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October 25, 2006
ADP-I Marks 16th Year Foundation
Dear JICA friends,
We have just celebrated the 16th Year Foundation of the Association of Disabled Persons – Iloilo (ADP-I). Our sentimental journey began in September 1990 when four (4) fellow persons with disabilities took the first giant step forward with fervent hope of bringing forth a meaningful change in our society and in the lives of every person with disability.
For 16 long years, ADP-I went through the inevitable ups and downs of an organization. Willingly facing rejection hoping to find acceptance in the end, determined to make a great difference in the lives of people with handicap, who, for a long period of time, were confined in the four walls of home, living isolated lives, painfully struggling for self-acceptance.
Our efforts are never in vain for deliberately we are winning the support of the government. The growing trust and confidence of the people around us encouraged us even more to go beyond our physical limitations and enhance our skills and productivity. ADP-I has become a venue for unity, involvement and participation of persons with disabilities in the community, taking active role as partner in the development process. It has positively changed the negative image of persons with disabilities as parasites of society and mere recipients of dole-outs.
Gradually, we have established a close networking and collaboration with non-government organizations and national government agencies. Our programs and projects include advocacy, trainings, rehabilitation, scholarship program for deserving members, provision of mobility devices and livelihood projects that provide employment opportunities to members.
After 16 years of faithful dedication and unwavering commitment to champion the cause of the disabled sector, ADP-I has grown stronger and better. We have learned to use our setbacks and limitations to move us ahead, making the most of our “too little and too unlikely” for the betterment of persons with disabilities.
It is still a long, long way to go and there will be more challenges ahead of us, but we are positive that ours is a winning battle not a losing one for we are overcoming our disabilities and maximizing our abilities for the common good of persons with disabilities and the society where we live.
donnabelle - Philippines
Leaders Course 2005
Posted by jicafriends at 03:30 PM | Comments (0)
October 16, 2006
I am happy to see this website still operating
I am happy to see the website still operating and that people are posting information on their countries. I would like to add my bit as well :)
Guyana is in the process of Persons with Disability Act and I have the privilege of coordinating the activities towards its completion and beyond. Not an enviable position to be in. It’s a visible job and I've to ensure it’s done correctly. The upside is that I work in the Secretariat of the National Commission on Disability and get the opportunity to liaison with other stakeholders garnering feedback on their needs. This report is presented to the President of Guyana’s office and hopefully gets attention towards progress towards the independent drive for persons with disabilities.
Two pieces of important activities - the revision of the UN Standard Rule and the passing of the Decade of Persons with Disabilities put forward by Peru at the Organisations of American States Conference earlier this year- I look forward to working with the members of the Class of 1999 who are in this region to make this venture a resounding success.
Karen Hall
Posted by jicafriends at 10:47 AM | Comments (1)
October 10, 2006
India: A Tough Country To Live In If You Are Disabled
Mr. Aqeel Qureshi sent us the following information, which was downloaded from DESICRITICS.ORG.
India: A Tough Country To Live In If You Are Disabled
Newspapers and TV channels have been reporting about the incident in which
the 11-year-old autistic son of a south Indian actor was refused entry to an
aircraft at Bangalore Airport because he 'looked different' and in the
opinion of an airport security man might be a threat to other passengers.
Not surprisingly the boy's parents were outraged and, after a lot of fuss,
the boy was allowed to travel. It must have been a humiliating experience
for all concerned and, were it not for the fact that the boy's parents were
famous and able to stand up for their rights, the incident might not have
ended so satisfactorily.
The press reports are unclear as to why, exactly, the boy was initially
barred. The officer cited 'rules' which he couldn't quote. All sorts of
inquiries are under way, both among the police and the office of the
'Commissioner for persons of Disability'.
In a country like India the numbers of the disabled are so large, their
problems so complex, available resources so scarce and social attitudes so
damaging, it is only legislation which can eventually bring about a
substantial change in a uniform manner. Although legislation cannot alone
radically change the fabric of a society in a short span of time, it can,
nevertheless, increase accessibility of the disabled to education and
employment, to public buildings and shopping centers, to means of transport
and communication.
The impact of well-directed legislation in the long run would be profound
and liberating. One out of every ten people in India suffers from one form
of disability or the other that is they possess physical or mental
impairment substantially limits one or more of major life activities.
India's parliament passed the Persons with Disabilities Act in 1995. It was
a landmark act which was designed to ensure disabled people are able to be
an integral part of mainstream life in India. It is a combination of
service-oriented and rights-based legislation. While this by itself is
noteworthy, there seem to be some serious flaws in the Act that have to be
set right to ensure equitable distribution of benefits, at least to the
mentally ill.
Though Mental Illness has been included as one of the seven disabilities,
the Act as a whole shows very little understanding of the nature of the
disability and current developments in the field. It appears that the
recognition is more by default rather than intent.
The very definition of Mental Illness (MI) is more by elimination rather
than explanation.
It is learnt that the Amendments to the Act take care of definitional issues
by adopting an inclusive rather than an exclusive approach. But until the
amendments are incorporated, the ambiguity of definition will persist and
there is no currently no consensus on the scope of the amendments between
the babus of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and disability
activists and NGOs.
The Act defines a disabled person as one who is "suffering from 40% or more
disability". However, as far as Mental Illness is concerned, this
quantification is a mystification because such a tool is unavailable. So, if
a parent of the affected wants to derive benefits under the Act and approach
a psychiatrist for a legally approved disability certificate, there is none
available. By being deprived of access to a certificate of disability, the
discrimination to Mental Illness is inherent in the very definition of
disability envisaged by the Act.
Meanwhile, many people have criticized policymakers for viewing disability
as simply a charity and welfare issue. Javed Abidi, an activist, argues that
it is and it should rightly be a development issue, a progress issue and an
economic issue. He says that no country can afford to have six percent of
its population live off charity and no country or society can ever progress
or develop leaving six percent of its population behind. While the
government and the activist groups sort this one out, without basic norms of
civility and sensitivity at the ground level, the humiliation and ridicule
for the disabled will continue as always.
Shantanu Dutta is a doctor by training and a development professional by
vocation. He is an onlooker on events happening in India and the world in
the realm of society, politics and the many intangible events that populate
our lives.
October 07, 2006
Shantanu Dutta, DESICRITICS.ORG
Source: http://desicritics.org/2006/10/07/091922.php
Posted by jicafriends at 10:54 AM | Comments (1)
October 06, 2006
APDF General Assembly and Conference
Asia Pacific Disability Forum (APDF), in cooperation with UNESCAP, will organize its General Assembly and Conference on October 16 and 17, 2006 at UNCC, Bangkok.
It is a significant occasion to meet, exchange our development and discuss the common issue for our better future.Please prepare for attending the meetings.
General Assembly
Day and Time : 10:00-12:00 October 16, 2006
Venue : UNCC, Bangkok
APDF Conference
Day : October 16 and 17
Venue: UNCC, Bangkok
"Formation of APDF"
At the Osaka Forum, the idea of forming a new regional NGO network on disability was welcomed by various sectors to strengthen regional initiatives and momentum to meet the rising expectations and demands of the New Millennium. The name of the new network was decided as "Asia and Pacific Disability Forum" (in short, APDF).
Posted by jicafriends at 02:28 PM | Comments (0)
October 03, 2006
Regional Federation of Women With Disabilities (WWDs) in Western Visayas
Dear JICA friends,
We have just organized the Regional Federation of Women With Disabilities (WWDs) We are positive that through this Federation we can encourage the active support, participation and involvement of women with disabilities in matters affecting the women with disabilities. Likewise, it is hoped that through this Federation, we can better facilitate the delivery of services to WWDs and come up with doable and feasible programs and projects to uplift the condition of women with disabilities in our region.
A Regional Consultative Conference of Women With Disabilities was held, participated by WWDs coming from the different provinces. Five of six provinces in the region are represented in the Federation.
Donnabelle V. Baldonado - Philippines
Leaders Course 2006
Posted by jicafriends at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)