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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 was jointly established with the collaboration of the Government of Japan and the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand on 1 August, 2002. APCD is also working in close cooperation with the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP), other United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations whose work is related to persons with disabilities.
Recently, the number of persons with severe physical disabilities has been increasing in developing countries due to more traffic accidents, improvement of emergency medical care and advanced surgery, etc. However, many surviving persons with severe physical disabilities are often abandoned at home by desperate families and lose hope to live in their communities where there is no know-how or system to support them. They often have very low self-esteem and less confidence while their families and society in general, regard them as a "dependent" burden and sometimes overprotect them.
The "Independent Living (IL)" Movement, which highly values a disabled person's self-determination on his/her life, started in the U.S.A. in the 1970's and has so far spread to many developed countries, where a number of IL Centers have been established to support the community life, human rights and dignity of persons with severe physical disabilities and other needy persons. It is believed that persons with disabilities can enjoy IL in their community with support from personal assistants and make decisions and take responsibility for their own lives as much as possible. An IL center enables them to do so by providing services such as dispatching personal assistants and through "Peer-counseling", which is counseling by a trained and experienced person with a disability to a person with a disability in a similar condition (e.g., types of disability, gender). These IL Centers are managed by people with disabilities.
Despite the difference between developed and developing countries in terms of their national budget for disability issues and social security schemes, the fundamentals of the IL Movement are still equally important. Peer-counseling has been effective in helping people with disabilities with the issues of self-esteem, self-determination and empowerment.
With support from the JICA Thailand Office, a three-year pilot IL Training Program (2001 - 2003) was implemented in three provinces (Nonthaburi, Chonburi, Nakhonprathom) in Thailand. These trained leaders with disabilities have initiated IL centers. In this regard, a Refresher Training Course in Peer-Counseling for People with Disabilities will be organized to enhance the peer-counseling knowledge/skills of the former selected participants so that they conduct more effective peer-counseling and teaching it other people with disabilities at the grass-root level in Thailand.
| Course Title | Refresher Training Course in Peer-Counseling for People with Disabilities |
| Duration | March 1 - 4 & 15 - 18, 2005 |
| Deadline for Application | January 25, 2005 *Application forms must be submitted to the Royal Thai Embassy/Consulate in each invited country. |
| Countries Invited & Participants | 9 persons in total from the 3 provinces (e.g., Nonthaburi, Chonburi, Nakhonprathom) in Thailand *Maximum of 3 persons from each of the above listed provinces. *See the REQUIREMENTS FOR APPLICATION on page 4. |
| Language | Thai |
| Target Group | Core-members of self-help groups (SHG) or organizations (SHO) of people with disabilities (PWD) in Nonthaburi, Chonburi, Nakhonprathom, who;
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| Course Objectives | To develop leaders in peer-counseling to effectively conduct and teach peer-counseling to other people with disabilities in Thailand by training the above target group to:
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| Training Venue |
APCD Training Building 255 Rajvithi Road, Rajthevi, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand Tel: (66) 02 354 7505 Fax: (66) 02 354 7507 URL: www.apcdproject.org |
| Accommodation |
APCD Training Building 255 Rajvithi Road, Rajthevi, Bangkok, 10400 Thailand Tel: (66) 02 354 7505 Fax: (66) 02 354 7507 URL: www.apcdproject.org |
| 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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An applicant should:
Be of a THAI person with a disability who is a core-member of self-help groups (SHG) or organizations (SHO) of people with disabilities (PWD)
*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 NOMINAITON FORM (Article: Disability). Necessary expenditures for the selected participant’s personal assistant or a sign language interpreter can be borne by APCD, after APCD confirms the need.
Apply as a team with a minimum of 2 persons or a maximum of 6 persons from the same SHG/SHO of PWD
| Province Name | Nonthaburi | Chonburi | Nakhonprathom |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recommended SHG/SHO of PWD to Apply to the Training | Nonthaburi Society of Disabled Persons | Chonburi Association of People with Disabilities | Nakhonprathom Disabled People Association |
Have basic knowledge/skills of the English language
*Training applicants, who are NOT fluent in English but eager to learn about IL, must consult with APCD through e-mail/fax/phone before applying.
*Blind persons equipped with English Braille as well as deaf persons able to use international sign language are preferable.
Each applicant must fill out the Fellowship Application Form stipulated by the Thailand International Development Cooperation Agency (TICA), the Government of the Kingdom of Thailand, and Appendix provided by APCD.
Each applicant must fax or mail one completed copy of the Fellowship Application Form and its Appendix directly to:
Director, Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability,The due date for submitting the application documents to the Embassy/Consulate is January 25, 2005.
After the training participants have been selected, APCD will notify the SELECTED PARTICIPANTS no later than two (2) weeks before the commencement of the course.
Notification of the selection results will be approximately by 15 February, 2004.
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.
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