this milestone event will act as a catalyst to accelerate development of universal transportation and road design in Asian countries.
(Reference: http://transed.jp/en/theme.html) - Regional Meeting on Rights-Based Approach to Disability Understandings & Practices
25-28 June 2004
ADD Training Centre, Rajshahi, Bangladesh -
The regional meeting organized by Action on Disability and Development (ADD), Bangladesh, aims to promote a Regional Network to strengthen the emerging peoples' centered empowerment models of persons with disabilities from the bottom up and for the proclamation of their human rights. Disabled people from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, and Pakistan joined the regional meeting. India gave a presentation on the status of persons with disabilities (PWDs)and actions that have been implemented for them. Nepal's presentations focused on the Disabled Human Rights Center (DHRC)in Nepal, which is a National Disability Human Rights Advocacy Organization, a self-help organization working for the rights of PWDs and is a registered non-governmental organization. Mr. Gulam Nabi Nizamani, DPI-Pakistan coordinator and representative of Pakistan presented their National Policy and programs on disability. The Cambodian team made a presentation on"the Disability Movement in Cambodia" followed by Bangladesh giving a presentation on the status of PWDs in Bangladesh, including the implementations of the Action on Disability and Development, Bangladesh by the Bangladesh Protibandhi Kallyan Somity (Bangladesh Organization for the Welfare of the Disabled), and the National Grassroots' Disability Federation. A field visit was organized for participants to visit the ADD projects in Rajshahi and Natore. The outcome of the regional meeting was mainly on self-help groups (SHGs), the role of leaders in the field, linking with local government and mobilized resources, and having DPOs track a rights-based approach.
]Camellia: A Disabled Flower
Why a"disabled flower"?
There's a story about a six year old deaf girl who enjoyed the colorful varieties of flowers in her backyard. Her favourite one was the white camellia. She asked her mother why the camellia flower has no scent. Since her mother's explanation didn't make sense to her, she innocently signed, asking,"Is it broken? Broken just like my ears?" Her mother reassured her that camellia flowers just are that way. Puzzled, the little girl asked "This flower's not broken" It's O. K. ?My ears aren't broken?They're O. K. too." Suddenly, she realized that deafness itself can be as lovely a camellia flower with a special characteristic. Her self-esteem soared to new heights and she blossomed into a beautiful person, accepting herself as she was.
Progress of the APCD Building Construction
The construction of APCD's buildings which began in September, 2003 is in the final stage with 87%of the construction work completed. It is scheduled to be fully completed and functioning by December, 2004.
Overview of the APCD's Building
APCD's Administrative Building
APCD's Training & Accommodation Building
Regional News:Upcoming Events
July-September 2004
- International Federation of the Hard of Hearing People (IFHOH)7th World Congress
4-9 July 2004
Helsinki, Finland -
The theme of the conference is accessible communication, from the perspective of hardware and software for accessible communication, treatment, rehabilitation, life occupations, education, self-help, and lobbying. There will be an exhibition on accessible communication presenting the latest 17 achievements and personal aids.
- The 12th World Conference of the International Council for Education of People with Visual Impairments (ICEVI)
16-21 July 2004
Putra World Trade Centre
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia -
This conference focuses on three main topics: 1)Multiple Disabled Visually Impaired Persons 2)Low Vision, and 3)Early Childhood Intervention.
- National Seminar on Community-based Rehabilitation
17 July 2004
Dhaka, Bangladesh -
(Visit http://www.csidnetwork.org for more details)
- Third National Training Course in Community-based
Rehabilitation (CBR)for Programme Coordinators
20-30 July 2004
Lucknow, India -
This course is organized by"Sabala" ((meaning celebrating abilities), a disability initiative of Action Aid India envisioning an inclusive society with no discrimination where every person with a disability has the right to a life with dignity. Sabala works towards empowering people with disabilities and ending discrimination by ensuring that they are visible, their voices heard, and their rights and entitlements honored through a community-based approach. This 10-day training is for Program Coordinators of organizations involved in development and disability initiatives through community- based approaches. The Course will equip participants with an appropriate attitude, knowledge, and skills necessary to plan, co-ordinate, and monitor a community-based initiative for persons with disabilities focusing on a rights-based approach.
(For more information, e-mail:disabblr@actionaidindia.org) - Second Women with Disabilities Pasifika Forum
26-27 July 2004
Nadi, Fiji -
This forum follows the First Women with Disabilities Pasifika Forum, which was held in Suva, Fiji last year. Participants of this upcoming forum will be members of the Network of Women with Disabilities especially from the Pacific-Oceania area.
(For more information, please contact e-mail: dpioceania@connect.com.fj) - Mainstreaming and Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in Southern Africa
28 July - 21 August 2004
Tokyo, Japan and Bangkok, Thailand -
Countries in the Southern African region have been strengthening activities for empowering persons with disabilities in the"African Decade of Disabled Persons, 2000-2009". However, prejudice and discrimination against persons with disabilities still remain deeply rooted in society with very limited opportunities for education and employment, and serious marginalization.
It is very important to enhance the linkages and cooperation among countries in the Southern African region, as set out in the New African Initiative to promote development of their human resources and support for persons with disabilities.
This training course was launched in the fiscal year of 2002 and will continue through the fiscal year 2006, targeting 10 countries in the Southern African Federation of the Disabled, a network institution of disability-related organizations. It strives to build the capacity of Disabled Peoples' Organizations to effectively promote the mainstreaming and empowerment of persons with disabilities, in support of the goals of the"African Decade of Disabled Persons, 2000-2009."
Participants of this course will also join the seminar for South-to-South Cooperation for the Decade of Peoples with Disabilities: An Orientation to APCD on 17 August 2004 in Bangkok, Thailand.
- Art for All
29 July 2004
UNCC, Bangkok -
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP)will host the annual"Art for All" event at the UN Conference Center in Bangkok on the 29 July 2004 in collaboration with the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University, the Thai Ministry of Culture, the Ministry of Education, and the Government Lottery Office. It brings together children with and without disabilities through integrated programs of visual, performing arts, and literary arts.
- Pacific Disability Forum
28-30 July 2004
Nadi, Fiji - Fourth National Asian Deaf Conference
4-8 August 2004
Honolulu, Hawaii -
The Deaf of the Pacific Rim and the National Asian Deaf Congress will host this event at the Renaissance Ilikai Waikiki Hotel, Honolulu HI.
(Visit http://www.nadc-usa.org for more details.) - Fourth Session of the Ad Hoc Committee on a Comprehensive and Integral International Convention on Protection and Promotion of the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities
23 August to 3 September 2004
United Nations Headquarters, New York City -
It has been decided that the Ad Hoc Committee would hold a fourth session prior to the 59th Session of the General Assembly from 23 August-3 September 2004. At its third session, the Ad Hoc Committee decided to forward to its fourth session for its consideration, a compilation of proposed revisions and amendments made by the members of the Ad Hoc Committee to the draft text presented by the Working Group as a basis for negotiations by Member States and Observers in the Ad Hoc Committee of the draft Convention.
(Visit http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/rights/ for more details.) - Disabled Peoples' International (DPI)World Summit
8-10 September 2004
Winnipeg, Canada -
The DPI World Summit is focusing on three principal themes: Women, Youth, and Indigenous and Arab disabled groups. They are expecting approximately 1, 000 participants from over 100 countries to attend. Keynote world-class speakers committed to the advancement of human rights for persons with disabilities who are well-known international human rights activists, prominent government officials and community leaders will be featured. A global village will share experiences and resources, and expression of unique disabilities through dance, theatre, and art.
(Visit http://summit.dpi.org for more details.) - UN ESCAP Subcommittee on Socially Vulnerable Groups
9-11 September 2004
UNCC, Bangkok -
The Committee on Emerging Social Issues shall be responsible to the Commission for assisting members and associate members in meeting the theme objective of designing and implementing effective policies and strategies to promote equal opportunities for the productive participation of all social groups and the overall improvement of the quality of life.
- 3rd Joint International Congress on Disability and Biophilia Rehabilitation Conference
16-18 September 2004
Manila, Philippines -
The objective of the Conference is to provide a forum for research presentations and updates relating to rehabilitation of people with disabilities of all ages. Target groups of the Conference are Individuals with Disabilities, Parents and Families of Individuals with Disabilities, Special Education Teachers/Specialists, Regular Classroom Teachers, School Administrators, College/University Administrators/Professors, Speech Therapists, audiologists, and Employers.
(Visit http://www.biophilia.info/manila for more information.) - UN ESCAP Workshop on Disability Statistics and Measurement
27-29 September, 2004
UNCC, Bangkok -
UN ESCAP will organize the Second Workshop on Disability Statistics and Measurement following the First Workshop, which was held in May, 2004. The workshop will cover the following activities and tasks:
Report from countries about progress on action plans, e. g. user discussions and needs, changes, improvements, etc.
- Report on country decision about collection vehicle, e. g. whether census, full survey or module will be used for next data collection
- Discussion of standard questions and modules for testing by countries
- Further training in question formulation, testing and interview techniques
- Training in how to bring existing registers in line with ICF
(Visit http://www.unescap.org/stat/meet/widsm1/widsm1_plan2ws.asp for more information.)
