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] [ ] [ ] One hundred persons participated in the Suoi Tien (Spring Fairy) campaign trip supported by Eden Social Welfare Foundation (Taiwan). In November, the Club sent members to attend a workshop on "Gender and Women with Disabilities" in Hanoi and received six scholarships for disabled students and pupils sponsored by the Canadian Foundation. In December, the Club took part in ASEAN Trade Villages I organized in Tao Dan Park, Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho International Market Fair on agriculture.
(Source: Disability Forum)
The National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (NECTEC), aided by a research team at Prince of Songkla University, has developed a Braille notebook - a special notebook computer for blind persons.
(Source: The Nation)
The Hongkou District government paid for Deaf and Mute people to learn computer skills necessary to set up and maintain their own online diaries, or blogs, to promote and improve understanding between disabled persons and the outside world.
The blogging course, is part of regular vocational training courses organized by the Hongkou District Deaf and Mute Association.
Teachers used sign language to teach students how to set up their own blog site, either on a commercial or special site for the deaf and mute, and how to add new entries and publish online.
"We are trying to help the hearing and speaking disabled breakdown communication barriers and catch up with information in the modern world outside," Fei Feng, Chairman of the Association, also a deaf-and-mute person, told Shanghai Daily.
"By reading our blog, people learned that deaf and mute people have an equally complete and complicated inside world, the same as normal healthy people," Fei said. Blog.cndeaf.com is one of the most popular blog Websites for deaf and mute persons.
(Source: Beijing Times)
The issue of the rights and participation of persons with disabilities in regard to employment has poignantly come to the fore in recent years, as the international community gears itself towards finalizing and adopting a comprehensive international agreement on the rights of persons with disabilities.
(Source: www.bangkokpost.com/250106_News/25Jan2006_news17.php)
Lahore Marathon 2006 hosted 23,000 athletes from around the world. This annual event included athletes in 3 different categories; professional, amateur and persons with disabilities. Participants came from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya and Nepal as well as 60 disabled athletes from Sindh (Southern Pakistan), creating history as they traveled more than 1800 km by road from Karachi to Lahore to participate in this sports festival. It was the longest trip by road in the history of the Pakistani disability movement.
(Source: DPI-Asia Pacific)
Persons with disabilities who gathered at United Nations Headquarters from around the world to negotiate the firstever convention on their rights, expressed confidence that the session paved the way for a full agreement guaranteeing protection and preventing discrimination; but they said, it was just the beginning of their battle for equality.
(Source: www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=17353&Cr=disab&Cr1)
The Thai Autism Vocational Center held training for parents and teachers of autistic children on "Organizing Activities to Develop the Movement Skills of Autistic and Children with Learning Disabilities".
(Source: Thai Autism Vocational Center)
On 12 February 2006, British Council Pakistan and Aga Khan Social Welfare Board for Pakistan arranged a program "DISABILITY: a Valuable Resource in the Work Place", an interactive dialogue with civil society at Aga Khan University Auditorium. This provided exposure of the deaf community's problem, especially in the education field, and interpreters; they requested the kind consideration of the Minister for Social Welfare and Special Education. A meeting with the Director of the British Council followed with discussion on problems faced by the deaf community since Pakistani deaf students have no opportunity for higher education.
(Source: Pakistan Association of the Deaf)
The government developed a National Action Plan to ensure smooth implementation and coordination of programmes, services and facilities for disabled persons. It is to ensure the rights and, full and fair participation of the disabled in all aspects of life, to realize the objectives of national development and create the concept of a "society for all".
Authorities announced that a nationwide survey starting from April helped determine government strategies and policies to help the disabled persons. The China Disabled Persons' Federation and a number of State agencies conducted the survey, involving 2.6 million people in 31 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities, until the end of May. The survey provided greater input regarding the cause of disabilities and reliable data and analysis for prevention. It provides information such as the regional distribution of disabled people, the causes of their disabilities and the type of medical treatment they receive.
(Source: www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2006-02/15/content_520502.htm)
The Fiji Disabled Peoples Association read a copy of People with Disabilities and the Bill of Rights for People with a Disability to learn more about their rights. A full-colour booklet printed in Braille and a documentary filmed on VHS tape, DVD and VCD were launched. The resources focused on two main areas; certain sections of Chapter four of the Constitution and its relevance to people with a disability and provides information about what they can do if their rights are violated.
(Source: www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=37612)
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment advised all Central Government Ministries/Departments that voluntary organizations working under them must follow the rules which provide for reservations for persons with disabilities. The Ministry has advised all Central Government Ministries to follow the reservation for persons with disabilities on the lines indicated by the Government of India while sanctioning grant-in-aid to various voluntary organizations working under them.
(Source: www.newkerala.com/news2.php?action=fullnews&aid=23213)
Disabled Peoples' International Asia-Pacific Region (DPI-AP) organized the 2nd Symposium on the Development of Law and Legislation for Persons with Disabilities at the Office of DPI-AP Regional Office. The objective of the Symposium was to create more understanding and knowledge on working in the disability field with a focus on sharing experiences and observations.
(Source: DPI-AP Regional Office)
Net Systems Informatics India, a company specializing in "accessibility," intends to make the world of business accessible for persons with disabilities. The company conducts workshops in order to create awareness and impart knowledge about accessibility. Some of the accessibility designing courses it offers are: websites, software, e-Learning in Flash, accessible Window applications using Visual Basic.NET, etc. In addition, Net Systems offers "access audit," a usability survey by disabled persons, services like Braille labels plus printing of visiting cards, menu cards, books in Braille, etc. The company provides training for its personnel on how to work effectively with disabled persons in different situations.
(Source: Techtree News)
Snowwood, a Chennai-based mobile enabling software company, has made 'Software for the Handicapped'; customized according to the user's disability and it can be loaded on a mobile phone. A person who is mute or hearing impaired can adjust the software to become voice-enabled or visual, as necessary.
(Source: www.hindu.com/2006/03/16/stories/2006031617350300.htm)Parivaar, National Federation of Parents' Associations for Persons with a Mental Handicap, Autism, Cerebral Palsy and Multiple Disabilities, organized a National Seminar in collaboration with Inclusion International to facilitate discussion on links between poverty and disability, and address the issue in a holistic manner.
(Source: www.dnis.org/news.php?issue_id=4&volume_id=4&news_id=653)
International experts, disabled user groups, advocacy organizations, government bodies and academicians met to discuss the issue of accessible transport and issues related to it materializing in India. The Conference was organized by Samarthya, National Centre for Promotion of Barrier-free Environment for Disabled Persons, and organizations advocating a barrier-free environment, in collaboration with the Transportation Research and Injury Prevention Programme (T.R.I.P.P.) of the Indian Institute of Technology. T.R.I.P.P. coordinator, Dinesh Mohan said that mobility for all means mobility for all, not for a few. He said Delhi was progressing in the field of a barrier-free environment. He drew attention to the first disabled-friendly bus shelter, but added that much still needed to be done. As part of the Conference, some participants became the first sizeable group of wheelchair users to simultaneously board the disabled-friendly high capacity bus at Delhi's first disabled-friendly bus terminal dedicated to the public by Delhi Transport Minister Haroon Yusuf.
(Source: DNIS)
Computer courses for deaf and hearing impaired persons were conducted at the Uzbekistan-Japan Center (UJC) since January, 2005. Since then 8 courses at 4 levels (for beginners and more advanced users) have been completed by more than 60 participants. Since 12 participants have completed all levels during a 1-year period and a decision has been made to organize a trainers' preparation course. At the end of February, 2006 the 3 best graduates were selected to be independent trainers for the next beginners' course which started on 1 March 2006. They are now regular UJC employees. Another positive aspect is that the deaf trainers naturally realize the comprehension limitations of the students and can often give an easy-to-understand explanation by implementing their own specific methods which are unlikely to be used by trainers with normal hearing. For deaf participants taking a course conducted by deaf persons like themselves, there are a number of advantages such as easy direct contact with their trainers, elimination of a communication barrier as well as giving a feeling of confidence, that it is really possible for deaf people to reach such a high level of computer knowledge.
(Source: UJC Computer Courses Coordinator)
The Liliane Foundation Philippines held a 5-day National Convention on the Rights of Children and Youth with Disabilities in line with the 25th founding anniversary of the Liliane Foundation - Netherlands in cooperation with the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP). With the theme "Karapatan Namin Pangalaganaan Handog sa Kinabukasan ng Bayan" (Caring our Rights for the Future), the convention focused on the rights of children on survival, protection, development and participation in governance.
The convention's theme devoted to the rights of children with disabilities represents a powerful opportunity to challenge this invisibility. It can provide a high-profile focus on the rights of children with disabilities to social inclusions; the right not to be discriminated against on the grounds of their handicap. It may contribute to national awareness of the huge gulf between the principles and standards in the national policies as well as international mandates and the day-to-day realities of so many children's lives.
(Source: NCWDP)
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