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May 30, 2006
Sincere Sympathy to the victims of the earthquake in Yogjakarta-Masako Okuhira(JSRPD)
We, Jicafriends and JSRPD would like to express our sympathy for the people who suffer from the earthquake hit in Yogjakarta, Indonesia on 27th May.
We have heard the news from some of ex-participants that they were OK,
but still have not heard anything from many of them. Please inform us of any news related to those 'jicafriends'.
Posted by jicafriends at 06:08 PM | Comments (0)
May 29, 2006
Dear jicafriends in Indonesia -Keiko NAKATANI (JSRPD)
Dear jicafriends in Indonesia
I am very much worried about you.
Are you all right, and also your family, relatives and friends?
I feel sorry to hear that a big earthquake hit Yogjakarta and more than four
thousand people lost their precious lives and about ten thousands are
injured.
All jicafriends are praying for you from all over the world.
If you need our help, please let us know.
keiko nakatani
Posted by jicafriends at 05:20 PM | Comments (0)
TRAINING REPORT -Vocational Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in Japan (May 25, 2006)-
We took JICA bus to Chiba Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities in Chiba Pref. According to our schedule we were supposed to reach there before 10:00, but we got lost on the way and finally arrived there at 10:30. Though we needed to drive around for more than half an hour, we were so fortunate that we could cross the rainbow bridge and pass by Tokyo Disney Land.
In front the center we found Mr. Yoshihiko Nonaka, one of the planning committee members of this course. (Sorry for Nonaka san.)
Public Employment Security Office (PESO) is located on the first, second and third floor of the vocational center. Vocational Center and PESO have a good relation for job placement of persons with disabilities.
TRAINING REPORT in Vocational Rehabilitation Course 2006
Posted by jicafriends at 04:58 PM | Comments (0)
TRAINING REPORT -Current Situation of Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Japan (May 23, 2006)-
From Kasumigaseki, government office district, we came back to TIC. Mr. Masaya Asahi, one of the planning committee members of this training course gave us a lecture on "Current Situation of Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Japan". He specially focused on the definition of the industrial workshop, sheltered workshop, small size community workshop, and "Quota scheme".
TRAINING REPORT in Vocational Rehabilitation Course 2006
Posted by jicafriends at 03:34 PM | Comments (0)
TRAINING REPORT -Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan (May 23, 2006)-
Six participants visited Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare to have a lecture on "Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan" by Mr. Akira Otuka, Special Adviser for Disability Issues. The participant from Pakistan was a bit sick, so she stayed in TIC. Other brave members experienced the packed trains and got there. I think most of jicafriends know what it means.
Mr. Otsuka gave us an outline on welfare for persons with disabilities in Japan, including the draft of "Law concerning Self-reliance Support for Persons with Disabilities.
After the lecture we went up to 26th floor, the uppermost floor to see National Diet Building. We all enjoyed a panoramic view of government office district.
TRAINING REPORT in Vocational Rehabilitation Course 2006
Posted by jicafriends at 03:32 PM | Comments (0)
TRAINING REPORT -Current Situation and Policies of Persons with Disabilities in Japan (May 22, 2006)-
Before the afternoon lecture Mr. ichiro Maruyama took all the participants to Shinjuku Welfare Center for Persons with Disabilities , adjoining to Toyama Sunrise and explained about the welfare services for habitants with disabilities in Shinjuku ward. It helped new jica friends understand the lecture.
Mr. Maruyama started his lecture with the video "Emerging" according to his custom, and he described global movements on disability and Japanese disability policies.
TRAINING REPORT in Vocational Rehabilitation Course 2006
Posted by jicafriends at 03:29 PM | Comments (0)
TRAINING REPORT -Program Orientation (May 22, 2006)-
The JICA group training course on "Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Promotion of Persons with Disablities" 2006 has started.
The Program Orientation was held at Toyama Sunrise Building. where JSRPD is located and it was our great pleasure to meet 7 very enthusiastic participants from Bhutan, Cambodia, Lao, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines and Sri Lanka.
We had an honor to receive the presence of Prof. Maruyama (course leader), Prof. Ogawa and Prof. Terashima (committee members) as well as Ms. Noguchi (PCM facilitator) and Ms. Rossitto (Proposal Writing lecturer).
TRAINING REPORT in Vocational Rehabilitation Course 2006
Posted by jicafriends at 03:19 PM | Comments (0)
May 24, 2006
Disabled Fighting for Jobs in Indian State
Disabled Fighting for Jobs in Indian State
Punjab government lags behind in implementing measures
Munish Nagar (munish1107)
Published on 2006-05-21 14:17 (KST)
Disabled citizens in the Indian state of Punjab are demanding the local
government meet an employment requirement set in a national act that passed
in 1995.
The Physically Handicapped Association of Punjab plans to carry out
statewide protests if their demands are not met.
The Act passed by the Indian government for the welfare of disabled people
is known as Act 1995, which went into effect a year later. It is also known
as the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights
and Full Participation) Act, 1995. The law extends to the whole of India
except the states of Jammu and Kashmir.
In every department of government, 3 percent of all jobs must be reserved
disabled people. But in Punjab, these measures have not been enforced
during the last several years. The association plans to protest against the
local government in favor of their demands.
According to Dr. Harnek Singh Rode, editor of this association, he said, "In
many government offices, many jobs are vacant from some time and despite
that, the positions have not been filled by the government yet."
The association claims that Punjab is contributing a lot of the wealth of
India due to its agriculture and other industries. Punjab has a heavy
population of disabled people compared to other states in India. Every year,
people are disabled in Punjab due to accidents. So it should be the duty of
the government to give employment to these disabled people so that they
could also contribute their efforts to the wealth of the country. They need
employment, not sympathy.
"We received a call from the chief minister's top secretary about a meeting
on May 30. If it doesn't go in our favor, then we will proceed with our
movement and we will protest across the state. We will fight for our
rights," Rode said.
The main demands of the association are:
- The enrollment of disabled people should be direct.
- The retirement age should be 60.
- Free education should be provided to disabled until the university level.
- The job reservation of 3 percent should be increased to 10 percent, as
the population of these people has increased over time. - Act 1995 should be implemented properly.
c2006 OhmyNews
You can see more details here.
http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.asp?at_code=332414&no=293291&rel_no=1
Posted by jicafriends at 05:44 PM | Comments (0)
May 17, 2006
Most Disabled Americans Have Jobs
This article was introduced by Mr. Soya Mori, an administrator of
"Disability and elopment"mailing list.
It was originally downloaded from "Washingtonpost.com".
Most Disabled Americans Have Jobs
By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER
The Associated Press
Friday, May 12, 2006; 12:34 AM
WASHINGTON -- More than half the nation's disabled people hold jobs,
but they often have lower incomes and less education and are less likely
to have health insurance than people without disabilities, the government said Friday.
Nearly one in five Americans _ about 51 million people had physical ormental
disabilities in 2002, according to the Census Bureau. About 33 million of them
had severe disabilities.
The likelihood of disabilities, not surprisingly, increased with age:
Fewer than one in 10 people 15 and younger had a disability, while more than
half of those 65 and older _ and 72 percent of those 80 and older _ had them.
"The primary obstacle that people with intellectual disabilities face is the
attitudes of people around them," said Chris Privett, a spokesman for The Arc,
a service and advocacy group for people with disabilities. "Once people
understand that someone with an intellectual disability is not as different
from anyone else as they would assume, things get simpler."
The Census Bureau surveyed 26,800 households for the report, asking people
about their health and if they had difficulty performing various tasks, said
Sharon Stern, chief of the bureau's poverty and health statistics branch.
People were classified as disabled if they had difficulty performing tasks
such as seeing, hearing, bathing or doing light housework, or if they had
conditions such as Alzheimer's disease or autism. They were considered
to have severe disabilities if they were unable to perform any of those
asks, or if they had severe cases of specific conditions.
About 56 percent of disabled adults, ages 21 to 64, had jobs in 2002.
Among those with severe disabilities, 43 percent had jobs.
"People are starting to look more at people's abilities instead of their
disability," Privett said. "But in the advocacy community, our work is
far from finished."
The first President Bush signed the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990,
outlawing discrimination against people with disabilities and promising them
access to buildings, services and transportation. Since then, schools have
added elevators, private companies have erected Braille signs and employers
have been prohibited from denying jobs to disabled workers.
Karen Wolffe, director of professional development at the American Foundation
for the Blind, credits the law with raising awareness of people with disabilities.
"I can remember when I was a kid. We didn't have cutouts in the sidewalk for
people with wheelchairs," Wolffe said. "Now, people are accustomed to Braille
in the elevators and they are accustomed to ramps."
Wolffe, however, said many employers still are wary of hiring disabled workers
because they are worried about getting sued if they later discipline them or
deny them a promotion.
Among working age adults who were blind or had limited vision, 55 percent
had jobs in 2002, according to the census report. Among all working age
adults, 83 percent had jobs.
Among the report's other findings:
_The median income _ the point at which half make more and half make less
was $12,800 for people with severe disabilities, $22,000 for those with milder
disabilities and $25,000 for those with no disabilities.
_22 percent of adults ages 25 to 64 with severe disabilities had college degrees,
while 33 percent of those with milder disabilities had degrees and 43 percent of
those with no disabilities had egrees.
_19 percent of adults ages 25 to 64 with severe disabilities had no health insurance.
About 17 percent of those with milder disabilities had no insurance, while 16 percent
of adults with no disabilities were without health insurance.
On The Net:
Census Bureau: http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/disability/disability.html
c 2006 The Associated Press
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/05/12/AR2006051200046.html
Posted by jicafriends at 05:16 PM | Comments (0)
Information from Mr. Aqeel Qureshi
Our friend, Mr. Aqeel Qureshi from India sent us the following information
dawn loaded from BBC NEWS.
Gadget firms tackled on usability
Technology firms are being targeted in a bid to make hardware and software
easier to use for everyone.
The initiative, backed by disability charities and big firms like BT, aims
to make hi-tech firms take usability more seriously.
They want to get companies thinking about how to make goods and services
easy to use while design work is done.
Firms signing up will be expected to make big changes to all the things they
do that customers encounter.
Building block
The initiative, which has been given the name of the E-Inclusion Charter,
has the backing of the Royal National Institute for the Deaf (RNID),
Disabled Living Foundation, technology consultancy Scientific Generics and
the Alliance for Digital Inclusion.
Despite the involvement of charities that try to raise awareness of
accessibility issues, Guido Gybels, director of new technologies at the
RNID, said the charter aimed to help everyone.
"We are not talking about small groups of people with specialist needs," he
said.
Instead, said Mr Gybels, the charter wanted to make companies apply
accessibility and usability to everything they produce - no matter who buys
it or uses it.
"This is about making the experience better for every single one of your
customers," he said.
It was also intended to go beyond the basic obligations that laws on equal
access impose on businesses.
It was not just those with disabilities that could benefit from products
that are straight-forward to use, he said. Studies had shown the business
benefits from applying the principles of usability and user testing to
products and services.
"We recognise that technology can be both a cause of and a solution to
exclusion," said Heidi Lloyd, spokeswoman for the Alliance for Digital
Inclusion (ADI). "Through this charter, we hope to maximise the potential
that technology has to offer everyone."
The ADI has among its members BT, Cisco, Intel, Microsoft and IBM.. In
particular, the backers of the charter are looking to sign up the makers of
computers, mobile phones and TVs and get them making products easier to
navigate and use.
"The charter is a starting point rather than an objective in itself," said
Mr Gybels. "If you sign up to it, it's not just a piece of paper, it's an
undertaking to bring about real change."
Sally Lincoln, commercial director of accessibility firm Nomensa, said
knowledge of usability issues and adoption of best practice was patchy
across all sectors of industry.
"Fundamentally, there needs to be an attitude change amongst the industry,"
she said. "Brands, government services and agencies all need to realise that
inclusivity does not mean compromising on creativity and innovation."
**For more information
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4772139.stm
http://hardware.silicon.com/desktops/0,39024645,39158908,00.htm
Posted by jicafriends at 02:54 PM | Comments (0)
May 11, 2006
Dear jicafriends -Keiko Nakatani (JSRPD)
Dear jicafriends
I found an article about National Federation of the Disabled-Nepal, which
Mr. Sundar Shyam Thakur, a former participant of Vocational Rehabilitation
Course last year belongs to.
http://www.gorkhapatra.org.np/pageloader.php?file=2006/04/26/topstories/main11
This article was introduced by Mr. Soya Mori, an administrator of
"Disability and Development"mailing list. It was originally downloaded from
"The Rising Nepal."
Posted by jicafriends at 03:55 PM | Comments (0)
May 08, 2006
The IL Training/ Seminar in Nepal
Dear all,
We are happy to inform you that Independent Living Secretariat and
Mainstream Association Japan have decided to rearrange the Independent
Living Training/ Seminar scheduled to organize in Kathmandu on June 3rd-
5th, 2006 after the restoration of the democracy in Nepal. Thus, this
Training/ Seminar was postpone due to the political crisis in Nepal.
We are very much enthusiastic to conduct the IL Training/Seminar because
Independent Living (IL) concept is new in Nepal. All the participants,
stakeholders and well wisher were observing it very seriously. The present
changed political situation make easy for the participation of Training
participants who were out of the Kathmandu valley and other activities
related to Training/ Seminar.
Japanese Facilitator from Mainstream Association, Partner Association will
come Nepal to give the lecture on Independent Living Concept, its
activities, its movement and the Human rights of persons with disabilities.
They will share and discussed the disability issue with Nepalese Disabled
Persons on June 3rd-5th, 2006. We hope after the training it will easy to
run the IL Movement in Nepal to get the rights, dignity life, social
security and full participation in the society.
We also hope that the national and international communities will support
morally and financially to preserve the rights of persons with disabilities
in Nepal.
Thank you all.
Best regards
Krishna Gautam
Coordinator
IL secretariat
Posted by jicafriends at 05:17 PM | Comments (0)
DPI and ILO join in the Walking Rally on Labour Day in Bangkok
DPI and ILO join in the Walking Rally on Labour Day in Bangkok
May 1, the National Labor Day, Disabled Peoples'
International Asia Pacific Regional Office (DPI/AP) mobilized the
demonstration parade, in co-operation with the International Labor
Organization (ILO) and the Council of Disabled People of Thailand
(DPI-Thailand), as a part of mainstream labor movement.
At 12 O'clock under the blazing sunshine, about 60 people,
including both people with disability (PWD) and non-disabled gathered at the
Rama V Monument in Bangkok, Thailand. After having lunch-box, PWD (mainly
people with visual impairment, hearing impairment, and physical disability)
started to walk to the Sanam Luang (the Royal Plaza), which is 2 kilometers
ahead. They kept walking for about 2 hours, demonstrating the following 4
demands:
1) Government should ratify the ILO Convention 159
on Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons) 1983
2) Government should review and amend/abolish 52
laws/regulations which discriminates PWDs in the field of employment.
3) The Ministry which is responsible for the Ministerial Regulation on
Employment Promotion for PWDs should be shifted from the Ministry of
Social Development and Human Security to the Ministry of Labor.
4) Government should ensure more serious implementation of safety
measure in workplaces in order to avoid increasing number of PWDs.
For those who have become disabled at work, they should
receive compensation and medical service for live, not only 10 years under
the present Social Security Act.
After the rally reached the destination, Mr. Topong Kulkhanchit,
the Regional Development Officer for Asia-Pacific, submitted the petition
with 4 demand directly to the Labour Minister, Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin. The
Minister accepted the request quite sincerely and promised to work towards
the each problem seriously.
The Council of Disabled People of Thailand (DPI-Thailand) actively joined Labour Day 2006 Campaign.
Staffs of ILO Sub-regional Office for South East Asia, based in Bangkok, also joined to promote Decent Work and ILO Convention 159.
Mr. Somsak Thepsuthin, Minister of Labour, responded positively toward DPI-Thailand’s 4
demands. However, he reserved that other law-amendment and policy-related requests have to wait for the formation of a new parliament before anything can be considered and pushed forward.
Debra A. Perry, Senior Specialist in Vocational Rehabilitation, International Labour Office in
Bangkok shared fresh water among disabled persons after long marching under heavy sunrise.
It has been proved strong determination and spirit of people with disabilities to expose themselves
in a very hot day in Bangkok on Labour Day with the mainstream labour movement.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
This news has been forwarded to you by DPI Asia-Pacific Regional Office
Sincerely.
Topong Kulkhanchit
Posted by jicafriends at 04:42 PM | Comments (0)
New Web Design -keiko nakatani (JSRPD)
As you've already noticed that the design of jicafriends website has changed
since 27 of April.
We changed the web designs three times in a year to balance the amount of
information on each page and also to improve accessibility to information on
jicafriends website.
Friendship is the golden thread that ties the hearts of all the world.
-John Evelyn-
I do hope jicafriends network will tie the hearts of all jica
ex-participants from all over the world.
Posted by jicafriends at 04:27 PM | Comments (0)
May 02, 2006
Minthly report of ILC islambad-Mr.Shafiq ur Rehman
Report of Independent Living Training Program for Spinal Cord Injured Patients by Earthquake in Islamabad. (from 08-03-06 to 19-04-06)
The Milestone Society for the Special Persons has been working for the Earthquake Victims in General and for the Spinal Cord injured disabled persons in particular since the disaster of earthquake fell like a tragedy on the country folk. The Milestone Society has been giving the Independent Living Training to the spinal cord patients at the melody relief and rehabilitation unit and has been greatly successful as all the patient got new life through being Independent.
Presently the Milestone Society is working in three hospitals i.e. Cantonment General Hospital, National Institute for Handicapped and National Institute for Health Chak Shehzad. The Milestone Society Members divided into three teams visit the said hospitals daily and give the Independent Living Training to the Spinal Cord injured patients there. The Independent Living program chalked out by the Milestone Society consists of different phases i.e. in the first phase the Society member do peer-counseling to get the patients out of their physical trauma so that they are willing to accept new ideas and worthy information about their disabilities.
As the Milestone Society started working on Independent Living in collaboration with the Handicap International. The condition of the patients in said hospitals was not that much stable as they lacked the competent people who could inform them about their daily living skills including self-catheterization, stool passing , wheelchair skills including shifting from bed to wheelchair , moving wheelchair in rough terrain etc. But the current situation is much better than before. Now most of the patients can use wheelchair easily. They can move them without any help almost all the patient can do self-catheterization and stool passing themselves. It was the burning issue because most of the patients did not know the way how to do self-catheterization and stool passing but the competent Milestone Society members trained them though it took few days. As the Society members started working some of the patients were suffering from bed-sores but with due help and timely information they are recovering.
Another worth mentioning thing is that some of the patients in Cantonment General Hospital (CGH) were not willing to cooperate with the Society members, When the Society members asked them to join the training they resisted and refuse to join, After a long discussion they expressed their feelings. They were quite disinterested in their lives as they had the fear of being impotent. They said "what is the use of this life because they are no more male or female". They are infertile and they have decided to commit suicide but it was just the lack of information and sexual education. The Society members made them get rid of this fear of being infertile. They informed them that they can still enjoy their married life it is false opinion that they are no more male they can have happy married life. Listening to it they asked so many questions concerning their married life and the society member answered their curiosities and it is happy to intimate that they are taking active part in training now as a fresh spirit of life is infused into them. Now they are willing to live. All the other patients also have such question concerning their married life and the society members skillfully answer their queries.
The Milestone Society members are working with devotion for last many months and their mission and aim is to share their first hand knowledge and information with the spinal cord injured patient as there is lack of information about the technicalities associated with their disability. The lower limb being senseless needs special care and attention. The Independent Living program Implement by the Milestone Society captures all the basic needs and aspects of life from wheelchair moving to married life keeping in view the future planning that when these people go back to their native areas they should be Independent enough that they don’t need to search anyone to answer their questions as they don’t have enough facilities and they are equipped enough to handle such technicalities. On the other hand the women spinal cord injured patient are also taking interest and learning fast the independent Living skills in the club activities they attend the class in groups and learn the household cores including preparing meals, making tea washing cloths as their life style is changed enough because of using wheelchair.
Posted by jicafriends at 02:05 PM | Comments (0)