APCD Missions

Mission to Malaysia: 5-10 January 2007
"Training of Trainers on Disability Equality Training (DET)"

The APCD Mission Team participated in the "Training of Trainers on Disability Equality Training (DET)" organized by the Department of Social Welfare Malaysia in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from 6 - 10 January 2007 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Fifteen participants from Malaysia participated as well as three Thai APCD Assistant Resource Persons, Ms. Manisara Palawat, Mr.Kunchit Kumfong and Ms. Natagamon Roongtim. The DET trainer was Ms. Sue Rickell from the London Boroughs Disability Resource Team, England.

Ms. Jirat Wachirasereechai, HRD Chief of APCD and Ms. Varaporn Yuphavathana, Chief of Administration of APCD observed DET for APCD's strategy development.

The purpose of this course was to train persons with disabilities to be DET facilitators. Participants were introduced to the idea of Disability as a Rights issue. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability, other related Conventions, and the definitions of disability were reviewed. The medical and social models and many other important issues were also discussed. All participants were trained in the skills and roles of trainers and practiced being facilitators.

The APCD mission team gained an understanding of DET and the skills for being effective trainers as well as developed a network with Malaysian participants of DET and their organizations.

Mission to Myanmar: 5-8 February 2007

Since APCD's inception in 2002, Myanmar has been prioritized as one of the target countries and has strategically developed human resources in the fields of Self-help Groups/ Organizations of People with Disabilities (SHG/SHO of PWD) and Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR). Totally, 29 persons, including 2 deaf persons and 4 teachers from the schools for the deaf in Yangon and Mandalay, participated in the training of these fields at APCD, Bangkok.

Since APCD has had a trust relationship with the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) as a Focal Point and former deaf participants shared their needs for a standardized Burmese sign language, APCD linked them with the JICA Myanmar Office to consider possible relevant cooperation. In 2006, APCD advised the DSW to draft a project proposal for a standardized sign language to promote social participation of the deaf community and facilitate closer cooperation among various stakeholders (e.g., DSW, schools for the deaf, deaf people) through their collaborative work. APCD had facilitated former deaf participants and their deaf peers to be involved in the project formulation and work closely with DSW.

The Director of APCD and a JICA Expert were dispatched to Yangon and Mandalay from 5 - 8 February 2007 to participate in a series of meetings between a JICA HQ Mission Team and the Burmese authority/persons concerning a new domestic project entitled "Project for Supporting Social Welfare Administration: Promotion of Social Participation of the Deaf Community". This project is noteworthy since it is the first time for the DSW to implement a project with international cooperation by JICA, and that non-governmental stakeholders such as deaf persons representing their SHG/SHO have been participating since the project formulation began. The JICA Headquarter Mission included deaf resource persons recommended by the Japanese Federation of the Deaf.

Through meetings, a Project Design Matrix developed which included:

Overall Goal: Promote full participation of deaf persons in society in Yangon and Mandalay.

Project Purpose: Strengthen joint planning and implementation of activities between social welfare administrators and the deaf community.

Expected Output:

1. The deaf community acquire the capacity to assess the vocabulary of the existing standardized sign language (SSL).
2. The SSL grammar development through the initiative of the deaf community.
3. That deaf persons and their families, prospective sign language interpreters and teachers at the schools for the deaf acquire SSL.
4. Improved awareness among community members (general public) of deaf persons.

According to APCD Project's Terminal Evaluation in October 2006, APCD needs to make further effort in accommodating a variety of disability groups in its future activities. A draft proposal for the APCD Project Phase II includes further cooperation with deaf stakeholders. Although the details of the Phase II Project will be discussed further, the following options seem possible for APCD to collaborate with the above New Project in Myanmar:

1. Inviting the New Myanmar Project personnel to relevant regular training courses at APCD.
2. Organizing training in Myanmar (Thailand) especially for the New Myanmar Project personnel.
3. Relevant information support and exchange.

This Mission opportunity enabled APCD to monitor former deaf participants with in-depth information, and it is strongly hoped that former APCD participants will continue to actively participate in the project.

Mission to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan: 2 - 10 March 2007

The APCD dispatched a mission team to Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan from 2-10 March 2007 to create a sub-regional mechanism on disability and development. Due to time constraint and transportation difficulties, the mission was unable to include Tajikistan.

Kyrgyzstan

The APCD mission paid courtesy calls to the Office of the Prime Minister in Kyrgyzstan, where Mr. Stalbek Asakeev, Expert of the Social Department and the Minister expressed a willingness to support a Seminar on Capacity- Building for Self-Help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (CBSHOD) in Central Asia in the future and to invite three other countries.

The mission team visited self-help organizations, including the Independent Association of Disabled Women (Ms. Asipa Musaeva); the Union of Young Disabled People (Mr. Shamyrbek Ydyrysov); the Association of Parents of Disabled Children (Ms. Tamara K. Dyikanbayeva); a blind lawyer (Mr. Tolkunbek Isakov), who organized legal support services for persons with disabilities called "Independent Life" with 13 organizations to promote human rights and advocacy for PWDs; and the Young Disabled People's Movement (Mr. Mirbek Asangariev). The Public Fund DAO (Mr. Alexander Dubina) in Tokmok City, is a grass-root organization to promote civil rights for PWDs and cooperation with other civil rights movement groups.

The Mission also visited the Children's Rehabilitation Center and Public Mental Health Center (Ms. Aigul Kyzalakova), that coordinates social and legal support for persons with psychiatric disabilities, and also the Association of Deaf and Blind (Mr. Kalyk Mambetakunov).

There are many self-help organizations (SHOs), as well as community-based self-help groups in Kyrgyzstan, that are seeking a more inclusive society and social security based on human rights. APCD is encouraging all SHOs to unite, support each other and form a National Assembly to promote a barrier-free and right-based society.

APCD is seeking the possibility of holding a Central Asia CBSHOD in Bishkek in the future and would support the organization of a Preparation Committee including all stakeholders if CBSHOD would be held in Kyrgyzstan. The expected outcome would be a National Assembly of cross-disabilities of self-help organizations, as well as the supporters.

JICA Resident Representative in Kyrgyzstan, Mr. Satoshi Nakano, expressed keen interest in supporting disability and development by inviting a JICA Expert for 2-3 years who would collaborate with APCD/CBSHOD.

The Mission Team also visited the Japan Center, which conducts computer courses for persons with a hearing disability. The Mission also met the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteer, who was assigned to the National Rehabilitation Center and the Special Education Center for information exchange.

Uzbekistan

In Uzbekistan, the Mission Team visited the Ministry for Labour and Social Protection of Population and met the Minister and high-ranking Government Officials, including the Vice-Minister and discussed possible collaboration with APCD in the future.

The APCD team visited an associate organization, the Youth Social-Legal Rehabilitation Center for Disabled People - Millennium, which organized several self-help organizations related to persons with a physical disability, blindness, women with disabilities and, youth and culture groups of persons with disabilities. Ms. Mahmadkulova Guljahon organized a half-day session of information exchange with those stakeholders. The National NGO Association showed a keen interest to cooperate with APCD. All non-governmental organizations have to be members of the National NGO Association to report their activities.

The Mission Team visited the World Vision Japan (Mr. Hans Bederski) to exchange information on the community-based rehabilitation in Tashkent, which will be supported by the JICA grass-root partnership program for three years.

Finally, the Mission Team visited the Japan Center to observe computer courses for deaf persons. The JICA Resident Representative, Mr.Noriaki Nishiyama, agreed to support the APCD Project and seek the possibility of translating the APCD Newsletters into the Russian language once a year since most of the Central Asians are unable to read English. This is APCD homework for future information support with local languages.

Mission to Lao PDR: 13 - 16 March 2007

APCD mobilized resource persons to participate in a seminar "The Legal Framework on Disability in Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic from 14-15 March 2007.

Resource persons included Mr. Nghiem Xuan Tue, Director, National Coordinating Council on Disability of Vietnam (NCCD), Mr. Monthian Buntan, APCD Board Member/President, Thailand Association of the Blind (TAB), Royal Thai Government's delegation to the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Ms. Sunee Saisupatpon, Director, Bureau of the Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, Royal Thai Government.

The National Committee on Disabled People (NCDP) of Lao PDR organized the Seminar in collaboration with the Lao Disabled People's Association (LDPA), and it was sponsored by the Netherlands Embassy in Bangkok, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA-Lao PDR), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and APCD.

The objectives of the seminar were to know the global situation of the legal framework on disability, especially the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; to know the ratification process of conventions in Lao PDR and the Vietnamese situation and drafting process of a legal framework on disability issues, as well as the Thai situation.

Participants included representatives from the Government level such as the Ministries of Labour and Social Welfare, Foreign Affairs, etc. as well as representatives of other organizations such as ILO, JICA, UNDP, etc.

Mr. Phetsavang Sounnalath, Chairman, anticipates completing the draft of the Disability Decree by May 2007 so that the Government of Lao PDR can report its achievements for the UNESCAP Mid-term Evaluation of the Biwako Millennium Frame for Action (BMF).

A representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the Department of International Treaty and Legal Affairs, along with an UNDP Expert on Good Governance, expressed interest in ratifying the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Many questions and answers were exchanged on the Convention and the Vietnamese Government's decrees and policies on disability since the Lao PDR has a similar political and organizational situation as Viet Nam.

Mission to India and China: 18-24 March 2007

APCD sent a mission team to India and China from 18-24 March 2007 to strengthen the system of information networking, gather information on disability and monitor how information from APCD is being utilized in India.

The mission team met with Mr. B.N. Yugandhar, member of the Planning Commission, and visited the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and met with Ms. Veena Chhotray, Secretary of the Ministry, to discuss implementation of the SHG project in India.

The mission team also observed accessibility of Delhi Metro, a new subway system in Delhi, with Mr. Sanjeev Sachdeva and Ms. Anjlee Agarwal, representatives of Smarthya and former APCD training participants of the Non-handicapping Environment 2004. They said that the subway station was designed accessible for disabled, pregnant and elderly persons.

The mission team visited the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) and National Association for the Blind where former APCD training participants and resource persons are working. In NCPEDP, we met with Ms. Niveditta Datta, Programme Officer of the National Disability Network to discuss information networking. NCPEDP agreed to help update the APCD country profile and would like to join the APCD mailing list for information sharing on disability in the Asia-Pacific region. At the National Association for the Blind (NAB), we met with Mr. Dipendra Minocha, Director of Education and exchanged information of visually impaired persons and followed up on ICT training participants.

In China, the mission team visited China Disabled Peoples' Federation (CDPF) in Beijing and met with Mr. Eric Zhang, Director of the Department of International Affairs and representatives of the CDPF Information Center, and associations of deaf, physically disabled and intellectually challenged persons.

APCD discussed collaboration on information exchange and suggested promoting accessible information through an accessible website and a DAISY talking book on the occasion of the upcoming 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. CDPF agreed to exchange information on disability with APCD and promote accessible information in China.

The mission team also visited the China Braille Press (CBP) and met with Mr. Han Zhongyi, Vice-president and Mr. Ji Hong, the Director and observed their activities. CBP provides Braille and Audio books for 13 million visually impaired readers across China free of charge.

The Tianjin Disabled Persons' Federation invited the mission team for a field visit to disabled peoples' organizations in Tianjin City. Mr. Zuo Tie Chang, Vice-chairman of the Board and Mr. Jiang Yan, Director welcomed the mission team. The mission team observed community activities in Tianjin, such as volunteer service for a self-help organization for persons with disabilities in the community and also visited a homecare project for children with intellectual disabilities and autism.

The mission team received a variety of information from both China and India, and expects to further collaborate with them. APCD looks forward to working more closely with both countries.