Publication > Newsletter > Newsletter 16 > APCD Mission Report

APCD Mission Report

1) Mission to Cambodia
9 -12 May 2006

Field Visit in Phnom Penh The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) Mission organized a follow-up workshop for APCD ex-trainees with the objectives to 1) help strengthen the capacity of APCD's Associate Organizations to which high-profile APCD ex-trainees of Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) and Self-help Groups (SHG) of People with Disabilities, Web-based Information Networking (WBN) and Information and Communication Technology for Visually Impaired Persons (VIPs) belong, by enhancing their insight for effectiveness and sustainability of their projects and 2) network and collaborate among former trainees and other relevant organizations to facilitate a significant impact.

The mission team was divided into two teams. Team A conducted a follow-up workshop in cooperation with the National Center for Disabled Persons (NCDP) from 10-12 May 2006 to monitor 12 high-profile ex-trainees of CBR and SHG from the Department of Rehabilitation, Cambodia Trust, Veteran International Cambodia, CARITAS Cambodia, National Center of Disabled Persons, and Cambodia Disabled Peoples' Organization. These ex-trainees have been monitored actively since returning from their APCD training by facilitating the national disability policy development on SHG of PWDs, promoting participation of more persons with disabilities and community people in their CBR project, supporting PWD at the grassroots level to develop their own SHG, networking with relevant organizations to improve their activities.

Team B conducted a follow-up workshop for 4 APCD ICT ex-trainees from 10-12 May 2006 with support from the Association of the Blind in Cambodia. All 4 gave a 15 - minute presentation on their post training activities and provided hands-on training facilitated by Mr. Wiraman Niyomphol, APCD's ICT Resource Person.

As for the networking and collaboration among ex-trainees, the Association of the Blind in Cambodia is planning to develop a website to help each other make information accessible. For example, Mr. Srey will create more links to other APCD ex-trainees' organization websites and use the DAC website as a tool for disability-related information sharing and service referring. The ICT for VIP group is collaborating to develop a curriculum, create a textbook, identify the difficulties encountered and the need to conduct ICT for VIP.

The Mission met with DAC to follow up on the networking and collaboration since DAC strongly wishes to collaborate with APCD as a focal point organization.

2) Mission to the Philippines
15-19 May 2006

APCD Director sharing information The Mission participated in the "Webmasters' Interface on Accessible ICT for Persons with Disabilities' Workshop" organized by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP) held from 16 -18 May 2006 in Cebu City.

The objectives of the workshop were to 1) facilitate sharing of experiences and the contributions of participants in promoting accessible ICT for persons with disabilities, and assess the impact of the Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao Workshops on Accessible ICT, 2) update the participants on the latest trends on Accessible ICT, 3) prepare a national action plan for 2006-2007 on how to best advocate and implement accessible ICT for persons with disabilities, 4) develop a dynamic network of accessible ICT advocates that will boost an accessible ICT for all, and 5) formulate National standards, guidelines, and policies on web accessibility.

Sixty webmasters from the 3 provinces attended the workshop. Mr. Raksak Chairanjuansakun, APCD Resource Person, provided a presentation on the "Web Accessibility Situation in the Asia and the Pacific" and "DAISY: Digital Talking Book". Ms. Nelia De Jesus, former APCD WBN participant & the NCWDP Technical Cooperation Center Chief, coordinated and supervised the workshop program. Ms. Nelia improved and supported the NCWDP website to become accessible and informative. As an outcome of the workshop, the participants declared the "Manifesto of Commitment to Provide Accessible ICT for Persons with Disabilities", and adopted the "Manila Accessible ICT Design Recommendations" as an important guideline for accessible ICT and pledged to be advocates of accessible ICT for All.

In addition to this mission, APCD monitored former APCD participants for the ICT for All and Independent Living training. Participants from the Philippines Braille Printing House, Resource for the Blind, and NCWDP were interviewed. They shared their training experiences and knowledge with colleagues, supervisors, and other related organizations including the public.

From the Independent Living training, Ms. Ruiz Geradine, Executive Director of HACI shared her knowledge with HACI IL team members. As the Executive Director of HACI, she works on 1) establishing an Independent Living Center (ILC), 2) surveying of severely disabled persons, 3) coordinating with doctors from the Philippines Academy of Rehabilitation Medicine (PARM) and 4) advocating IL for Cebu City Development Council and Cebu Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons.

As an outcome of the three series of training, NCWDP in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare and Development is planning to expand this effort to ASEAN.

3) Mission to Viet Nam
23-27 May 2006

Mission at the Disability Forum The main purpose of this mission was to follow-up with the focal point organization, associate organizations, ex-trainees and gather information. One ex-trainee established an Association in Hanoi, a cross-disability association and also joined her friend to make websites, which show and sell products of groups of persons with disabilities by many SHGs throughout Viet Nam.

APCD follow-up mission interviewed CBR ex-trainees in Danang and visited Chinh Gian sub-district health office, Thanh Khe District. During the visit, the Mission met with a group of persons with disabilities in the community along with a group of persons with disabilities working in a Guitar assembly workshop. The Mission also visited the Hoa Lien Commune, Hoa Vang District, where the People Steering Committee conducts CBR projects for the development of children with disabilities. A local seminar on "Sharing Experiences for Improvement of the CBR Program in Danang" was organized by the Danang Department of Health attended by 78 participants.

Ex-trainees of the ICT trainings were monitored in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Mr. Pham Minh Quan, former ICT for VIP trainee from the Braille Printing Press. Ms. Dinh Viet Anh, former ICT for All participant, actively supported and promoted DAISY production. Former ICT training participants from Ho Chi Minh City have successfully promoted information networking and the use of ICT for persons with disabilities in their organizations and to the society.

APCD strengthened a collaborative relationship with NCCD, APCD's focal point to further develop persons with disabilities between both organizations. In addition, the APCD mission exchanged information with the Disability Forum on the current situation of the disability issues in Viet Nam APCD also visited the Hanoi Club of Women with Disabilities which focuses on the living standard of women with disabilities and job placement.

4) Mission to Malaysia
31 May - 3 June 2006

Mission team with Dr. Asiah Abdul Rahim APCD collaborated with a disability-related project under the JICA-Malaysia Office by training 5 persons with disabilities on IL and peer-counseling. The project was organized by Dr. Kenji Kuno, Chief Advisor who supported these ex-trainees by organizing a 1 week domestic training on IL and peer-counseling. The first day was a seminar for 30 officials from the Department of Social Welfare to understand the basic concept so that they can become effective supporters for IL; the second day was leaders with disabilities of 2 relevant NGOs, Beautiful Gate and Double Blessing to facilitate the IL movement and 3-day intensive training for 13 selected persons with disabilities to become peer-counselors. Ms. Kanitta Kamolwat, APCD Director and Mr. Suporntum Mongkolsawadi, APCD Executive Board and Resource Person of IL presented the IL implementation in Thailand.

Dr. Asiah Abdul Rahim, Associate Professor of the International Islamic University, a high-profile APCD ex-trainee on Non-Handicapping Environment (NHE), organized a NHE forum inviting approximately 30 persons from the federal and local governments, academic institutes on architecture and organizations of persons with disabilities. The Forum was an excellent opportunity for the participants to update their current work related to NHE, raise issues in a direct manner and discuss how to address these issues.

Through the IL monitoring meeting on 2 June 2006, the mission discovered that the group of ex-trainees has good teamwork and helps each other with IL activities. Through the active leadership of Beautiful Gate's Executive Director, various activities are being conducted to establish a solid foundation for a planned new IL Center. Although the IL movement has just started in Malaysia, APCD ex trainees have become a driving force promoting IL by empowering persons with disabilities at the grassroots level through peer-counseling and cooperating with a wider-range of non-disabled persons in society.

5) Mission to Fiji
10 - 15 June 2006

Participants of the ICT Training Workshop The mission participated as a resource person in the Pacific Sub-regional Information Communication Technology (ICT) Training Workshop for Persons with Disabilities organized by UNESCO and Fiji Disabled People Association (FDPA) in Nadi, Fiji held from 12 -14 June 2006 . Objectives of the workshop are to 1) train disabled persons' organizations (DPO) on the best ICT and adaptive devices for persons with disabilities, 2) train DPO on the formulation of appropriate inclusive ICT policy, and 3) expose DPO on effective use of ICT for disability advocacy programs. As an outcome of the workshop, DPOs effectively use ICT to increase public awareness and promote disability-related concerns. Eleven representatives of DPOs in 7 Pacific countries namely, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu attended the workshop. At the end of the training, all participants proposed an action plan on ICT for persons with disabilities focusing on 1) inclusive ICT policy, 2) accessible information system, 3) capacity building, and 4) information sharing and network.

Mr. Raksak Chairanjuansakun, APCD resource person, provided a presentation on "Introduction on Assistive Devices and Information Accessibility" and hands-on training for "Screen Reader-JAWS and ALTAIR", "Web Accessibility" and "Digital Talking Book in DAISY" in collaboration with former APCD ICT training participants, Mr. Frederick Miller, FDPA and Mr. Fuata Faktaufon, United Blind Persons.

The Nadi Declaration was adopted by participants. In the Declaration, they encouraged the government to further pursue seven priority areas in the Biwako Millennium Framework and appreciated commitment of UNESCO, FDPA, and APCD in capacity building of DPOs.

As part of the APCD follow-up, Mr. Frederick, APCD WBN former trainee created a FDPA website in an accessible format, which contains the achievements of FDPA in the last 10 years, plus a recent profile of FDPA's activities. Ms. Kaushilya, former APCD participant from the Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons (FNCDP) has developed a website (http://www.fncdp.org) in an accessible format. For ICT for VIP ex-trainees, Mr. Fuata from the United Blind Persons is providing computer training for visually impaired persons.

APCD also contacted Mr. Setaraki Macanawai, Executive Director of Fiji National Council for Disabled Persons, APCD's focal point in Fiji. He fully recognized the importance of ICT for persons with disabilities in the Pacific region. He will further pursue the use of ICT and accessibility for persons with disabilities in the Pacific region.

6) Mission to Myanmar
13 -19 June 2006

School for the Deaf, Mandalay A follow-up workshop for APCD ex-trainees was organized in Yangon in collaboration with AAR offering its meeting room for the venue. The Workshop in both Yangon and Mandalay aimed to help strengthen the capacity of APCD's associate organizations, to which ex-trainees belong, by enhancing their insights for effectiveness and sustainability of their responsible projects/activities. It was observed that ex-trainees, especially the ones with disabilities, became motivated and committed to further improve their activities through the Workshop.

In Mandalay, APCD held another follow-up training on 16 -17 June 2006 in cooperation with the School for the Deaf under the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) from which 3 teachers were invited in the APCD training courses on SHG and CBR. Also, 2 more ex-trainees are currently engaged in World Vision's Area Development Program in two townships (Chan Mya Thazt and Amarapura) and facilitate disability issues in the entire community development by developing SHG. From these SHG, 12 persons with disabilities participated in this Workshop along with the ex-trainees.

Under APCD's networking and collaboration activities, the Mission facilitated collaboration between DSW, APCD focal point, and JICA-Myanmar Office to plan a new project on "Supporting Social Welfare Administration". Through the discussion with the Director- General of DSW, the project will focus on the capacity development of DSW with regard to effective collaboration with concerned stakeholders and facilitation of public awareness on disability through "development of a common Myanmar sign language."

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