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August 26, 2009
Training Report : July 6, 2009 : Samegawa Tampopo-no-ie (Local visit 2)
In the morning participants visited the beginning place of Samegawa Tampopo-no-ie (Samegawa house of dandelion) in Samegawa village. “Samegawa Tampopo-no-ie”, had remodeled the building of the Maternal and Child Health Center of Samegawa Village, rented it for free, and opened in April 2003. They started with a total of 20 users including 17 users from the inside of Samegawa. The building was made of wood and constructed 46 yeas ago, and the site of the facility was designated as a steep-slope dangerous zone by Fukushima Prefecture. When they had a bad weather or an earthquake, they were often seized with anxiety. Under such circumstances they started Tampopo-no-ie, a sheltered workshop for persons with physical and intellectual disabilities.
Participants were asked to think how they could create the work opportunities for users with physical and intellectual disabilities and support their living under the same circumstances. They beat their brains, utilized their knowledge and experiences to develop the plan through a head-to-head discussion. Before leaving the facility staff of Tampopo-no-ie gave them hints to open the door.
And then they moved to the present Tampopo-no-ie.
After the lunch JICA participants learned how Tampopo-no-ie developed and expanded their projects for providing work places. Manager explained not only the background but also the process to success. She also showed them several kinds of popular products of Tampopo-no-ie.
On the way going back to the hotel, they made a short visit at Temame-kan, a community shop, where local vegetables and processed products made by villagers are sold. Participants could learn how Tampopo-no-ie interacts with village people and utilizes the network established in the community.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0706.html
Posted by jicafriends at 03:22 PM | Comments (0)
August 20, 2009
Training Report : July 5, 2009 : Move to Fukushima Prefecture (Local visit 1)
Today is the first day of “Local study visit.”
Five participants went to Tokyo station to take a Shinkansen bullet train bound for Fukushima.
Since participants from Nepal are using wheelchairs in Japan, so their coordinator requested a station staff to lead them to their seats of the train. They were first asked to wait at the waiting room near the ticket wicket. It is an air-conditioned room with anaccessible bathroom. Of course all the members of decent team were impressed and some filmed and others took pictures of the facility.
As many of jicafriends have already experienced or seen how station staff pushed their wheelchairs and showed them the place to wait. They are well trained and have a reputation for being polite to customers.
The Shinkansen bullet train was so fast and it took only one and half hour to Fukushima. Sorry for the short trip…
Five participants, one of the committee members, JICE coordinator and JSRPD staff were welcomed by a director of Samegawa tampopo-no-ie at the station and started the first day of local study visit.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0705.html
Posted by jicafriends at 02:51 PM | Comments (0)
Training Report : July 3, 2009 : Job Report Presentation
In this training course, the participants are asked to write three reports: Job Reports, Project Plan, and Progress Report. Job Reports were already prepared by the participants before coming to Japan. Project Plans will be written while they are staying in Japan, and Progress Reports will be obliged to submit after returning back to their home countries.
Today's afternoon the participants presented their first report, Job Reports, at JICA Tokyo. It opened to the public, so JICA provided Japanese-English interpreters and Japanese sign language interpreters.
The participants gave a presentation focusing on their duties at their organizations in their home countries.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/reports/job/index.html
Each participant could use 20 minutes for presentation and 15 minutes for question and answer session, however actual time of his/her presentation became half of it because of interpretations. So participants had to carefully choose the slides from their power points.
A number of NGO staff, who were interested in disability and development issues attended today's program and they raised a lot of questions and comments. After all the presentations, all the participants including the planning committee members gave comments to each one of presentations.
From the presentations, the participants and the Japanese related personals could understand what each participant does at their work and also the employment situation of persons with disabilities as well as issues in their country.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0703.html
Posted by jicafriends at 11:10 AM | Comments (0)
August 19, 2009
Training Report : July 1, 2009 PM: Visit Tokyo Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities
After saying “good bye” to Swan Bakery Akasaka shop, all participants took a subway from Akasaka to Ueno to visit Tokyo Vocational Center for persons with disabilites. It was a good opportunity for them to check accessibility of public transportation in Tokyo.
Director, Assistant Director, and Head Supervisor welcomed them at the entrance of the center. After the welcome speech by Director, Assistant Director explained the role of this center.
Local Vocational Centers for Persons with Disabilities are located throughout Japan. The Center provides the vocational rehabilitation services such as vocational evaluation, vocational guidance, work preparation support, OA training courses and evaluation of individuals with intellectual and severe intellectual disabilities, in close cooperation with local Public Employment Security Offices and other related institutions. The center also provides services specific to employers such as consultation, assistance and employment management support. “Job coach system” is one of the effective supports.
In order that persons with intellectual and mental disabilities can adapt smoothly to the workplace, job coaches will be dispatched to the workplace and meticulous personnel support carried out. Job coaches are stationed at Local Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities implementing support. Not only the centers but also social welfare foundation or employers station job coaches and carry out support by using the Grant for Job Coaches in cooperation with the Local Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities.
According to the annual statistics the center provided various kinds of services to 2,291 persons with disabilities in fiscal year 2008. The participants found out the important role of Tokyo Vocational Center in Tokyo area for persons with disabilities.
Head Supervisor and vocational counselor showed the participants around the center. And six participants became interested in vocational evaluation methods. They could try and experience different tools and learn how to use them.
Director, Assistant Director, and Head Supervisor led all participants to the front door. They could also learn Japanese common courtesy.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0701pm.html
Posted by jicafriends at 05:07 PM | Comments (0)
August 18, 2009
Training Report : July 2, 2009, Community Visit
Today one of the committee members, professor of Kanagawa Institute of Technology conducted the observation-cum-study for five participants to learn how the citizens with disabilities live in Atsugi City.
In the morning, they visited a home of a professional painter who has severe disability. She suffered quadriplegia due to cervical injury at her age of 22. After 7 years' hospitalization she felt an urge to live independently in the community and she worked hard to obtain the social and daily living skills through the training at Rehabilitation Center.
She lives in a barrier-free flat of a public housing provided by Atsugi City, with her husband and a daughter now. She uses various types of welfare services including 24-hour personal assistance, provision of assistive devices and remodeling of her house according to her needs. So many times I visited Atsugi City Hall in order to get present services and conditions, she explained to the participants. Five participants understood she could enjoy her community life because she never gave up her life.
Then the participants visited the Comprehensive Welfare Center of Atsugi City to have lunch at a restaurant “Donguri (acorn)” where persons with intellectual disabilities are working. They also had a chance to visit a consultation room located in the same building, where consultation services for all three types of disabilities, physical, intellectual, and mental are conveniently provided in one location for the citizens of Atsugi City and some neighboring municipalities.
In the afternoon, the participants had an opportunity to visit a home of a person who has quadriplegia due to car accident.
He is an employee of a special subsidiary of a famous company in the employment service industry in Japan however he doesn't have to go to work. In stead of commuting to an office, he works at home using a computer. The system of “employment at home” allowed him to live independently in the community. He explained both merits and demerits of working at home, and he emphasized how important “to work” is for him. A staff from his company kindly came to explain why they started “employment at home” and the participants could learn about the company's efforts to employ persons with disabilities.
Before visiting the last house five participants made a short visit to “Asayake (morning glow), a small-sized community workshop for persons with disabilities. The director is a wheelchair user and he commutes to the workshop by driving his car. Participants were so interested in seeing how he transfers from his wheelchair to his car. They could also observe how people with disabilities work in the community.
Lastly the participants visited a dream house owned by the director of the workshop. It's a barrier-free house designed by a couple with disabilities. The participants were amazed with various assistive devices and automated equipment.
From today's community visit, the participants could understand that even persons with severe disabilities can live independently in a community.
http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0702.html
Posted by jicafriends at 11:16 PM | Comments (0)
August 17, 2009
ESCAP to Establish Subregional Office for East and North-East Asia
Bangkok (UN/ESCAP Information Services) -- Noeleen Heyzer, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, today announced the establishment of the first-ever ESCAP subregional office for East and North-East Asia in Incheon, Republic of Korea.
The Office will facilitate matters related to cooperation in significant issues by ESCAP members China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, the Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation.
“There is great potential for the six countries to work together, particularly in areas such as low-carbon green growth, MDG achievement and energy security,” Dr. Heyzer said. “Strengthening subregional cooperation in East and North-East Asia will contribute to greater stability, economic and social advancement, and environmental sustainability across the entire Asia-Pacific region.”
The Mayor of Incheon, Ahn Sang-soo, welcomed the announcement and noted that the city had set for itself the goal of hosting some 30 UN organizations and agencies, thereby creating a cluster of UN and international agencies in Songdo International City. “[We are] continuing to work hard at attracting large numbers of international organizations and UN agencies to the city,” he said.
East and North-East Asia contains the most dynamic economies in the world as well as countries struggling to fight hunger, malnutrition and high maternal child mortality. Another critical challenge confronting the subregion is environmental sustainability.
As the UN’s regional development arm in Asian and the Pacific, ESCAP promotes inclusive and sustainable economic and social development among its 62 member countries and territories. The establishment of the subregional office was approved by the General Assembly in 2008 as part of the Secretary-General’s efforts to strengthen the development pillar of the
United Nations. Two more subregional offices are planned for South and South-West Asia and for North and Central Asia, while the existing Pacific subregional office in Suva, Fiji, will also be strengthened.
Disability Programme of ESCAP; http://www.unescap.org/esid/psis/disability/index.asp
Posted by jicafriends at 11:10 AM | Comments (0)
Report from Shalika-Sri Lanka
The Sri Lanka Council for the Blind held its annual Higher Education Scholarship Award Ceremony on the 31st of July 2009.
This special project is sponsored by the Korean Businessmen’s Organisation in Sri Lanka and almost all the graduates with visual disabilities have benefited from it. This year, we identified 46 such deserving students with visual disabilities, out of which 27 were from the Nothern and Eastern provinces of the country (areas which were heavily affected by the war). Seven of the recipients were residents of IDP camps (camps for Internally Displaced Persons). The Deputy Ambassador for Korea in Sri Lanka who was the Chief Guest pointed out the importance of supporting students with visual disabilities to pursue higher studies. The Guest of Honour, the Secretary of the Korean Businessmen’s Association in Sri Lanka vouched to continuously sponsor this benevolent service. Each student received a gift parcel of a cassette player, blank cassettes, Braille paper, slate and stylus. a talking watch and a white cane. Mr. Asoka Weerawardena who himself was a beneficiary of this programme many years ago, testified to its success. He is now the Computer Instructor for PWDs at the University of Colombo. He said that he hailed from a extremely poor family and that his parents could not afford to buy him educational equipment and if not for this programme, he would not have been able to graduate from university. Officials from the ministries of education and social service were present too.
Shalika Karunaratne
Sri Lankan Representative – Leaders Course 2006
Member – Executive Committee of the Sri Lanka Council for the Blind
Posted by jicafriends at 10:53 AM | Comments (0)
August 07, 2009
Training Report : June 30, 2009 PM : Visit : Iidabashi Public Employment Security Office
If persons with disabilities in your country would like to find jobs, where do they go?
How can they get to access information of job vacancies?
Today's afternoon session, five participants visited the Iidabashi Public Employment Security Office, Hello Work or PESO in shortened form.
Hello Work utilizes a variety of measures to support employment consultation, job introductions, for persons with disabilities who want to find work, support for setting in the workplace, continuation of employment after employment, and to provide guidance and support to employers regarding employing persons with disabilities.
Director of Employment Division first explained about the responsibilities of Iidabashi Hello Work (PESO.) Participants learned about the relation between Hallo Work and other related organizations, such as Local Employment and Life Support Centers for Persons with Disabilities, Schools for Special Needs Education, Vocational Ability Development Centers for Persons with Disabilities, private companies, and etc. They could understand the importance of networking and information barrier-free. And then, each participant tried the search for job on computers. They were very surprised to know that they could find a job of any place in Japan at Iidabashi Public Employment Security Office and they also could choose an adequate job according to their needs and conditions.
More than 4,000 job placement cases for persons with disabilities including home-based employment were reported in fiscal year 2008.
Five participants could get many keys to success regarding employment promotion and realization of decent work of persons with disabilities through the observation.
http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0630pm.html
Posted by jicafriends at 05:46 PM | Comments (0)
August 06, 2009
Announcement of availability of Funds to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities within USAID's development activities
We are happy to share the following information from the Secretary General
of Rehabilitation International.
The secretariat of jicafriends
Dear Friends,
In light of President Obama's recent decision to sign the U.N. Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, July 30; we are pleased to inform
you that funding has been made available to USAID Missions and Washington
Operating Units (WOUs) to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities
in development activities. There is currently a total of $2 million
available to fund programs ranging from $20,000 - $300,000. Additional
funding may also become available.
Please note that these funds are being made to USAID missions and offices,
who in turn are responsible for the solicitation and awarding of agreements
to organizations. Therefore, interested organizations should contact local
USAID missions to see if they are participating. Concept papers SHOULD NOT
be sent directly to this office.
In compliance with the Agency's Disability Policy,
http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/disability/
work toward fuller inclusion of people with disabilities in our foreign
policy and development efforts, and towards that end, these funds are made
available to increase the participation of people with disabilities in USAID
activities and strengthen the capacities of Disabled People's Organizations
(DPOs).
In order to promote consistency, and for ease of review, we have established
a standard application form. All project ideas must be presented using this
form (a cover page and 8 questions). Submissions made using other formats
will not be considered. In addition to the application form, there are two
other attachments: a more robust Description of the Request and a
standardized reporting format.
Please note the following:
- As noted above, interested applicants should submit proposals to the USAID
Mission or WOU that will host this proposed activity. Applications sent
directly to this office will not be considered.
- Projects approved by Missions will be sent to us using the standardized
application form, USAID/W will review submissions and give feedback to the
Mission within 3-4 weeks of submission. If approved, USAID/W will make funds
available to Missions and WOUs. Missions/WOUs, in consultation with their
RLAs and contracting officers, will modify existing awards or make new
awards as appropriate.
- There is no deadline for submission of concept papers. They will be
reviewed in the order in which they are received and funds will be allowed
until they are depleted.
We hope you will take advantage of the opportunities this request provides
to expand and extend the work that USAID is doing to reduce the barriers and
provide full participation of people with disabilities in our programs.
Please contact the local USAID Mission and/or Rob Horvath
(rhorvath@usaid.gov) or Sue Eitel
(seitel@usaid.gov) if you have any
questions.
Posted by jicafriends at 11:41 AM | Comments (1)
August 03, 2009
US signs disabled rights treaty
The following information related employment situation in Malaysia was downloaded from the mailing list of "Disability and Development" with a cooperation of the publisher, Mr. Soya Mori.
By EDITH M. LEDERER (AP) – 1 hour ago
UNITED NATIONS — The United States on Thursday signed a U.N. treaty enshrining the rights of the world's 650 million disabled people, saying it symbolized President Barack Obama's commitment to upholding human rights through international agreements.
The signing by U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice marked a dramatic shift from the Bush administration, which refused to take part in negotiations on the treaty, arguing that it would dilute protections for U.S. citizens under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act.
Obama marked last week's 19th anniversary of the U.S. law barring discrimination against the disabled with the announcement that the U.S. would become the 141st signatory to the convention. "Disability rights aren't just civil rights to be enforced here at home. They are universal rights to be recognized and promoted around the world," the president said.
Rice said Obama will soon submit the treaty to the U.S. Senate for ratification. Once it is ratified, the United States will be bound by its provisions.
"It symbolizes that the United States is recommitting itself to upholding human rights through multilateral institutions," Rice said. "It is symbolic of the president's determination to adhere universally to those principles that he has championed and that the United States stands for domestically."
The treaty is the first new human rights convention of the 21st century. It was approved by the U.N. General Assembly in December 2006 and came into force in May 2008 after 20 countries ratified it.
The 32-page convention is a blueprint aimed at ending discrimination and exclusion of the physically and mentally impaired in education, jobs, and everyday life. It requires countries to guarantee freedom from exploitation and abuse for the disabled, while protecting rights they
already have — such as ensuring voting rights for the blind and providing wheelchair-accessible buildings.
It says disabled persons must also enjoy the same right to life, to inherit, to control their financial affairs, and to privacy as the able-bodied. It also advocates keeping the disabled in their communities rather than removing them and educating them separately as many countries do.
According to the U.N., about 10 percent of the world's population, or 650 million people, live with a disability and the number is increasing with population growth. The disabled constitute the world's largest minority, and 80 percent live in developing countries, many in poverty.
"We all still have a great deal more to do at home and abroad," Rice said. "As president Obama has noted, people with disabilities far too often lack the choice to live in communities of their own choosing; their unemployment rate is much higher than those without disabilities; they are much more likely to live in poverty; health care is out of reach for far too many; and too many children with disabilities are denied a world class education."
White House Senior Adviser Valerie Jarrett, who also attended the signing ceremony, announced the creation of a new senior-level post in the State Department to promote the rights of people with disabilities internationally and coordinate government efforts to ratify the treaty.
Several U.S. campaigners for the disabled — two in wheelchairs — attended the signing ceremony in a conference room on the 38th floor of U.N. headquarters and applauded loudly after Rice wrote her name in the treaty book.
Marca Bristo, president and CEO of Access Living, who chairs the U.S. International Council on Disabilities, said the council would be coordinating civil society efforts to ratify the treaty.
William Kennedy Smith, president and founder of the Center for International Rehabilitation, who helped organize activists from around the world to work on drafting the convention, recalled how disappointed U.S. campaigners for the disabled were that the Bush administration refused to participate.
"With the signing today, the U.S. rejoins the arena where they have traditionally set the benchmark in disability rights internationally and I think it's a huge step for people with disabilities and a huge step for our country," he said.
"I think that it represents a profound difference in how the two administrations view international cooperation, international engagement," Smith said.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iCnWYY8S0ZCboqh-3B4ZLzIAfpjgD99P2FGO0
Posted by jicafriends at 07:12 PM | Comments (0)