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    • Best Practices on Collaboration with APCD
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APCD Missions

Mission to Singapore: 1 November 2006
"Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology Symposium (ARTS) Seminar"

Singapore Therapeutic, Assistive & Rehabilitative Technologies (START) held the Assistive and Rehabilitative Technology Symposium (ARTS) on 1 November 2006 in Suntec City, Singapore. Approximately 80 persons working in the government and private sectors from Singapore and Thailand participated as well as Mr. Sawang Srisom, APCD Information Support Officer.

The seminar was to promote research, development, study and the rights to Assistive and Rehabilitative (AR) technology of disabled and elderly persons in order to enhance their quality of life. Experts, engineers and the industrial sector were urged to develop, promote and industrially produce AR devices in Singapore. The seminar started with a report of the overall situation of accessibility in Singapore. Singaporeans with disabilities now enjoy the wheelchair accessible bus, subway and sky train, which have become more and more accessible. The Land Transport Authority has had several plans to improve accessibility such as footpaths, bus stops, etc. Also, laws to protect their accessibility rights do exist, for example, starting from 2006, all new buses must be accessible.

Several new related issues were introduced such as the Universal Design for an Inclusive Home, Computer for Caring for Ageing People and Occupational Therapy. Interestingly, some of these issues are already being addressed in Singapore now. Panelists in a discussion on "Policy or Technology" agreed that we first need to articulate policy to address the needs of users, affordability, accessibility and other requirements that facilitate technology development. AR technology must suit the impairment, work and goal of an individual.

Mr. Zen Koh, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of START Center, said that the commercialization of AR devices needs a collective collaboration from several sectors such as research institutes, universities, private companies, etc., in order to promote AR technology to commercialization.

Mission to Macau: 2 - 5 December 2006
"World Federation of the Deaf Regional Meeting"

The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) sent a mission to participate in the 18th World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) Regional Secretariat in the Asia-Pacific (RSA/P) Representative Meeting held from 3-5 December 2006 in Macau. The theme was "Sign Language Interpretation System to Realize the Full Participation and Equality of Deaf Persons in Society".

The objectives were to look into issues regarding the protection and improvement of the rights of the deaf, to facilitate regional cooperation and interaction, and to explore future prospects of rehabilitation services for the deaf. The meeting was officially opened by a Representative of Macau SAR Government, Mr. Takeo Ogura of WFD RSA/P, and Ms. Clarissa U Ka Weng, President of the Macau Deaf Association. Twenty-six participants from the following 13 countries attended: China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Republic of Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand. Mr. Yasunori Shinamoto, Chairman of the 3rd WFD RSA/P Deaf Youth Camp, Youth Section of the Japanese Federation of the Deaf, gave a report on the 3rd WFD RSA/P Deaf Youth Camp held from 31 October 5 November 2006 in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan with 41 participants from 14 countries.

The camp's theme was "One for All, All for One" moving towards establishing a Youth Section in RSA/P region in the future. The next Deaf Youth Camp is scheduled for Indonesia in 2008. Ms. Liza Clews, Sign Language Interpreter/Trainer from Cambodia reported on the Survey on Sign Language Interpreting in the Asia-Pacific Region. The result shows developing countries of the Asia and Pacific region have a limited number of Sign Language Interpreters compared to developed countries in the same region. Each participating country reported the situation of the deaf in each country. Mr. Marku Jokinen, President of the World Federation of the Deaf, shared the contents and process of the UN Human Rights Convention on Persons with Disabilities. Mr. Marku clearly stated that "This is the 1st ever international treaty mentioning sign language and the deaf culture. This Convention is a powerful tool for all human rights".

The 1st Asia-Pacific Sign Language Interpreters' (SLI) Conference organized parallel was attended by 17 participants from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippines, Republic of Korea, Singapore, and Thailand. Country reports on the situation of the sign language interpreters identified Repetitive Strain Injury or Occupational Overuse Syndrome as a major problem of sign language interpreters due to overload work. Mrs. Kanitta Kamolwat, APCD Director, and Mr. Akiie Ninomiya, APCD Chief Advisor presented APCD activities to the Meeting. APCD will further collaborate with the deaf community and the World Association of Sign Language Interpreters to develop activities for the deaf and sign language interpreters.

Mission to Pakistan: 16 - 21 December 2006
"Independent Living of Women with Disabilities"

This mission was to collaborate in a Seminar on Independent Living (IL) of Women with Disabilities in Islamabad, organized by the Ministry of Social Welfare and Special Education, and in a Peercounseling Domestic Training organized by the Special Talent Exchange Program (STEP) in cooperation with Milestone from 18-20 December 2006; also to facilitate a planned school project in Sesar, Bagh in cooperation with relevant organizations in Pakistan. The Seminar on IL on 18 December 2006 opened with remarks by Mrs. Kanitta Kamolwat, APCD Director, Mr.Kaibara, JICA Resident Representative, and Mr. Aftar, Director of Special Education. The objectives were to promote positive understanding and support for IL of persons with disabilities by relevant senior government officials, professionals, and leaders with disabilities in Pakistan, especially in the earthquake affected areas. Approximately, 60 persons including officials, leaders with disabilities, and professionals participated. Ex-participants of the APCD training in Bangkok shared their reports on their post-training activities and emphasized that they and their Pakistani peers with disabilities could gain selfconfidence and start IL in the community. Mr. Topong Kulkhanchit, APCD resource person, explained about the social model of disability, the IL concept stemming from the model, and the current global movement of IL. Ms. Akiyama, JICA Short-term Expert, shared her own experience of being "disabled" and empowered through the participation of IL activities. For her, IL leaders provided support and peercounseling which brought hope and changed her life from a passive life in an institution to live independently in the community.

The Training Course on Peer-Counseling Basics was conducted by STEP. A short-term JICA Expert and former APCD participants, who were women with severe disabilities, have empowered participants with disabilities through peer-counseling; they were excellent role models and mentors for 17 women with disabilities throughout the training. The objective was to equip women with disabilities with basic knowledge and skills on peer-counseling in order for them to be future peer-counselors for persons with disabilities, especially for women with disabilities, specifically in the earthquake affected areas. At the end of the training, participants regained self-confidence and internal strength to live positively in their communities. Also, a small but new movement and network among women with disabilities has seemingly begun in Pakistan.

Mission to Sri Lanka: 16 - 20 December 2006
"Creating a Non-handicapping Built Environment"

The APCD Mission Team visited the Ministry of Social Services and Social Welfare (originally Ministry of Women's Empowerment and Social Welfare) on 19 December 2006 and met with Ms. Viji Jegarasasingam, Secretary of the Ministry, and Mr. W. H. W. Soysa, Additional Secretary. The Secretary promised continuous support to APCD particularly in information support, especially the country profile.

The Mission Team visited the Disability Organizations Joint Front (DOJF) on 17 December 2006. DOJF has been distributing APCD information such as newsletters, videos, regional news etc. to the 21 member organizations through its newsletter, emailing list and resource room. DOJF also requested APCD to provide more copies of their newsletter and videos for circulation among the member organizations.

On 19 December 2006, at the University of Colombo, the mission met with representatives (mostly APCD's former training participants) of the associate organizations such as DAISY Lanka Foundation, Sri Lanka Council for the Blind and Sri Lanka Federation of the Visually Handicapped. The representatives said that they were particularly interested in APCD's training report, regional news and especially country profiles, which they noted is highly valuable information and would like to help develop it.

The Mission Team participated in the International Seminar on "Creating a Non-Handicapped Built Environment" organized by the Ministry of Urban Development and Water Supply in collaboration with John Groom Overseas on 18 December 2006 at B.M.I.C.H, Colombo. There were approximately 200 participants primarily from local and central governments. Four out of the six international resource persons were APCD's former training participants, namely 1) Ms. Anjlee Agarwal, India 2) Mr. Sanjeev Sachdeva, India 3) Mr. Jaime Silva, the Philippines and 4) Dr. Asiah Abdul Rahim, Malaysia. They presented their knowledge and experience gained from APCD to promote and implement the Non-Handicapping Environment (NHE) for persons with disabilities in their own countries.