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] [ ] Accessibility of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Information networking
Pakistan Association of the Deaf (PAD)
Contact address: 23/A, Block 6, PECHS, M-1 Shaheen TowerPAD is an NGO, established in 1987 by few dynamic deaf youths became member of World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) in 1998 associated with Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) in 2005 has 400+ individuals members in Karachi, and has many affiliated organizations of the deaf from all over Pakistan.
PAD working for the deaf community of Pakistan in the following areas:
For APCD Mr. Muhammad Akram (APCD - ex-trainee) - Advisor/Projects Coordinator of PAD is key person (voluntarily).
In general PAD has a managing committee consisting 9 members (all deaf), this committee is legally responsible for all the affairs.
Main contact persons are:
5.1. September 2005 - CBSHOD - APCD arranged CBSHOD - Pakistan Mr. Akram join as member organizing committee and work around 1 month. PAD sent two deaf trainees (Ms. Shahida Ibrahim and Mr. Irfan Mumtaz) for this training course. They also encouraged our associate organizations and one deaf trainee (Mr. Ashfaq Ahmed) attended from Sargodha Deaf Welfare Association.
5.2. December 2005 - Accessible environment towards a barrier free society in earthquake areas - APCD arranged this seminar and Mr. Akram join as resource person. In this seminar Mr. Akram gave presentation on "disaster and deaf community" on barriers in communication, information inaccessibility and the need of the deaf community.
5.3. March 2006 - PAD arranged a seminar on "Right of Access to information - web accessibility and Assistive devices for persons with disabilities".
Mr. Noman Saigal Advisor to Chief Minster on Information Technology and Environment was chief guest. Different disabled people organizations' representatives, students attended this seminar and two assistive devices displayed.
5.4. July 2006 - a follow up mission from APCD arrived here in Karachi - Pakistan, and they took advantage of this, and arranged a full day seminar on information accessibility and one half-day conference on "information networking of DPOs", besides other activities. In seminar more than 80 participants joined, and in conference more than 60 representatives from 20 different disabled people organizations presented.
5.5. Misc. - besides different seminar conferences we also exchange information with APCD and others i.e. DPI, WFD, IDCS and local organizations. (see APCD, DPI and IDCS web sites)
5.6. Website - we are developing new accessible website for PAD and in future our website will be the main source of information networking. As an ex-trainee of WBN course, Mr. Akram not only voluntarily working for PAD and ASHA but also with other organizations, and willing to make these associations' website accessible. (PAD, ASHA, DWA, SDF, Danishkadah of Pakistan and Deaf Friends International - USA, Heaven Care - Philippines, Deaf Tour Assistance - Philippines, Matariku - Indonesia).
In our opinion major change is "mobilizing/activating" the NGOs and GOs. Now disability movement is much more activated than ever and it's because of APCD. APCD not only mobilize NGOs (DPOs) but also GOs and making joint in NGOs and DPOs. They cannot say anything about the past but since our association with APCD they are observing more activities in disability movement. In field of "web accessibility" they knew nothing and they never observed any activity. Now with technical support and the encouragement from APCD we are working on this issue and hoping in future we will able to make change and "information will be accessible for all". 2 seminars and 1 conference in few months is good start on this issue.
CBSHOD - it gave the chance not only to learn from resource person but it also gave grate opportunity to expend the network by meeting the peer in the disability movement from different areas of Pakistan.
Earthquake - APCD sent missions and arranged seminars, this support, motivate and make more active, the local NGOs. And disabled people took very active part in recovery work of earthquake area. As CBSHOD happened just before the earthquake we had establish some network during CBSHOD we start getting information from other organization. But we also feel the need to better and accurate accessible database about NGOs and statistic about the disabled community in different areas of Pakistan.
Awareness raising, information networking and technical collaboration
Following visual records attached with this paper:
A CD consisting summary reports, presentations, photos, participants list etc. for
Note: PAD thinks of follow-up missions of APCD boosting the activities, and arranging seminars, conferences, and workshops with APCD collaboration is more fruitful and attractive for all the stakeholders (person with disabilities, Government, Media, etc.). Nothing can be change overnight a long way to go to reach the target of "inclusive, barriers-free, and right base society". APCD has start putting seeds in the ground and we can hope it will turn in strong trees of DPOs, but at this time we need to put more struggles we have to water the seed to let it grow and become a strong tree.
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