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The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, located in Bangkok, Thailand, is a legacy of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (1993-2002). Its objective is to promote the empowerment of persons with disabilities and a barrier-free society in developing countries in the Asia-Pacific region.
APCD has been jointly established under the collaboration of the Government of Japan and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand since 1 August 2002. Furthermore, APCD is also working in close cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), other United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations whose work is related to persons with disabilities.
Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been a driving force for economic and social development, and continues to spur the globalization process. However, benefits of ICT have spread unequally, between disabled and non-disabled persons.
The concept of information accessibility for PWDs is not widely recognized, and also, is not well understood. The information barrier for PWDs exists in the growing information society, making PWDs vulnerable, especially in developing their skills, knowledge and potential.
Public information service agencies should provide information services for PWDs, especially persons with print disability (For more details, please see the Appendix), who are unable to or have difficulty accessing print materials. Since government agencies need to understand the issue of information accessibility for PWDs in order to create an information society for all, representatives of PWDs are eagerly working for governments and public agencies to comprehend this issue.
Training for the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) for Persons with Print Disability will be conducted in order to teach production and services of DAISY for persons with print disability including blindness, visual impairments, dyslexia, learning disabilities, cerebral palsy, strokes, brain injuries, and motor disabilities, etc. APCD believes that if persons with print disability can access public information more easily, they will not be as vulnerable in the emerging information society.
| Course Title | ICT for All: Training of the Digital Accessible Information System (DAISY) for Persons with Print Disability |
| Duration | 1 (Tues.) February – 18 (Fri.) February 2005 |
| Deadline for Application | 7 January 2005 *For acceptance at the Royal Thai Embassy/ Consulate Office |
| Countries Invited & Participants | 8 persons from 2 countries (4 persons/country) * Expected countries: India, Malaysia |
| Language | English |
| Target Group |
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| Course Objectives | Upon completion of the course, participants are expected to be able to:
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| Training Venue | APCD Training Room 255, Rajvithi Road, Rajthevi, Bangkok, 10400 THAILAND Tel: (662) 354 7505 Fax (662) 354 7507 |
| Accommodation | APCD Training Building 255, Rajvithi Road, Rajthevi, Bangkok, 10400 THAILAND Tel: (662 )354 7505 Fax (662) 354 7507 |
| Expenses & Allowance | The following expenses for each selected participant will be borne by the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD):
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The following lectures/exercises/group work include;
An applicant should:
Be one of the following:
*Applicants should have good knowledge of general computer operation, and be familiar with HTML, XHTML, and CSS.
*For an applicant who needs to have an accompanying personal assistant or a sign language interpreter for the training, s/he needs to inform APCD of the details through his/her APPENDIX OF NOMINATION FORM (Article: Disabilities). Necessary expenditures (e.g., travel expenses, etc.) for the selected participant's personal assistant or a sign language interpreter can be borne by APCD, after APCD confirms the need.
Be proficient in spoken and written English
*If most of the Training applicants are NOT fluent in English, APCD's Government/semi-autonomous focal point must discuss this issue with APCD in advance through an e-mail/fax/telephone call concerning a possible arrangement for a language interpreter (English into their local language).
*Blind persons understanding English Braille and deaf persons able to use the international sign language are preferable.
Each applicant needs to fill out three (3) sets of the Fellowship Application Form, stipulated by the Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA), the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, and three (3) sets of Appendix, provided by APCD. The completed documents should be submitted to a Government agency responsible for Official Development Assistance (ODA) or one of APCD's Government/semi-autonomous focal points in your respective country.
The APCD's Government/semi-autonomous focal points are as follows:
| Country | APCD's Government Focal Points | Organizations recommended to apply for the Course | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | India | Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment |
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| 2. | Malaysia | Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development |
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Each applicant must fax or e-mail one (1) copy of the completed Fellowship Application Form and its Appendix in advance directly to:
Director, Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability,Please note that the copy sent directly to APCD in advance is for informal information only. APCD will consider application forms which have come through the official channel (from the Royal Thai Embassy to APCD via TICA).
Governments of invited countries, who have received three (3) completed Fellowship Application Forms and Appendixes from each applicant, should submit all of the documents by the due date to the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in their respective countries, who will then be responsible for forwarding those documents to TICA in Bangkok, Thailand.
The due date for submitting the application documents to the Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate is 7 January 2005.
After the training participants have been selected by APCD, TICA will notify the invited Governments of the selection results no later than two (2) weeks before the commencement of the course. Each Government will be responsible to inform their nominated candidates about the selection results.
Notification of the selection results will be approximately on the 3rd week of January 2005.
Participants who have successfully completed the course will be awarded a certificate issued by the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability.
Prior to arrival in Thailand, all participants MUST first obtain a NON-IMMIGRANT VISA from the Royal Thai Embassy or Consulate in their respective countries. Please be aware that your passport must be valid for at least 6 more months to apply for a visa.
Upon arrival, the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) will provide airport reception and transferal to the accommodation for the participants.
The Royal Thai Government, the Government of Japan, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and/or the Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability(APCD) shall have no liability whatsoever for the participant or his/her personal representatives for injury, illness or death suffered or contracted by the participant arising out of or in the course of his/her participation in the program/course; nor shall The Royal Thai Government, the Government of Japan, JICA and/or APCD have any liability whatsoever towards third parties for compensation for any loss of property, injury, illness or death of such third parties caused by the nominee during the course of his/her participation in the program/course.
According to a website of DAISY Consortium, a print disability is summarized as:
The definition of a print disability can vary from country to country but generally, it may be defined as the inability to access print due to visual, perceptual, or physical disability, e.g., blindness, learning disability or inability to hold a book.
(Please refer: http://www.daisy.org/about_us/g_faq.asp#a_24)
A website of Queensland Narrating Service provides a more detailed explanation of a print disability as follows:
People with a print disability are those who cannot obtain access to information in a print format because they:
(Please refer: http://www.connectqld.org.au/asp/index.asp?pgid=15141&cid=30063&id=53827)
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