January 18, 2012

November 9-11, 2011 : Visit: Muchu Center for Independent Living and Networking with Local Community

“You are not alone, and you can feel strong, kind and fun because you have friends!” – Muchu Center, Hyogo

After completing training in Hiroshima, the participants moved to Osaka to visit one of the leading centers for independent living (CILs) in Japan, named Muchu Center.

What is a CIL?
A “CIL” provides services, support, and advocacy to enhance the rights and abilities of persons with disabilities, aiming for their active participations in their communities and enjoyment of independent living

Overview on MUCHU Center
Everyone, including those with disabilities, has dreams and the right to pursue them. “Mu” means “dream” in the Japanese language, and “Chu” is to pursue infinite possibilities. The reason why they named this independent living center “Muchu” is because they wanted to provide a secure socializing space for persons with disabilities and to encourage them to achieve self-realization.

Muchu offers various services and carries out a number of activities such as Peer Counseling, Independent Living Programs (ILPs), movements for human rights protection (Advocacy programs) and seminars on independent living that are open to the public. It also creates a venue where persons with and without disabilities can learn together to discover something new and fun.

Provision of personal assistance services is one of the key activities of the CIL. They provide persons with severe disabilities with physical care, household assistance, transportation assistance, personal assistant dispatch services (such as guide services for physically and intellectually disabled persons).

In the course of settling in the community and institutions, persons with disabilities face a number of problems. People at Muchu share such problems seek solutions with them. They also answer questions that arise.

Muchu also supports CILs in other Asian countries (such as Pakistan, Nepal, Cambodia, Taiwan, South Korea and Mongolia). A few decades ago, Japanese people learned about independent living movements and the importance of friendship at CILs from Europe and the U.S.

During their visit to Muchu, the participants learned about the role of CILs, cooperation among persons with and without disabilities, networking with local communities. They also paid a visit to home of Muchu staff and observed an actual situation of independent living (IL).

The participants were very much interested in the concept of IL. They raised many questions and discussed actively. The main topic of the discussion was that there were still strong senses of belief that persons with disabilities are vulnerable and it is the duty of communities and families to protect them. Therefore, they argued, it was very difficult to promote the concept of IL and how to make people understand the rights, needs and wishes of persons with disabilities. The participants and Muchu staff exchanged opinions on how to apply the concept of IL to each country.

They not only learned the meaning of CIL through lectures and discussions, but also were impressed with Muchu’s hospitability! The Muchu people kindly set up a welcome party in the evening of the first day. Indeed, there were many fun events offered by them, and delicious food cooked by staff was served.

During their stay at Muchu, its staff always cared for the participants and supported the secretariat to convey all the programs smoothly. The participants wished they had been able to stay there longer. They had an unforgettable time at Muchu.

Posted by jicafriends at 01:41 PM | Comments (0)

January 13, 2012

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - October 26 & 27

October 26 & 27, 2011 : Workshop : Human Rights and Advocacy

The topic of the two-day workshop was “abuse” and how to prevent it. On Day One, the participants had opportunity to think about what “abuse” is and how it could be defined.

On the second day, they were divided into two groups and tried a role play. One group performed an abuse at workplace, while the other showed a case of a disabled student abused in the classroom. This activity triggered some of them to disclose their own past experiences. Thus it provided them an opportunity to share their stories and thoughts on abuse and to discuss why work needs to be done to stop and prevent abuse of differing kinds.

This workshop was not only thought-provoking but also challenging in an emotional sense, but the participants proactively participated in it for two days. They reflected it as educational and also an impacting experience at the personal level.

Posted by jicafriends at 01:10 PM | Comments (0)

December 26, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - November 24

November 24, 2011 : Workshop : Facilitator Skills II

It was the second day of the workshop. In the morning, the class discussed in detail a couple of terms that would be a key to acting as “facilitators”. They also looked at one drawing, and discussed how it could be interpreted. All these exercises were to develop a facilitator way of thinking and how to approach issues. Again the convener used a set of simple words and pictures, to illustrate something very important and substantial.

In the afternoon, the participants learnt key principles of leadership. The convener gave them the first five, but asked the participants to think about what could follow next.

Indeed throughout the two-day workshop, the participants kept thinking about facilitator skills. In reflecting the workshop, participants commented that they had gained substantial understanding on the role of facilitator. Some also said that tit had been an eye-opening experience.

Many thanks to the workshop convener…!

Posted by jicafriends at 08:11 PM | Comments (0)

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - November 23

November 23, 2011 : Workshop : Facilitator Skills I

November 23 is a public holiday (Labor Thanksgiving Day) in Japan. But in Seminar Room 18, the seven participants spent the day actively involved in a workshop entitled "Developing Facilitator Skills”. It is a two-day session and today is Day One.

The purpose of this participatory workshop was twofold: to enable the participants to explore their "self" whereby to discover their power and potential as leaders; and to transmit them skills to organize a workshop of this kind back in their own countries.

The workshop convener arrived from Nagoya, and started a nice and friendly chat with the participants. He asked everyone questions to get to know them, and then introduced himself.

The workshop went on in a very friendly manner. The convener used a number of pictures and spoke in a very simple and straightforward way, so that everyone could have a clear understanding.

The workshop is to continue tomorrow..!

Posted by jicafriends at 08:08 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2011

November 21-22, 2011: Workshop : Organizational Management

November 21-22, 2011: Workshop : Organizational Management

The participants spent two days in gaining knowledge that is necessary for sustainable organizational management. The purposes of this session are shown below:

• To understand the meaning of sustainability
• Identify main three areas which contribute to the sustainability of an organization
• Identify underlying issues which obstruct the operation of an organization
• Learn some tips for tackling issues that an organization may face

At the beginning of the lecture, the lecturer mentioned three key words; communication, networking and funding.

The lecturer emphasized that among the communication is most important.

In order to understand the importance of communication, the participants shared their own experiences, discussed their opinions and did some role-play exercise.

For example, they were divided into two groups to do a role-play. The groups performed a role-play with the following scenarios.

• Your organization is Department of Social Welfare. But your boss is making organizational strategy which is not reflecting the reality of persons with disabilities’ needs in your opinion. How do you talk to you boss to reconsider?

• Your organization is an umbrella organization for all DPOs in the region. There is a conflict of interests among DPOs of different disabilities over one pot of funding. How do you intervene/mediate?

All participants came from different courtiers and backgrounds, however the skills and knowledge that they gained could be universally applied. Also, these skills were useful not only for office management but also in their personal daily lives.

Posted by jicafriends at 02:39 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2011: International Networks in the Field of Disability

November 28, 2011: International Networks in the Field of Disability

There are many international organizations of persons with disabilities in the world.
Today, we invited two Japanese persons with disabilities who took important roles in those organizations to learn about the mission, vision and activities.

DPI Japan http://www.dpi-japan.org/english/index.html

World Blind Union http://www.worldblindunion.org/en/Pages/default.aspx

At the very end of the training porgram in Japan, participants were reminded that the importance of forming networks across differents kinds of disabilities.

Posted by jicafriends at 11:43 AM | Comments (1)

December 15, 2011

2011 Leadership Training Report - November 8

November 8, 2011 : Training in Hiroshima : Hiroshima Peace Museum and Listening to the Story of a Survivor

Today was the second day in Hiroshima. In the morning, they went to the Hiroshima Peace Museum and Park. Divided into three groups, they were guided by Peace Volunteers and looked around the museum, learning the history of Hiroshima.

In the afternoon, they watched a video about the 1945 incidents Hiroshima and Nagasaki (the other town that was hit by an atomic bomb). This seemed to give them a strong impact and made them imagine what it must have been like to be a victim of a nuclear disaster.

The Hiroshima City offers a number of learning opportunities to tourists visiting the place. This is all aimed at enhancing people’s understanding on what drastic damages an atomic bomb could cause and also at promoting peace all over the world. We should never repeat this history, we need to work on peace together – this is the message from Hiroshima.

This has been a both educational and emotional experience for many of the participants. Their multifaceted training in Hiroshima on the whole has been evaluated positively.

Posted by jicafriends at 01:03 PM | Comments (0)

December 14, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - November 7

November 7, 2011 : Training in Hiroshima : Peace-development Work and Barrier-freeing Historical Buildings

Yesterday the seven participants flu to Hiroshima, about 680 kilometers away from Tokyo. Today their two-day training in Hiroshima started.

In the morning, they first attended a lecture on peace education in Hiroshima City. They gained knowledge on when the atomic bomb was dropped in Hiroshima in 1945 and how the city has been working on peace development and campaigning against nuclear weapons. They asked a number of questions about nuclear weapons and energy and shared their thoughts.

Following the courtesy visit to the deputy mayor of Hiroshima City, the participants made a visit to Miyajima, where they experienced “barrierfree tourism”.

Miyajima is a beautiful sightseeing sport famous for Itsukushima Shrine, which is offshore. Tourists need to take a ferry to get to the shrine, but all facilities are wheelchair-friendly and they wandered around in their wheelchairs and white canes. They had a nice, relaxing time by the sea and enjoyed traditional Japanese architecture.

In the evening, they went back to their hotel. Their Hiroshima training is to continue tomorrow…

Posted by jicafriends at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)

December 13, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - October 20 & 21

October 20 & 21, 2011 : Workshop : Peer Counseling

The two-day worship on “Peer Counseling” was held on October 20th and 21st. The participants learned a new method to empower other disabled people as well as themselves.
“Peer” means a fellow and a person who has the same experience as you. In this training course, the seven participants are “the peers” as they share having a disability.

Peer counseling usually takes place between two individuals. It involves listening to each other and disclosing emotions. But it is not about seeking (or giving) advice – in fact, participants sit and listen to each other on an equal basis. Everyone said during a counseling session must be kept confidential, so that a safe environment can be created.

Peer counseling started in the US in the 1970s, and was introduced to Japan in the 1980s. Peer Counseling in Japan comes from Co-counseling (also called Re-evaluation Counseling) that took place in the US. It is characterized by giving equal time and by exchanging each other's roles as indicated in the prefix “Co-.” Since Peer Counseling eventually became a mandatory government project, its importance became widely recognized and it spread throughout the country. It is now practiced at over 120 CIL Centers in Japan, as well as in other Asian countries such as Korea, Thailand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

For many of the participants, it has been the first time to try peer counseling. However, they seemed to understand its purpose and mechanism fairly quickly, and appeared to enjoy conducting peer counseling sessions with each other.

Posted by jicafriends at 02:38 PM | Comments (0)

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - November, 30

November 30, 2011 : Presentation : Action Plans

In this training course, participants are required to submit three reports. First, they produce “Personal and Organizational Report”, which introduces their home organization and work background, at the beginning of the training course. As they carry on, they get some ideas on how to help the disabled in their own countries. Such ideas are developed into a feasible project proposal, which is called “Action Plan”. Their projects are to be implemented upon their return to their home countries.

Today the seven participants presented their respective Actions Plans. All of their reports and presentation materials are available here.

Each presenter received feedback from the audience, which they will reflect on their final Action Plans. They are required to submit their “Progress Report”, reporting on how their project is going on.

All the Action Plans presented were unique and interesting. All the best to the seven participants in their respective projects....!

Posted by jicafriends at 09:26 AM | Comments (0)

December 12, 2011

November 4, 2011 : Visit : Choral Taito (DPO of Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities)

November 4, 2011 : Visit : Choral Taito (DPO of Persons with Psychiatric Disabilities)

“You are the master of your life!”

The Choral Taito is the only DPO of persons with psychiatric disabilities in Japan. It was established in 1998 with the concept of creating beautiful harmony by all members.

Ther Choral has unique and outstanding charactoristics. For example, it is a self-help group of people with psychiatric disabilities. Persons with physical and intellectual disabilities can also become its members. Also, the organization is managed completely by persons with disabilities themselves with support from the local community. In addition, the members run a cafe in the neighbourhood, where local residents have a cup of tea. In short, the Choral is well integreted into the community.

This morning, the representative of the Choral Taito gave the participants a lecture. She shared her personal history, experiences of suffering from psychiatric problems that got worse over time, and how she recovered form them. She spoke gently but what she discussed seemed to have a big impact on the minds of the participants.

In the afternoon, the Choral people and the participants got introduced to one another. The members talked about what the Choral means to them. Whenever some members were at a loss for words, the representative supported them in completing their sentences. Her warm and helping personality was indeed reflected in the atomosphere of the organization.

All the Choral members mentioned that the biggest problem for persons with psychiatric disabilities was the lack of understanding on ther issues in society. In this regard, the Choral is the place where they could raise thier own voices and deliver them to the public.

The participants seemed to be very much encouraged and impressed by the Choral’s harmony.

Posted by jicafriends at 02:55 PM | Comments (0)

December 09, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report

November 25, 2011 : Workshop : How to Write a Project Plan IV

Today the participants attended the last session of the workshop series. The workshop organizer first taught them how not to do a presentation – by giving an example of a bad presentation by herself. Then, they gave ten-minute mock presentations in turn. The convener joined them in commenting on one another’s presentation and proposal.

Following lunch, every participant received a one-to-one session with the convener. She looked at their presentation materials in detail and made suggestions. This was followed by a review of the 12 headings to be included in a project plan, which are:

1. Name, organization and country
2. Title of your plan / proposal
3. Background: local issues, needs statement and preconditions
4. Overall Goals
5. Concrete Objectives
6. Beneficiaries
7. Impact on beneficiaries
8. Project implementation plan: step by step outline & description, including schedule and timeline
9. Monitoring and evaluation
10. Possible obstacles to Project plan implementation
11. Budget needed, how to raise funds
12. Impact of this training: how this training contributes to your Project Plan

She also explained the difference between “paper” and “presentation”. Moreover, she gave them some tips for a presentation – such as how to use body language and visual aids. The participants are delivering presentations in 5 days – good luck to you all !

Posted by jicafriends at 05:25 PM | Comments (0)

December 08, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - December 1, 2011

December 1, 2011 : Visit : JICA Headquarters

6 weeks have passed very fast. Today was the second last day of the training in Japan. The participants from Honduras, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Rwanda and Timor Leste made a courtesy visit to the JICA headquarters in Yotsuya, Tokyo.

Upon arrival they were greeted by the manager of the disability division. After they introduced themselves, they listened to his lecture on JICA’s works in the area of disability. JICA operates a number of international co-operation projects in different ways. Most prominently, it operates programs agreed between the Japanese and the receiving governments. Half an hour later, his colleague from Hiroo Office arrived and talked about the JPP scheme, which directly funds domestic (i.e., Japanese) NGOs working closely with organizations abroad.

Having just presented their Actions Plans, the participants asked many questions about how to attract funding from JICA in their own countries. They received sincere replies and some very concrete advice from the JICA lecturers.

Many thanks to the JICA hosts for their time and useful advice…!

Posted by jicafriends at 09:53 AM | Comments (0)

December 06, 2011

November 3, 2011 : Visit: Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Center for the Disabled

November 3, 2011 : Visit: Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Center for the Disabled

Quality of life is essential for all people but espcecially for persons with disabilities.
Today the participants visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Center for the Disabled to learn about the importance of quality of life through sports experiences.

The mission of the Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Center for the Disabled is to help disabled persons improve thier health conditions and take an active role in society through sports and recreational activities.

The center has various facilities such as a gymnasium, a swimming pool, an athletic studium, tennis courts and a table tennis room.

Some of the facilities are designed specially for persons with disabilities, so that they can be used easily and safely by those people.
Staff members of the center are all well trained and have the certificate for training persons with disabilities.
Thus, even people with severe disabilities are able to enjoy many sports and activities at this center.

The participants enjoyed diffrerent kinds of sports including Bird Golf, tennis, a work-out in the gym, sound table tennis and running with a guide volunteer.
All the participants had such experiences for the first time.
They enjoyed playing sports a lot with a gleam in their eyes.

At the end of the day, they learned how enjoyable sprots were and also how good they were for health. The day was really meaningful as they realized that sports could be an important factor for quality of life.

Posted by jicafriends at 09:35 AM | Comments (0)

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - November 18

November 18, 2011 : Workshop : How to Write a Project Plan III

Today the participants attended the third session on How to Write a Project Plan. The day consisted of a number of activities. First, the participants evaluated a couple of sample project plans in pair. Then they revised the 12 points that need to be covered in a Project Plan with the workshop convener.

They also received an individual feedback for their own proposal, discussing how to make it more feasible. After this, they considered how to deliver a good presentation – indeed they are presenting their proposals in two weeks.

The participants looked a little under pressure but also enjoying planning a specific project. The homework for them is to produce a third drafted proposal and also practice their own presentation.

Good luck to them, and many thanks to the convener…!

Posted by jicafriends at 09:09 AM | Comments (0)

December 01, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report

November 14, 2011 : Workshop : How to Write a Project Plan II

The seven participants attended the first session on How to Write a Project Plan on November 1st. Two weeks passed - and today they were to present their first drafted proposals.

They turned up with their provisional project ideas, which were:

➢ Partnership for implementation of the UN-CRPD
➢ Training course for leadership and networking in employment area
➢ Sports center for people with disabilities
➢ Small handicraft workshop to help people with disabilities living independently
➢ Leadership training for persons with disabilities
➢ Training course for leadership and networking in education area
➢ Independent living center

The workshop convener reviewed each proposal and advised the authors on a one-to-one basis.

Then she asked the class to perform role plays. The seven members were divided into two groups of Journalists and PWDs. The journalists had to interview the PWDs to write an article. Through this activity the participants learnt challenges in clarifying needs of people and the importance of involving local communities in project planning.

The next session is to take place four days later. The homework is to produce a second draft with a detailed budget plan.

Posted by jicafriends at 02:04 PM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - November 2

November 2, 2011 : Lecture and Visit : Movement by Persons with Hearing Impairment, and Lives of Deafblind Persons in Japan

Among the seven participants, two have visual impairment and the other five have physical disabilities. Today they had opportunity to learn about lives of people with hearing impairment and those with deaf-blindness in Japan.

In the morning, they welcomed a lecturer from the Japanese Federation of the Deaf. He first explained the origin of the deaf movement, which could be traced back to the establishment of deaf schools at the end of the 19th century.

He then talked about the Japanese Federation of the Deaf (JFD) in terms of its origin, membership and functions at both the national and international level. In particular, he illustrated the organizational structure of the JFD and roles of its regional and prefectural branches. Interestingly, he argued, the JFD needs to be re-structured due to the recent trend of disability legislation shifting from the national to municipal levels.

The participants asked a number of questions, and showed a particular interest in the relationship between the deaf community and other disabled communities. They expressed their thank-you to the lecturer.

* * * * * * * * * *

Following lunch, they took a bus to Asakusa, a district in Tokyo. They visited an NPO, Tokyo Support Center for the Deafblind, where they watched a DVD and interacted people who are deafblind.

Some of them had never met people with visual AND hearing impairment before, thus this appeared to be an intriguing and educational experience for them. They also enjoyed looking at unique tools that support daily lives of deafblind people.

It is estimated that there are more than 2000 deafblind people in Tokyo alone, but only 100 of them receive any kind of support. Part of this is due to difficulty in reaching them, who are considered to be isolated at their homes. The participants reflected this fact on their own countries and considered how deafblind people, mostly unseen and unheard in society, could be reached.

Thank you very much to people at the Tokyo Support Center for the Deafblind for the great learning opportunity…!

Posted by jicafriends at 04:18 PM | Comments (0)

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - November 1

November 1, 2011 : Workshop : How To Write a Project Plan I, and Introduction to Organization Management

It has already been two weeks since the seven participants from Honduras, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Rwanda and Timor Leste started the training course in Tokyo.

* * * * * * * * * *

This morning, they attended a participatory workshop on proposal writing. Later in this training course, they will be expected to produce “Action Plan” supporting PWDs, which are to be implemented on their return to their home countries. Today was the first day to learn about how to do planning and drafting such a proposal.

The lecturer is an NGO consultant specialized in project planning. She first talked about “What is an Action Plan?” and conducted a brain-storming session to help the participants come up with ideas for their own projects.

Subsequently, the class discussed components of a project plan – such as goals & objectives, background, stakeholders and possible impacts. They were asked to come back with their drafted proposal to a next workshop.

Many thanks to the convener, and good luck to the participants…!

* * * * * * * * * *

In the afternoon, the participants welcomed a lecture who came to talk about management of organizations. She asked them, “What are needed for a sustainable organizational operation?”

Their answered included, “(financial and human) resources”, “relevance”, “rules”, “networking”, “renewing, evolving and continuing” and so on.

She then asked, “What are strengths and weaknesses of your own organization?”, and the participants reflected on their organizational operation.

Topics for a next session was set as funding, management and networking.

Many thanks to the lecturer for the clear introduction to organization management…!

Posted by jicafriends at 01:57 PM | Comments (0)

November 24, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - October 31

October 31, 2011 : Visit : GESHUKUYA

Today the participants travelled to Shonan, a coastal region in Kanagawa Prefecture. The purpose of their trip was to visit Geshukuya, which is a Group Home and Support Center for Persons with Intellectual Disability.

On their arrival at Geshukuya, the participants received a heartfelt welcome from the Geshukuya people. They first greeted and introduced themselves to the staff members and residents there.

Then a lecture was given by the director of the center on intellectual disability and people with such disability living in Japan. For many of the participants, intellectual disability was a new area of study and thus the lecture was found very informative.

They also visited the Group Home, consisting of a common dining room and private bed rooms. This was a great way to learn how people with intellectual disability run everyday lives.

The lunch time was fabulous. The participants and the Geshukuya people mixed and sat together at tables, enjoying conversations in Japanese, English and Spanish and tasting delicious home-baked pizzas. They were also entertained by musicians and dancers who performed in the reception room and some of them even joined the dance..!

In the afternoon, three volunteers told the participants their life stories, which were fun, sad and moving. At the end of their visit, the participants mentioned how inspiring the day was, and seemed overwhelmed by the warm welcome and openness of the Geshukuya people.

They left the place after 4pm seen off by a number of people waving hands at them. Many, many thanks go to everyone at Geshukuya.

Posted by jicafriends at 05:32 PM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - Oct. 24, 2011

October 24, 2011 : Lectures : The Role of The Promotion Committee of Systemic Reforms for PWDs, and Disability Policies in Japan

Today the participants attended two lectures. In the morning, they welcomed a lecturer from the Cabinet Office, who is centrally involved in the Promotion Committee of Systemic Reforms for PWDs.

After briefly introducing himself, the lecturer talked about the background to the establishment of the Committee and its main purposes. The Committee works towards a ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities by the Japanese government, for which domestic laws need to be modified. Thus the Committee helps the government install a new legal framework in relation to disability.

The lecturer emphasized the importance of the Convention and explained why and how Japan must ratify – and then implement - it. He also discussed the monitoring system, a key characteristic of the Committee.

In the afternoon, the other lecturer arrived from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. He gave an overview on the contemporary welfare policies of the national government and ministries for PWDs in Japan. He also introduced how “persons with disabilities” are defined and classified in Japan.

The participants asked a number of questions in the both morning and afternoon. In particular they interrogated the Japanese definitions/ classifications of PWDs in comparison with those in their own countries.

By the end of the day they appeared to better understand the welfare systems and policies for PWDs in Japan.

Many thanks to the both lecturers…!

Posted by jicafriends at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)

November 21, 2011

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - Oct. 18, 2011

October 18, 2011 : Workshop II – Getting To Know Lives of PWDs in Japan

Today was the second day of training. The seven participants first watched a DVD called “A Day of Mr. Hata”. Mr. Hata is a young man with a severe disability. But he enjoys an independent living, working and socializing a lot with his friends.

This was amazing, some participants said. He would not survive if he was in Africa, another said. But all the participants reaffirmed that anybody, with or with out disability, equally has the right to an independent and meaningful life in his/her own community.

In the afternoon, the participants experienced what it is like to be a wheelchair user. Those who do not use wheelchairs tried moving around in the wheelchair and realized barriers that they had not seen before. Also they had a blindness-experience, to understand lives of people with visual impairment.

Two workshop conveners from the Mainstream Association and the JSRPD summarized the session and wished the participants to enjoy the training for 6 weeks.

Posted by jicafriends at 12:02 PM | Comments (0)

2011 Leadership Course Training Report - Oct. 17, 2011

October 17, 2011

Workshop I – Setting Goals and Getting To Know One Another

Today was the first day of training. So the participants and members of the hosting team first introduced themselves to one another. The seven participants talked about themselves including their name, organization, type of disability and first impression of Japan.

Then, they discussed what it means to be a leader. This is a key question to be asked throughout the training course. They raised examples of “good” leaders and “bad” leaders whom they had met in their lives, explaining why they thought they were good/bad. They learnt that a good leader would have a clear vision, show respect and listen to others, and take actions.

The participants were also explained that this 6-week training is a team activity, where everyone is expected to make contributions and cooperate with others. They debated and clarified that in order to be a good team-worker one would have to:

➢ Be active in discussions
➢ Share ideas
➢ Listen to opinions of others
➢ Help with each other
➢ Spend time outside the training hours

The members of the hosting team emphasized that contribution from every participant is important and requested the participants to keep thinking about what make a good leader.

Posted by jicafriends at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)

November 18, 2011

Training Report : October 28, 2011 : Fieldwork : Dai Forum

On 28th October, over 10,000 persons with / without disabilities turned out at Hibiya Park for “Dai Forum”.

“Dai Forum” is an event that is organized by Japan Disability Forum (JDF) and aims to promote a reformed welfare system for persons with disabilities as well as to secure the Law for Comprehensive Welfare for Persons with Disabilities. The latter is a legal framework proposed following the meeting among members of the comprehensive welfare division, part of the Promotion Committee of Systemic Reforms for Persons with Disabilities.

The chairperson of JDF emphasized the importance for persons with all kinds of disability of getting together and having a united voice.

The leader of JDF Executive Board summarized, “We now face a crucial moment in order to realize the Law for Comprehensive Welfare. Put great effort into it!”

Representatives of both the ruling parties and the opposition also attempted to show in their speeches how motivated they were.

Also the member organizations of JDF expressed their views that network of disability movement should take another step.

The participants were very much impressed that persons with severe disabilities and a number of persons with disabilities in local areas came along. And the thing that most impressed them was that persons with differing disabilities gathered and were united.

At the end of the event, rights and advocacy lectures strongly commented that the important thing was that there were places where persons with severe disabilities could raise their voices. They also said that working in complete solidarity was the key to a success of their disability movement.

Posted by jicafriends at 12:06 PM | Comments (0)

November 17, 2011

Training Report : November 15, 2011 : Lecture : IDA and UNCRPD

November 15, 2011

Today the participants welcomed a professor of disability studies from Graduate School of Economics, University of Tokyo.

The day went in a very interactive and friendly manner. The participants first introduced themselves to the lecturer, who then introduced himself to the class. In the morning lecture he first explained the “social model”, which underlies the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). He also illustrated the development of the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and a number of the chronological events, such as the 1981 International Year of PWDs and the successive proposals made by Italy, Sweden and Mexico, which together led to the adoption of the UNCRPD in 2006.

Following lunch, the lecturer examined the Convention article by article, discussing their implications. The participants were also asked about the situation of their own countries with regard to signing/ratifying the UNCRPD. Of importance, the class focused on “ratification” and “implementation” of the UNCRPD, and considered how the latter could take place in their home countries.

The participants raised a number of questions after the lectures. They say that it was a great opportunity to closely look at the UNCRPD.

Many thanks to the professor for the thought-provoking day…!

Posted by jicafriends at 05:41 PM | Comments (0)

November 01, 2011

October 22nd, 2011: Personal / Organizational report presentation

Seven participants made a presentation on their personal history and the organization which they are belonging to or working for.

There were a number of audiences from JICA, some lecturers of this course and trainees of Duskin leadership Training Program.
Audiences and participants raised many questions and gave comments to each other.
Participants and the related Japanese personnel could have good information on personal background and activities, and deepen understanding of each other.

Posted by jicafriends at 03:08 PM | Comments (0)

October 28, 2011

Training Report : October 25, 2011 : Lectures : Contemporary Disability Movements in Japan

Today the participants attended two lectures on history of Japanese disability movement.

In the morning, they welcomed the chairperson of the Japan Federation of the Blind in Seminar Room 18.

After hearing self-introductions by the participants, the lecturer discussed the establishment of the Federation in the late 1940s with support from Helen Keller, the world-famous deafblind author and social activist, and how it evolved and impacted on society since then.

The disability movement in Japan was initially led by the blind, he said, but gradually involved people with other types of disabilities. He explained how people with differing types of disabilities raise a united voice and simultaneously campaign for individual needs.

The participants asked the lecturer a number of questions and keenly learnt how disability movements are organized in Japan.

In the afternoon, the deputy-editor of the Resource Center for Disability Issues - Ribon Publisher and the Editorial Committee "Let's Go Out Like the Wind" arrived to give a lecture on the disability movements with a focus on the period of the 1970s. He illustrated a couple case studies of protests carried out by those with cerebral palsy.

The lecture was informative with rish sources of visual information. It also covered philosophies underlying the disability movement in Japan and how the disabled have been mistreated in society.

The participants seemed highly interested in learning about the disability movements and the thoughts accompanying them. They were also reflecting the lecture on the situations of their home countries.

Many thanks to the lecturers for their time and very interesting talks…!

Posted by jicafriends at 01:51 PM | Comments (0)

October 24, 2011

Training Report : October 19, 2011 : Fieldwork : Accessibility Check in Tokyo Metropolitan City

Training Report : October 19, 2011 : Fieldwork : Accessibility Check in Tokyo Metropolitan City

Today was an unforgettable day for the participants.

Three lecturers, the board member of DPI Japan, the chairperson of the Board of NPO Independent Living Support Network Tokyo and Deputy Manager, Division for Promoting Accessible Transportation of ECOMO Foundation were invited.

The participants were divided into two groups to carry out “accessibility check” of public transportation in Tokyo Metropolitan City.

Tokyo Tower, one of the most famous places in Japan, was set as the destination. Each group took a unique route, and met up at Tokyo Tower.

On their way to the destination, the participants observed various facilities and assistive devices provided not only for persons with disabilities but also for elderly people, children and parents with a baby carriage.

They took elevators and checked Braille blocks tiled on the platform and the street as well as automatic platform gates which prevent people from falling off the platform.

In particular, using staircase-lifts called “Escal” was a memorable experience. It gave the participants a good example of how to overcome barriers in existing facilities. There also was service available to wheelchair users. Staff of underground stations prepared a portable ramp to assist the participants using wheelchairs to get on and off a train.

The participants enjoyed the little trip a lot, and understood the meaning of “going to the place not only where it is access, but the place wherever we want to go” by actually experiencing it.

After returning to JICA Tokyo, a staff member of ECOMO foundation (Mission of the organization is to promote accessible public transport and to improve transport environmental issues) gave a lecture on history and the current situation of barrier free laws and regulations in Japan.

Two lecturers who were electric wheelchair users concluded the session with strong word, “The important things are voice and movement of persons with disabilities, and never give up spirit!”

Posted by jicafriends at 03:13 PM | Comments (0)

October 13, 2011

Participants of Development & Networking arrived!

Six Participants of Development of Leadership & Networking of Persons with Disabilities arrived at Tokyo International Center(JICA Tokyo) on Tuesday, 11 October.
Another participant from Rwanda will arrive this coming Monday.
Yesterday, orientation was conducted by the facilitation of JICA and JSRPD.
Each participant introduced him/herself and shared expectations for this training course.

Posted by jicafriends at 05:04 PM | Comments (0)

August 24, 2011

Training Report : July 25, 2011 : Job Coach Services and Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Malaysia

This afternoon, the nine participants communicated with three lectures through JICA-net, a satellite network. The first lecturer was a JICA specialist in the field of disability.

He first reviewed the concept of “disability” and gave an overview on “job coach” services in Malaysia, where he had worked for a number of years. He introduced a case study of Aslam and Giant Hypermarket, which employs the largest number of persons with disabilities in the country.

His talk was followed by speeches made by two former participants in the JICA decent work course. They illustrated their first-hand experiences of job coach training and services.

The participants were divided into two groups and participated in discussions with their lecturers. Interactions with former participants in the course have encouraged them to initiate actions and also to believe that they could do something equally meaningful when they go back to their countries.

Thanks must go to the three lectures for their time and sharing their experiences.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0725.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:15 PM | Comments (0)

August 23, 2011

Training Report : July 22, 2011 : Participatory Workshop : How to Write a Project Plan Ⅲ

Today the third and last part of the workshop “How to write a project plan” took place in Seminar Room 18, JICA Tokyo.

The nine participants have been putting many efforts into their respective Project Plans, which they will present to an audience on July 27, 2011.

The lecturer first taught them how not to do a presentation by showing a bad example. The participants then discussed how to deliver a good presentation, clarifying important factors for it.

Next it was time for them to practice their own presentation - everyone was given 10 minutes and presented a short summary of their Project Plan. They exchanged feedback with one anther to improve their skills. The lecturer also gave them some tips for a successful presentation.

The participants are now to add final touches to their Project Plans and presentation slides. Many thanks to the lecturer for the three excellent workshops…!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0722.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:54 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 21, 2011 : Visit and Lectures : Coordinating Work Environment for Employees with Disabilities

Today's training took place at FUJITSU, an electronic design company in Tokyo. The participants were to learn about the company's practice on employment of persons with disabilities.

First they learned the company's policy on hiring disabled people. They were also introduced to the mobile-phone software that was invented by the company to help color-blind people identify colors in their everyday lives.

Next, some specific case studies were presented. The first was about a staff member who acquired a severe disability derived from illness and how work environment was re-organized to accommodate him back in the company.

This was followed by two case studies of an employee with visual impairment and one with hearing impairment. The participants listened to the case studies with great interest and asked a number of questions.

They were grateful to the lectures for their time and presentations…!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0721.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 20, 2011 : Participatory Workshop : Facilitator Skills Ⅱ

Today's training followed up on the “Facilitator Skills” workshop that took place on June 29, and the participants further developed their skills for facilitation with guidance from Mr. Kiss me, the lecturer. At the beginning of the training, each participant presented his/her project plan.

Then the lecturer showed everyone a picture - and asked each pair made up of the participants to perform a short play based on the picture. Next, the trainer presented a manga showing an interaction between two living beings. This implicitly introduced a case study of an Indonesian community. Here, the participants were made think about how best persons with disabilities could be supported.

In the rest of the training, they learned a distinction between “planning” and “management” as well as four approaches to “community”, which are (1) institute-based; (2) community-oriented; (3) community-based and (4) completely coming from community.

Participants comment that they have been inspired by today's training and would like to implement similar workshops back in their countries, in order to produce facilitators.

They are all very thankful to the lecturer and the opportunity to learn practical facilitation skills.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0720.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 19, 2011 : Lectures and Visit : Employment of Persons with Disabilities by Private Firms - Learning from First Retailing. Co., Ltd.

http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/

In the morning, they sat a lecture on an overview of the company and how it approaches employment of persons with disabilities.

The lecturer kindly flied from Yamaguchi Pref, where the headquaters of First Retailing. Co., Ltd. is located to JICA Tokyo to give a lecture to the nene JICA participants.

They learned that the company has a policy that every store must have a minimum of one staff member with disability and at present more than 7 percent of its staff population has disability of different kinds. They also listened to how the company itself has been benefiting from hiring a number of people with disabilities.

After lunch, they group went to one of the UNIQLO stores near Tokyo Dome, the first stadium with a domed roof built in Japan and observed its disabled staff member's work. The worker had also represented Japan in the 2011 Abilympic games, which are the international vocational ability competition for persons with disabilities.

The participants were very much impressed with the firm's policy and practice on employment of persons with disabilities, without establishing a subsidiary company for this specific purpose. Its employees with and without disabilities share workplace and learn from one another everyday.

Thanks must go to the lecturers and other staff members of the firm, who provided the participants with this intriguing training today. Today the participants visited a well-known retail clothing company.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0719.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:49 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 15, 2011 : Workshop : How to Write a Project Plan Ⅱ

Today the nine participants attended the second part of the training, “How to write a project plan”. The workshop was delivered by the same NGO/NPO consultant, who had requested them to brig their drafted project proposals today.

With guidance from the lecturer, the participants first performed a “stakeholders” role play. They were divided into two groups of the Iranian and Bangladeshi project teams (both of which were hypothetical), and within each team, the members played the roles of (1) Person with disability, (2) GO, (3) NGO and (4) Religious leader, contemplating what were expected of each stakeholder.

This was followed by a group discussion on relationships and cooperation between GOs and NGOs. The participants were again divided into three groups and debated how best organizations could work together. This was interesting and fruitful, particularly as some of them tried acting as one opposite to their real jobs.

The all-day worked shop then gave them an opportunity to present their draft project plans. Lastly, the class went through the twelve points that needed to be covered in proposals.

Today's workshop greatly helped the participants to critically review their own project plans. Many thanks to the lecturer for her input.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0715.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:43 PM | Comments (0)

August 19, 2011

Training Report : July 12, 2011 Lecture: Management concerning employment of persons with disabilities

The nine participants learned the special subsidiary system, a scheme for promoting employment of persons with disabilities on June 21 and today they visited Isetan Mitsukoshi Soleil, Co., Ltd., a special subsidiary of the Mitsukoshi-Isetan entity, which runs Mitsukoshi and Isetan department stores in Japan.

In the morning the participants first visited the Isetan department store in Shinjuku to observe how the parent company runs a business and to study where and how the Soleil products were utilized there.

URL for Isetan department store: http://www.isetan.co.jp/icm2/jsp/store/shinjuku/info/iclub/index.jsp

When they arrived at Soleil the president showed them a video “Disability is Power,” which was about efforts made by Soleil and it was broadcasted by one of major TV channels.

Then the president lectured on management skills concerning employment of persons with intellectual disabilities. He strongly mentioned in his lecture that achievements concerning the legally required employment rate (stipulated quota:1.8%), corporate social responsibility (CSR) or social contribution are merely “results” or external evaluation, and cannot be the purpose.　The purpose of employing persons with disabilities should be “Make use of the capacity of persons with disabilities, and improve Isetan Mitsukoshi's performance”

After the lecture the nine participants observed the actual work site and they had opportunities to try their jobs by using various devices created by the president.

For example, a paper mould which has a cut in a shape of a gift sticker indicates where the sticker should be pasted and thus anyone can paste a sticker on an appropriate place of the gift bag easily and accurately. The participants tried some tasks which looked easy, but they understand that doing the job accurately and repeatedly was not as easy as it looked.

The participants could learn if the environment is arranged and the appropriate jobs are provided, persons with intellectual or mental disabilities can also work without any problem.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0712.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:37 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 11, 2011 : Lecture: Business Management

We see many treaties that Japan does not ratify the “realization of decent work” of the ILO due to the current Japanese law, Labor Standards Act etc..

However, supposing that Japanese companies aim to promote “Employment Promotion and Realization of Decent Work of Persons with Disabilities,” we consider there is no option but to make approaches through business activities, which are their original purpose.

Then, how can vocational facilities and related organizations realize “Employment Promotion and Realization of Decent Work of Persons with Disabilities”?

It seems there is more than one answer, which could be the same number as that of vocational facilities etc. as well as people engaged in promotion of employment of persons with disabilities.

Today, the lecturer, a small and medium enterprise management consultant, and certified social insurance labor consultant explained common marketing activities, management techniques, and many otherbusiness skills, based on the method to create company business plans.

It seemed like one day lecture was too short to cover all the business management techniques, since interpretation was needed, however her lecture was very informative and her power points can be a Business Management Textbook for the nine participants.

Special thanks to the lecturer for spending many days to prepare the lecture material!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0711.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:36 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 1, 2011: Lectures and Visit : Employment Support Systems for Persons with Disabilities and Community Networks in Ota Ward Ⅱ

It was the second day to learn about employment support for persons with disabilities in Ota Ward, Tokyo. Today's training had a particular focus on networks and cooperation among relevant organizations.

The participants first spent time at Ota-Ward Employment Support Center for Persons with Disabilities, where they listened to the lecture given by its director on its functions and services. They learned about how it closely works with other institutions such as Hello-Work, special-needs schools, private companies, welfare institutions, and municipal government in the ward. Afterwards, they were guided to “Tamariba,” the lounge where members can relax in their spare time. They also had an opportunity to observe various types of pre-vocational trainings provided by the center.

After the lunch time, the participants sat a lecture on Job Coach - its process and function as well as how it is provided in Ota Ward. A number of questions were raised from the participants, showing their enthusiasm to learn about Job Coach.

This was followed by visits to Shiinoki Ken, a welfare institution for persons with intellectual disabilities. They provide vocational trainings and ADL trainings to the members for their social independence. The nine participants observed various types of works, such as baking and artistic recycle paper craft work. They also found national flags of their respective countries at the entrance and the dining hall…!

Then they also observed the Ota Welfare Factory, an offset printing factory run by Tokyo Colony. It was established in 1975 in order to provide the work opportunities to persons with physical disabilities who have difficulties to get jobs because of inaccessible working environment. The participants were impressed to learn that employees with disabilities there are secured the minimum wage and social security to sustain their daily living and also impressed to see their effective work.

Today's fruitful training was accomplished all thanks to the people at the organizations we visited. Special thanks go to the director of the employment support center, who accompanied us to the other organizations.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0701.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:33 PM | Comments (0)

August 18, 2011

Training Report : July 13-14,16, 2011 : Individual Training

Two days individual training was programmed according to each participant's interests and what they are planning to carry out upon their returning to home countries.

Please refer to the following table to see their training schedule.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0713.html
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0714.html
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0716.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:57 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 30, 2011: Visits : Employment Support Systems for Persons with Disabilities and Community Networks in Ota Ward Ⅰ

Today's training took place in Ota Ward, Tokyo.

Firstly the participants went to Den'en Chofu Special Needs High School. It is funded by the metropolitan government and accommodates male and female students aged 15-18 with intellectual disabilities. They received a warm welcome from the school, which had displayed national flags of the participants' countries on campus…!

After learning about the school principles and education services, the participants saw the school facilities, including Sakura Cafe, where they stopped for a cup of tea. They observed how students serving tea and coffee there and selling home-grown vegetables at the school gate and communicating with local residents.

Secondly, the participants traveled to Hello-Work Omori, an employment support center. They were explained about its services and how persons with disabilities would find work. They also lectured on the network of the Persons in Charge of Promoting Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Otaku” and how they work together for promoting employment of persons with disabilities.

Later they also tried searching jobs using the computer facilities there. It was a valuable experience for them as they could see how job hunt is done and what actual jobs are available for those with different disabilities.

Thanks must go to teachers and students at the Den'en Chofu School and the staff members of the Hello-Work Omori for their time!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0630.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:55 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 28 2011 : Visits and Lecture : Comprehensive Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in Yokohama City, Kanagawa

Another day in Kanagawa! Today the participants learned about comprehensive rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities in Yokohama City.

They first went to Yokohama Rehabilitation Center, where they attended a lecture on the definition of “rehabilitation” and how services are provided in the center. The lecturer took an example of a man who acquired a spinal cord injury from a motorcycle accident and explained how he would go back to work through rehabilitation.

Following the lecture, the participants were guided around the center and saw its facilities.

In the afternoon, the group visited another place called Yokohama Rapport. It comprises a swimming pool, a table tennis room, a cooking room, a football pitch, a library and so on. It hosts a number of sport and cultural activities for persons with disabilities.

Rehabilitation is an important part of everyday life of many people with disabilities. The participants had a great opportunity to closely look at actual facilities where rehabilitations take place.

They were grateful to everyone who guided us at the rehabilitation centers in Yokohama City.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0628.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 27 2011 : Visits : Lives of Persons with Severe Disabilities in Atsugi City, Kanagawa

Today the participants received training in Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture, which is south-east to Tokyo. They were to learn about everyday lives of persons with severe disabilities.

The group first visited Ms. A, who lives with her husband and daughter in a social housing estate in the city. She showed the visitors around her flat and talked about her life, which very much interested them. One young member of the group, who has a disability himself, was impressed and encouraged for future married life.

At lunch time, the participants went to Cafe Donguri (Acorn), which is housed in the Atsugi Welfare Center and employs people with intellectual disabilities. While having lunch, the participants observed the environment in which disabled and non-disabled people work together.

In the afternoon, they traveled to Mr. B's apartment, where they heard about his work and life. Mr. B, who acquired disability following a traffic accident in the past, is employed by a company in Tokyo but works from home most of the time. His boss who was also there presented the employer's point of view and explained why the company had hired him and made a special arrangement for him.

Mr. B also loves scuba diving and maintains a good work-life balance. The participants, who raised a number of questions, seemed to enjoy learning about his everyday life.

The last visit was to Mr. and Mrs. C, also living in Atsugi City. They kindly welcomed the participants at their house, which they had designed in consultation with an architect. The visitors got very interested in how they run daily lives, and also had an opportunity to try the lift equipped in the house.

Today's training let the participants see different ways of life that persons with disabilities have in Atsugi City. It adequately supplemented the lecture on the topic they had sat last week.

Many thanks go to the people who spent time for the group, and also to Prof. Ogawa for his coordination.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0627.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:51 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 21, 2011 : Lecture: Current Employment Situation of Persons with Disabilities

Today, the nine participants visited Saitama Prefectural University to have a lecture on Current Employment Situation of Persons with Disabilities in Japan.
Today's lecturer is a professor of Saitama Prefectural University, and the course leader of this training program.

The lecturer first showed them the pictures of his activities for introducing himself, since he was not able to attend “Brearking ice session.”
He started his lecture on the current employment situation in both of regular market and workshops in welfare systems.

After the morning lecture JICA participants and university students studying Social Work got together at the open space in front of the class room and had lunch together.
Then the students took them around the university facilities. They all enjoyed the campus tour!

In the afternoon the Professor lectured on the Quota Scheme for promotion of persons with disabilities, work support systems for persons with disabilities, and future tasks.

All participants satisfied very informative and comprehensive lecture.

They all thanked the Professor and his students.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0621.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:48 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 20, 2011 : Ice breaking session

“Ice breaking session” was organized by five committee members of Decent Work Course to get to know everyone related to this course including participants, JICA officers, and coordinators.

At first the nine participants introduced themselves and then three committee members who attended the session today explained their personal backgrounds and professions.
Two absent members said hello to the participants through their Power Points as well.

Before ending the session they had a big event.
Today was the birthday of a participant from Timor Leste, and everyone sang “Happy Birthday” to celebrate her precious day.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0620.html

Posted by jicafriends at 06:16 PM | Comments (0)

August 17, 2011

Training Report : June 24, 2011 Afternoon: How to write Project Plan Ⅰ

The nine participants are requested to write and submit Project Plan at the end of the training in Japan.

Two and half days workshops are programmed for them to acquire skills of how to write a project plan and how to make an effective presentation. The workshops are given by a nonprofit NGO consultant, who facilitates workshops, seminars and projects aimed at developing skills, organizational capacity understanding of global issues and effective partnerships.

At the beginning of the workshop she confirmed the purpose of writing Project Plan and asked the participants to discuss what employment opportunities for decent work they would like to develop in respective country.
Then She explained about the following 12 items to be covered in their Project Plan one by one.

1. Name, organization and country
2. Title of your plan / proposal
3. Background information
4. Overall Goals
5. Concrete Objectives
6. Beneficiaries
7. Impact on beneficiaries
8. Project implementation plan: step by step outline & description, including schedule and timeline
9. Monitoring and evaluation
10. Possible obstacles to project plan implementation
11. Budget needed, how to raise funds
12. Impact of this training: how this training contributes to your project Plan

Former participants' examples were also shown so that the participants could understand how to write each item easily.
Draft of the Project Plan should be prepared by the next workshop, July 15, 2011. Good luck everyone!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0624pm.html

Posted by jicafriends at 06:57 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 27, 2011 : Project Plan Presentations

Today the nine participants presented their Project Plans.

Over the past two months of training, they have been nurturing ideas for a small-scale project that they will implement on their return home, with an aim to enhance employment of persons with disabilities. They have also learned practical skills for project planning and management through workshops.

Each participant was given 20 minutes to deliver a presentation, which was followed by a 15-minute Q&A session. Below is a list of the presentations with a short summary of each project.

1. Participant from Ghana

Title: Creative Hands: Workshop Space for Idle PWDs in the Kumasi Metropolis
(PDF 336KB)

Summary:
PWDs are highly disadvantaged in Ghana, where they have little access to education and training. By converting an unused dormitory block to a moderately equipped workshop, the project aims to enable 30 people with various disabilities currently forced into street begging to produce shoes and other leather/sewing products for sale, and thereby to generate income by themselves and retain a sense of dignity. It also aims to challenge negative perceptions that families and society tend to have on disabled people, by demonstrating their abilities for craft work and trading.

2. Participant from Timor Leste

Title: Small Workshop for Small Handicraft: Moris Rasik Babadok Handicraft
(PDF 243KB)

Summary:
PWDs have difficulty in getting a job, due to lack of employment opportunities and ubiquitous discriminations in society. This project aims to support a small-craft workshop where 15 young men with physical disabilities produce miniature Babadok (a drum) souvenirs to sell to tourists from abroad. It will raise funding from various organizations to buy necessary equipment and seek cooperation from a hotel in Dili, where a small shop will be resided. It hopes to develop confidence among the crafters and also impact society that obstinately denies abilities of PWDs and their chances for independent living.

3. Participant from Jordan 1

Title: Job Information and Training Center (PDF 258KB)

Summary:
While the Jordanian government shows its commitment to increasing job opportunities for PWDs, there lacks a communication between job seekers and potential employers. This projects aims to bridge the two sides by establishing a job-information and training center in Anman. It will collect and supply information to PWDs and transmit practical skills to them. Simultaneously, it will inform and encourage prospective employers to hire PWDs, by involving the Higher Council and NGOs. It hopes to contribute to increasing work opportunities and economic independence of persons with disabilities.

4. Participant from Fiji

Title: Bread Lovers Bakery (PDF 343KB)

Summary:
Young people with disabilities who successfully completed a vocational training still struggle in finding a work in the mainstream job market. In order to tackle this situation, the project will open a bakery in Brown Street Toobak Suva, where 10 people aged 16-27 with physical/intellectual disabilities will be trained and employed. Identifying a potential bread market in the country, it estimates to make enough profits to enable young trainees to earn an independent living, while producing professional Fijian bread bakers.

5. Participant from Jordan 2

Title: Let's Go Back to the Fields (PDF 313KB)

Summary: There is a serious lack of work opportunity for persons with disabilities in Jordan. By making use of a piece of land available for free, this project aims to provide young people with physical disabilities an opportunity to experience decent work in the field of agriculture. 15 men aged 20-25 living in Irbid City will accomplish the whole process of cultivating the land, growing vegetables from seeds and selling products in the market, with advice and support from experts, philanthropists and local communities. The goal of the project is make society as well as people with disabilities themselves realize how capable they are of both economic activity and social participation.

6. Participant from Jamaica

Title: Discovering Possibilities (PDF 332KB)

Summary:
Jamaica is a signatory to the UN convention and is currently drafting National Disability Act, with a motivation to respect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities. However, in reality those with disabilities are prevented from getting a job in society and a number of factors are considered to be involved here. This research project aims to interrogate the problem and identify individual factors contributing the situation. It will employ a qualitative method combining in-depth interviewing and 2 focus group discussions. The goal is to draw up policy recommendations, helping the government develop a strategy to increase work opportunities for PWDs in Jamaica.

7. Participant from Malaysia

Title: Rainbow Project (First National Network for Inclusive Employment)
(PDF 337KB)

Summary:
In Malaysia, various organizations including NGOs, private firms and government work to promote employment of PWDs, but there is a lack of communication and cooperation among them. Identifying a need to interlink such organizations, the project will establish a committee to build a strong inter-organizational network that can provide useful information and training to PWDs looking for opportunities in the mainstream job market. It will benefit not only job seekers but also organizations themselves, who can share information and learn from one another in hiring persons with disabilities. The ultimate goal of the project is to create a society that is more accommodative of individuals with different abilities.

8. Participant from Myanmar

Title: Future Light Ringing (PDF 100KB)

Summary:
Persons with disabilities in Myanmar can hardly have a job. The project aims to create decent work opportunities for people with visual impairment. Given that most people rely on public phones in Myanmar, it will establish a telephone operating business and train 10 graduates of the School for the Blind in Sagain, who will work as telephone operators and earn income. It will seek to involve the Dept. of Social Welfare, the school and a telephone company. Its goal is to enable young blind people to enjoy work experience and increase their self-esteem.

9. Participant from Mongolia

Title: Let's Work with Wheelchair (PDF 233KB)

Summary:
A wheelchair is an important assistive device for a person with a physical disability and can increase her mobility as well as work opportunity, if it is the right size and shape to match her body. If not, however, a wheelchair can harm its user and deteriorate her physical condition. The National Rehabilitation Center fortunately receives free wheelchairs from an international charity, but its lack of professional staff that can assess disability conditions of people and select a right wheelchair for them spoils such donations. The project thus aims to train the center's social workers so that it can offer a right wheelchair for everyone needing one. It also plans to achieve 10 job placements of wheelchair users, as a small step towards a society offering decent work opportunities for persons with disabilities in Mongolia.

All the presenters received a number of questions and comments on their respective projects. Thanks must go to the members of the planning committee, the chair persons and everyone who contributed to the inspiring discussions in Seminar Room 18.

Updates on the projects will be reported on this JICA Friends website later this year - so don't miss them!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0727.html

Posted by jicafriends at 06:30 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 24, 2011: Lecture : Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Japan and Prospects for Japana's Ratification of the UN Convention

Today, the nine participants learned issues surrounding employment of persons with disabilities in Japan. The lecture was delivered by the Managing Director for Kyosaren. He also occupies important positions as Board Chairman for Japan Disability Forum Executive Director for Japan Council on Disability, and Acting Chairman for Committee for Disability Policy Reform.

The lecturer first asked the nine participants to read aloud a report “Social Standards Requiring Reconstruction” which is about the situation and hardships of persons with disabilities following the Great East Earthquake that had struck the Tohoku region on March 11. He visited the affiliated districts several times and he had opportunities to get the real voices of persons with disabilities.
http://www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/resource/press_release/fujii110512.html

He updated the works that have been done for persons with disabilities in Tohoku and also discussed what still need to be done, based on his own involvement here, which was intriguing.

Other topics covered by the lecture include recent changes in Japan's policy for employment of persons with disabilities and prospects for its ratification of the UN convention.

The participants enjoyed listening to the lecture and were all very thankful for the opportunity.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0624.html

Posted by jicafriends at 06:27 PM | Comments (0)

August 16, 2011

Training Report : July 8, 2011 : Visits : Work employment for persons with disabilities in Date City

Today was the very last day of the Hokkaido training. Before catching their flight back to Tokyo, the participants visited one employment support facility and three private companies hiring persons with disabilities.

The first visit was to Date Cosmos 21 Daini Fumidasu, where as many as 117 people receive training to be able to work for 8 hours consecutively. The coordinator explained to the participants its system, work content and how the trainees may get an opportunity to get a job in another place.

Then they went to a laundry company, which employs 24 people with disabilities. It has a long history of hiring disabled people including a man who has been working for the company for 38 years and has excellent skills second to none.

Next, the group travelled to a local supermarket where its employees with disabilities are engaged in various tasks such as chopping fish, packing vegetables and washing containers. The participants learned that the company trains its staff by themselves, without using job coach services.

The last visit was to Oya Meat Shop, which prepares meat for retail sales. The president of the company explained its history and said, “As a member of society, it is my duty to employ people with disabilities.”

Today's outstanding training was achieved thanks to the coordinator of Date City. Participants reflected the Hokkaido training as extremely useful and educational for their own works and societies.

We are very much grateful to all the people who helped us accomplish this wonderfully fruitful training in Hokkaido.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0708.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 7, 2011 : Visit, Lecture and Summary : Employment of persons with disabilities in Date City, Hokkaido

Today the nine participants made a move from Urakawa Town to Date City, which is well known for its high employment rate of persons with intellectual disabilities.

The training started with a visit to Matsushita Shoten, a company running a business of classifying recycled items. Of the nine employees, three had a disability, including a man who had been working for the company for 25 years.

After observing the case study, the participants listened to a lecture on the history of employment of disabled people in Date City, which could be traced back to 1968. They also learned about job coach services, funding opportunities and inter-linked work and life support services offered by the municipal government.

Today's training focused on employment of persons with disabilities in the general job market, which can interestingly be compared to the Urakawa example. In fact, the participants asked a number of questions about Date's policy and support system.

It seems that they greatly expanded their knowledge and also gained practical tips for increasing job opportunities for those with disabilities back in their home countries.

Thanks must go to everyone who kindly showed their workplace to us.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0707.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:03 AM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 6, 2001 : Visit, Summary and Lecture : Social skills training and creating a community accommodating persons with mental disabilities

On the third and last day in Urakawa, the nine participants first visited two group homes, which were inhabited by people with mental disease. One of the homes also housed a noodle factory and a restaurant, where its residents worked and socialised with locals.

Next the participants visited the Urakawa townhouse to make a courtesy visit to Mr. Hiraku Ikeda, the mayor of Urakawa town.

Then they moved to Cafe Bura Bura and one of committee members gave an overview of a community into which people with mental disabilities can successfully be integrated. The concept of “group home” is particularly useful here, he said.

Lastly, an opportunity to learn social skills training (SST) was given to the participants. Not only that they learnt how SST is utilized at the Bethel, but also they actually performed a role-play demonstration, through which they understood the difficulties once faced by the Bethel people and how such troubles were overcome.

This three-day stay in Urakawa appears to have been an eye-opening experience for many participants. They were surprised, inspired and encouraged. It would be wonderful to see a community like Urakawa developed in many parts of the world in future.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0706.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:02 AM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 5, 2011: Visit, Work Experience and Lecture : Coordinating work environment for persons with mental disabilities

It was the second day of the Hokkaido training. The nine participants first paid a visit to the Red Cross hospital in Urakawa and observed day care services. The staff members there talked about Cognitive Behavioural Therapy that is used to treat their clients coming to the hospital.

Afterwards, the participants gave a try to the seaweed packing work, the most successful businesses run by the Bethel community, at the place called New Bethel. They generate over 100 million yen in annual sales.

This was followed by a lecture on “tojisha kenkyu” that regularly takes place in the House. It is an assessment and rehabilitation session in which people with mental disabilities get together and discuss one member's mental situation in order to collectively consider how to improve it.

To give more details, this method of study on mental illness was invented here in Urakawa and is innovative in that (1) the participants focus on one member's situation at a time, and (2) all in the discussion share having a mental illness of some kind. Evidently, this session series has greatly helped the Bethel people with managing issues derived from their own illness.

The nine participants had stimulating talks with some “tojisha kenkyu” experts and showed great interest in its concept.

The long day was completed with a big welcoming party organized by people at the Bethel House, and the participants enjoyed the very nice evening with them, tasting delicious Hokkaido seafood…!

Many thanks go to everyone at the Bethel, who gave us a heartfelt welcome and an amazing training there.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0705.html

Posted by jicafriends at 03:54 AM | Comments (0)

Training Report : July 4, 2011: Discussion and Lecture : Persons with mental disabilities in Urakawa and the establishment of Bethel House

Hello from Hokkaido, the northern most prefecture!

Today the five-day Hokkaido training started in Urakawa Town, a south-east part of the island. Here the participants were to learn the experience of the Bethel House, which comprises a residence, workplace and a social community of people with mental disabilities.

The nine participants first visited a small church, where the history of the Bethel House began. Everyone was introduced to the founder of the House and listened to his life story. When it was revealed that the founder started the whole business from scratch, the participants guessed and imagined very hard how he and his peers would have established the Bethel House.

Next, they visited the House and sat a lecture by a professor of Health Science University of Hokkaido, and learnt how it was started and then developed. The professor also illustrated the principles and the main functions of the Bethel as well as the local community of Urakawa. Many participants admired the effort that was put into the establishment of the Bethel House.

They reviewed today's training as inspiring, and said that the Bethel's experience would be applicable to their own societies. Hopefully we will see it reflected in their respective future work.

We are very much thankful to the Bethel founder and the professor for their talks!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0704.html

Posted by jicafriends at 03:50 AM | Comments (0)

July 22, 2011

Training Report : June 29, 2011: Participatory Workshop : Facilitator Skills

The purpose of the session was to learn what necessary skills for facilitation were, and how to become an effective facilitator through a participatory workshop.
The lecturer has over 30 years of experience of conducting this kind of workshops throughout the world.
The lecturer created an atmosphere favorable for a discussion.
All the participants were given the opportunity to speak up and express their opinions freely.

Also, he shared many important philosophies of the facilitator that he gained from his 30 years of experience.
The participants could learn not only from the lecturer, but also from one another through interactions.

The lecturer chose to use traditional materials in his teaching, such as pictures and paper documents, instead of digital equipments. He also introduced the participants to a role-play session. This was due to his policy to use materials and resources that are easy to understand as well as easy to find anywhere, including the participants' own countries.

The session provided the participants with the great opportunity to gain very useful knowledge and also to think back deeply about the situation of their own communities and countries.

The day became a very meaningful one.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0629.html

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Training Report : June 25 2011 : Job Report Presentation

In this training course, the participants are asked to write three reports: (1) Job Report, (2) Project Plan, and (3) Progress Report.

Today the participants presented their first report, Job Report. They had prepared it prior to their arrival in Japan and have been practising a presentation very hard.

The event was organized in Seminar Room 18, JICA Tokyo Center. It attracted more than thirty attendees, who enthusiastically listened to the presentations and took part in discussions. The event was carried out in the English language.

Three professors who are members of the Planning Committee acted as a chair in turn and, thanks to their organization and facilitation, the day went on very smoothly and effectively. Also the participants seem to have benefited a lot from today's experience.

Each presenter discussed his/her job and issues surrounding disability back in home country for 20 minutes, which was followed by a 15-minute Q&A session. A number of questions were raised from the audience after each presentation.

The participants are now to draw up a Project Plan during their stay in Japan. They will submit a Progress Report after their return to their home countries.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0625.html

Posted by jicafriends at 01:58 PM | Comments (0)

July 11, 2011

Training Report : June 23, 2011: Lecture : The Right to Decent Work of Persons with Disabilities

This morning, nine participants attended the lecture given by Emeritus Professor from the Faculty of Social Policy and Administration, Hosei University, Tokyo.

The professor illustrated the ILO Conventions and Recommendations and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=199

It was a great opportunity to learn about the international framework for employment of those with disabilities.

The participants enthusiastically listened to the lecture and raised a number of questions and comments, applying the ILO’s norms to their own countries.

Thanks must go to the professor for his time and talk. The participants could all enhance their understanding towards the ILO mission and the important concept of “decent work.”

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0623.html

Posted by jicafriends at 12:44 PM | Comments (0)

June 28, 2011

Training Report : June 22, 2011 PM: Lecture : Independent Living of Persons with Disability and Improvement of Welfare System in Japan

This afternoon, the participants welcomed Secretary General of Japan National Assembly of Disabled Peoples International (DIP) to Seminar Room 18 and enjoyed listening to his talk. He discussed the history and development of social welfare services in Japan from the perspective of a person with a disability.

In his lecture, he illustrated his own childhood-experience as a person with cerebral palsy. He then moved on to discuss the development of social movements for disabled people in Japan and how they led to the launch of the Committee for Disability Policy Reform in December 2009. It was intriguing to listen to the perspective of somebody who has a disability and is heavily involved in Japan's policy reform.
Many thanks to the lecturer for his time and presentation. His passion for disability movements and determination to improve the society in Japan were very insightful.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0622pm.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:29 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 22, 2011 AM: Lecture : Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japansons with Disabilities

It was a real summer day in Tokyo with the temperature above 30 degrees Celsius..!

In Seminar Room 18, the participants first wrapped up on yesterday's discussion. Then, from 10am, they attended the lecture by Special Advisor, Welfare Division for Persons with Disabilities, Dept. of Health and Welfare for Persons with Disabilities, Social Welfare and War-Victim's Relief Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.
The lecture was entitled ‘Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan’ and overviewed the contemporary welfare policies and services for persons with disabilities over the past 60 years. It also covered the recent movement towards a comprehensive welfare system that is intended to strongly reflect voices of those who have disabilities.

The lecture was very informative and interesting. In fact, the participants all asked a number of questions to the lecturer, whose sincere response to each question was very much appreciated.
Thanks must go to the Special Advisor for his time and talk. The participants gained an overall and systematic understanding of the welfare services for persons with disabilities in Japan.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0622.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)

June 16, 2011

Training Report : June 14, 2011 : Arrival

A participant from Fiji arrived first in Japan yesterday.

And today six participants from Timor Leste, Fiji, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mongolia, and Myanmar arrived in Japan before sunset.

The last group of three participants from Jordan and Ghana arrived at Tokyo International Center(JICA Tokyo) at 22:20 on July 14, 2011.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/jicainfo/tic/index.html

JICE coordinator and JSRPD staff waited at the entrance to welcome them. They looked very tired not only because of a long journey but jet lag, however they said that they were very much looking forward to the coming seven weeks.

After check-in they were led to their rooms and explained how to use them by the receptionists of JICA Tokyo.

Hope all the participants will get over jet lag as quickly as possible.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2011/training/v0614.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:50 AM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2010

Training Report : November 2, 2010 PM : Japanese Federation of the Deaf

After coming back from the Tokyo Support Center for the Deafblind the participants took the lecture about the Japanese Federation of the Deaf (JFD) at JICA Tokyo.

JFD is the nationwide organization of the Deaf in Japan, with member associations of the Deaf in 47 prefectures throughout the country. JFD has strong relationship among deaf people not only in Japan but also in the World. A member of the Board of JFD gave on outline of the organization including its history, situation of the deaf, organizational activities, campaigns for sign language and current issues. He concluded that JFD makes efforts to establish an environment in which enable the deaf to live independently in the community and to realize full participation and equality for the deaf in society. JFD will continue to improve conditions in the society for the deaf as well as protecting their rights as human beings.

Many questions were raised and at the end of the lecture one of the participants suggested to create an illustrated book for children with 3 different languages, Japanese, Japanese sign language and Braille. That helps children understand and acquire different kinds of communication skills in their childhood.

The lecturer was very impressed by his idea. Then before close the lecture nine participants, lecturer, and sign language interpreters took a commemorative photo.

http://jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2010/training/l1102pm.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:06 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : October 19, 2010: Accessibility Check in Tokyo Metropolitan City

Persons with disabilities in general go to the place where they can access, although they have a right to go wherever they would like to go.
UN Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities includes the following articles and secures the mobility rights of persons with disabilities.

Article 9 for Accessibility http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=269

Article 20 for Personal Mobility http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=280

In order to understand and experience the mobility rights nine participants were divided into three groups and checked accessibility of each group. Today's lecturer, a permanent committee for traffic issues, Disabled People's International, Japan joined the group 2 and checked the accessibility with participants.

Group 1: Ferris wheel “Big O”

Participants from Antigua & Barbuda, Syria, Pakistan went to LaQua in Tokyo Dome City (baseball stadium.)
The Ferris wheel is barrier-free, so wheelchair users can ride and enjoy the scenery of Tokyo.
http://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/laqua/index.htm

Group 2: Tachikawa New City Hall

Participants from Cambodia, Columbia, and Tajikistan took part in the group 2 and checked the Tachikawa City Hall, which was newly built and became a friendly Hall for all citizens in Tachikawa City.
http://www.city.tachikawa.lg.jp/cms-sypher/www/english/index.jsp

Group 3: Imperial Palace

Participants from Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe joined the group 3 and visited the Seimon-tetsubashi Bridge (Main Gate Bridge; Nijubashi) of Imperial Palace.
http://sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/small/d13-01ph-19.html
http://data.lullar.com/%E4%BA%8C%E9%87%8D%E6%A9%8B

It was the first experience for participants of Pakistan and Zimbabwe to use the electric wheelchairs and went out from JICA Tokyo.

On the way to the destinations, participants checked various barrier-free facilities and assistive devices provided for persons with disabilities.
There are Braille block tiled on the platform or on the street. Automatic platform gates which prevent persons fall down from platform. Those facilities are very helpful for persons with visual impairments when they walk outside alone. There are also services and facilities available for wheelchair users. Train staff prepared a portable ramp to assist wheelchair users to get on and off a train.

After coming back to JICA Tokyo the lecturer explained about the facilities and services in friendly environment. To realize the barrier-free society voice of persons with disabilities is essential and he strongly emphasized importance of movements by persons with disabilities.

Hope nine participants will enjoy going out and having new experiences.

http://jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2010/training/l1019.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:00 PM | Comments (0)

November 12, 2010

Training Report : November 2, 2010 AM : Tokyo Support Center for the Deafblind

The participants visited to the Tokyo Support Center for the Deafblind in Asakusabashi. The center provides various individual training programs to the deafblind members to become independent, such as communication training, daily living activity training and PC/electronic equipment training. The center also dispatches interpreters/guide helpers in order to support their social participation.

One of the members of the Board of Tokyo Friendship Society of the Deafblind, who is totally deafblind said, “My friend introduced me this center and I have learned different types of communication skills. I really appreciate interpreters/guide helpers because I would not be able to go out without their support.”

Another member of the Board who is also totally deafblind said, “I have started to use this center after I became totally deafblind and then I acquired communication skills of finger Braille and hand written character recognition, which has enabled me to communicate with others. I think that communication with others without hesitation is the most important thing in daily living.”

Nine participants were taking an active part in the training program and earned a lot of things about deafblind and importance of the support center/organization. Now they know how the deafblind spends everyday life and how he/she communicates with others. At the end of the program, the participants could communicate with deafblind people very well.

http://jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2010/training/l1102.html

Posted by jicafriends at 03:57 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : October 18, 2010 PM: Lecture: “Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan”

After the opening ceremony nine participants received the first lecture about the Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan, given by Special Advisor, Welfare Division for Persons with Disabilities, Dept. of Health and Welfare for Persons with Disabilities, Social Welfare and War-Victim's Relief Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

The lecture was very informative and useful to obtain basic knowledge of Japanese welfare system and measures of persons with disabilities in Japan. He gave a comprehensive explanation on the topic, including historical development of welfare services for persons with disabilities, the laws related to disability field, definition of disabilities, changes of the numbers of persons with disabilities, basic plan and reform of health and assistive devices, discount system and so on.

At the end of the lecture participants learned about the Law for supporting independence of persons with disabilities. On 30th Oct. 2009 Minister of Health, Labour, and Welfare promised to abolish and create a new law by reflecting voice of persons with disabilities. Ministerial Board for the Promotion of Systematic Reforms for Persons with Disabilities was established and the Promotion Committee of Systematic Reforms for Persons with Disabilities was organized to discuss and submit the opinion of persons with disabilities.

Nine participants are also going to observe the Big Forum which will be held at Hibiya Park on 29th Oct.

http://jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2010/training/l1018pm.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:54 AM | Comments (0)

November 04, 2010

Training Report : October 25 & 26, 2010 : Peer Counseling and Peer Support

The two-day program of “Peer Counseling” was held on October 25th and 26th. The participants learned a new method to empower other disabled people as well as oneself.

Peer means fellow and a person who has the same experiences. We, disabled persons are peers who have the same experience of having disabilities. Peer counseling is to empower each other (peer) by listening to each other, releasing emotions, sharing the same amount of time without giving advice or denial. And it is important that you don't reveal any story you heard during counseling.

Peer counseling started in the U.S. in the 1970's, and was introduced to Japan in the 1980's. Peer Counseling in Japan comes from Co-counseling (also called Re-evaluation Counseling) that took place in the U.S. It is characterized by giving equal time and by exchanging each other's roles as indicated in the prefix “Co-.” Since Peer Counseling eventually became a mandatory government project, its importance became widely recognized and it spread throughout the country. It is now practiced at over 120 CIL Centers in Japan, as well as in other Asian countries such as Korea, Thailand, Pakistan, Philippines, Malaysia, Nepal, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.

The participants seemed to be perplexed in the beginning because it was entirely the new method for all of them. But as the program was preceded, they became to be much curious to know about it. At the end of the program, they had smiley faces with the feeling of empowerment and self-confidence.

http://jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2010/training/l1025.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:03 PM | Comments (0)

October 27, 2010

Training Report : October 18, 2010 : Opening Ceremony

The Opening Ceremony was held at Briefing Room of JICA Tokyo today to celebrate the start of the training course in Leadership Development of Persons with Disabilities.

This year, we welcomed 9 participants from 8 different countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Columbia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, and Zimbabwe

Welcome Speeches were addressed by Director of Human Development Division, Tokyo International Center, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and then by Executive Director, Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD).

The participants took a group photo with flags of their respective countries.

http://jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2010/training/l1018.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:14 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : October 13, 2010 : Program Orientation

Eight participants from Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Columbia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, and Zimbabwe had arrived safely on Oct 12.

Another participant from Pakistan couldn't arrive on the same day because of illness, but fortunately he completely recovered and will be arriving on Oct 15.

The following day the program orientation was organized by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSPRD) at Seminar Room 18, JICA Tokyo.

Each participant introduced him/herself and expressed his/her anticipation for this training course.

http://jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2010/training/l1013.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:10 PM | Comments (0)

September 10, 2010

Nine participants from eight countries were selected-Leadership Development Course 2010

Dear jicafriends,

The second committee meeting was held to select this year's participants of Leadership Development Course on September 9, 2010.

We are very pleased to inform you that nine participants from eight countries including Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Columbia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Syrian Arab Republic, Tajikistan, and Zimbabwe were selected.

We are all looking forward to seeing them next month.

The secretariat of jicafriends

Posted by jicafriends at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)

August 22, 2010

Training Report : July 1, 2010 PM: Hello Work Omori (Public Employment Security Office)

After Yaguchi School for Special Needs Education eight participants visited Hello Work Omori, which is located in Ota-ward, Tokyo.

They first learned the following services at the Public Employment Security Office.

Services for recruiters: Acceptance of requests for recruitment and development of needs for human resources, supporting for securing human resources
Services for job-seekers: Vocational consultation and job placement, job placement for persons with disabilities
Services of employment insurance: Application of employment insurance, affairs concerning provision of employment insurance
Services of employment measures: Guidance for corporations employing persons with disabilities
Participants could understand that the role of Hello Work is not only to support persons with disabilities in looking for their jobs but also to create new job opportunities in open labor market.
They also learned about the relation between Hello Work and other related organizations including Special Needs Education Schools, Employment Support Center for Persons with Disabilities, welfare facilities and private companies.

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 Hello Work Omori.
Some of the participants tried the search of job opportunities on computers and participant from Myanmar was very happy to find a good job with an excellent salary.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0701pm.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:53 PM | Comments (0)

July 19, 2010

Training Report : July 1, 2010 : Visit: Tokyo Metropolitan Yaguchi School for Special Needs Education

Eight participants visit Yaguchi School for Special Needs Education to learn how the school cooperates with Hello Work Omori and Ota-ward Employment Support Center in order to promote employment of graduates with disabilities.

Special Needs Education is education for students with disabilities, in consideration of their individual educational needs, which aims at full development of their capabilities and at their independence and social participation.

Participants had a chance to look around various kinds of work trainings including leather crafts, pottery, agriculture, wooden crafts, recycling paper for high school students.

And then they studied the future course guidance and employment support done by the school. 113 students with intellectual disabilities as of April 1, 2010 enrolled in the high school and they receive vocational education 1.and 2.

Vocational education 1.is guidance on future course in general such as manners, communication, job interview, and work, and 2 is practical work experience in the private company.

Teachers at Yaguchi School for Special Needs Education have been making tireless efforts towards employment of graduates and follow-up program for making them settle in the same company.

Though just a half day visit, eight participants could grasp the idea how students with disabilities prepare for their future course.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0701.html

Posted by jicafriends at 08:30 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 28, 2010 : Workshop: How to Write Project Plan Ⅰ

Today is the first day of three day session to learn how to write Project Plan.

The lecturer who works as a consultant for NGOs in Tokyo conducts various trainings and organizes events. She also works to make linkage Japanese NGOs to other groups.

In the morning, the lecturer explained the outline of Project Plan by showing some examples. Along with it, the participants gained knowledge of who could be stakeholders and what would be resources in their communities in order to implement their projects effectively and smoothly. The participants also had role playing to know the hints when they ask questions to persons with disabilities as stakeholders of the projects since most of them were not disabled.

In the afternoon, the participants were explained about 12 items to write their project plans, such as 1. Name, organization and country, 2. Title of your project, 3. Background information, 4. Overall Goals, 5. Concrete Objectives, 6. Stakeholders & Beneficiaries, 7. Impacts of project on Stakeholders, 8. Project implementation plan, 9. Monitoring and evaluation, 10. Possible obstacles to project plan implementation, 11. Budget & a way of raising funds, 12. Impact of this training.

The lecturer told the participants repeatedly that plans have to be feasible and concrete. In addition, the plan should be related to Decent Work. She suggested them taking notes of any ideas that they gain through this training course. Those memos must be helpful when they draw their plan.

It is sure that they have understood the purpose of writing Project Plan and have learned basic skills to write it even though some participants do not have any experiences to write a plan before.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0628.html

Posted by jicafriends at 08:01 PM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2010

Training Report : June 30, 2010 : Community Visit: Persons with disabilities living in the community

Today the participants visited Atsugi city in Kanagawa Prefecture. Professor Yoshimichi Ogawa who is a member of our planning committee organized today's program. The purpose of this visit is to understand how people with severe disabilities make their own living by observing and interviewing three families.

Firstly the participants visited house of Ms. Matsuda who lives on the first floor of the public housing (provided by Atsugi City) and her house was remodeled to meet her needs to live independently. She uses personal assistant services everyday so that she does not have to depend on her family all the time. Her current life was not built in one day; she explained them that she had to visit City Hall many times to negotiate with government officers to get her services. She also showed the participants her paintings and gave them her postcards as a gift.

Then the participants stopped by the Comprehensive Welfare Center of Atsugi City to have lunch at a restaurant named “Donguri (acorn)” where persons with intellectual disabilities were working. Many of participants tried Japanese food there. We also had a chance to visit a consultation room in the same building, where consultation services for 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, they visited an apartment of Mr. Jin'no who has quadriplegia due to traffic accident. He is an employee of a special subsidiary of company in the employment service industry in Japan. Instead of commuting to an office, he works at home by using a computer. The system of “employment at home” allowed him to live independently in the community. He explained about his work and life, and emphasized how important “to work” is for him. A staff from his company kindly came to explain why they started “employment at home.” The participants could learn about the company's efforts to employ persons with disabilities. Mr. Jin'no has just come back from his vacation from Okinawa where he enjoys his hobby - scuba diving. They enjoyed watching the video of his diving.

Before visiting the last house they 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 modified car. They were interested in seeing how he transferred from his wheelchair to his car.

Lastly they visited “a dream house” owned by Mr & Ms. Machida, the director of the workshop. It's a barrier-free house designed by them. The participants were so amazed with various assistive devices and automated equipments. The participant from Myanmar experienced to be carried by the electric lift from bedroom to bathroom.

From today's visit, the participants could understand how persons with severe disabilities live independently in a community and enjoy their way of lives.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0630.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:22 AM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 29, 2010 : Visit: Shiseido Co. Ltd.,

Today eight participants used public transport to visit Shiseido Shiodome Office.
http://www.shiseido.co.jp/e/index.htm

Shiseido is a world famous company, selling their products in 73 countries and regions in the world.
They first employed a person with disability as a regular employee in 1984 and the number has increased up to 300 as of May 2010.
They employed not only persons with physical disabilities but also persons with intellectual and mental disabilities.

First Senior Manager, Diversity Development Group, Personnel Department gave participants a brief overview of the company, and then his subordinate with physical disability clarified why Shiseido making efforts toward employment of persons with disabilities.

They said “existence of disability” is not a problem, but “difficulties and discrimination” are the problem.
So if you can solve the problems and create an appropriate work environment for persons with disabilities, you can promote employment of persons with disabilities.

After that two employee with physical disability and hearing impairment explained their responsible jobs. They are treated as same as other regular employees in all aspects.
Participants also had a chance to observe their barrier-free workplaces.

Before leaving the company Shiseido treated them for lunch at the company cafeteria, where employees with disabilities were enjoying their lunches with their workmates.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0629.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:20 AM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 26, 2010 : Presentation: Job Report

In this training course, the participants are asked to write three reports: Job Report, Project Plan (Future Action Plan), and Progress Report.
Today the participants presented their first report, Job Report at seminar room 18.
Eight participants gave presentations focusing on their tasks in their organizations. One of planning committee members acted as host today.

More than twenty people including people with physical, visual, and hearing impairments came to listen to their presentations.
Not only Japanese-English interpreters but also Japanese sign language interpreters were provided by JICA.
Please click the below to see their presentation materials.

Planning committee members participated and gave comments to the participants. The course participants also raised questions and gave feedbacks to each other. Through information sharing, we could deepen our understanding of each other.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0626.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:17 AM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2010

Training Report : June 24 - 25, 2010 : Participatory Workshop: Facilitator Skills

Today, the participants Learned facilitation skills through a participatory workshop.
The lecturer has over 30 years of experience in facilitating this kind of workshop.
He has been conducting workshops across the countries.

The lecturer created relaxed atmosphere for the participants to be able to speak and express their feeling, so that all the participants could talk each other openly.

The participants gained important hints on disability and useful skills as facilitators by exchanging views, experiences and opinions with interactive discussions.

Those skills that the participants gained from the workshop are effective not only for facilitating, but also for applying in real life. At the end of the session, the participants seemed to become very much confident to take as a role of facilitator.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0624.html

Posted by jicafriends at 12:20 PM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2010

Training Report : June 22, 2010 : Lecture: Current Situation of Employment of Persons with Disabilities

Today, the participants visited Saitama Prefectural University to have a lecture on Current Situation of Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Japan.
Today's lecturer, the course leader of this training welcomed them to his university.
http://www.spu.ac.jp/info.rbz?nd=197&ik=1&pnp=16&pnp=197

The lecture was started from Article 27 of the Constitution of Japan, which says, “All people shall have the right and the obligation to work. Standards for wages, hours, rest and other working condition shall be fixed by law. Children shall not be exploited.”
http://www.solon.org/Constitutions/Japan/English/english-Constitution.html

The lecturer first explained about employment measures including quota scheme, levy and grant system, and various subsidies from government, and then they discussed on “what vocational disability is.”

Course leader kindly prepared their lunch (without pork!). Eight participants enjoyed delicious sandwiches together with the students.

During lunch break their course leader showed them the facilities of the University.

In the afternoon more information was provided including basic procedure of vocational rehabilitation, subsidies from government, rolls of related organizations such as Public Security Employment Office, vocational rehabilitation center, and special subsidiaries.

Though the time was limited participants could grasp the idea of current situation of employment of persons with disabilities in Japan.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0622.html

Posted by jicafriends at 03:55 PM | Comments (0)

June 22, 2010

Training Report : June 21, 2010 PM : Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan

The first lecture was held at Seminar room 18, our decent room.

It was about the Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan, given by Special Advisor, Welfare Division for Persons with Disabilities, Dept. of Health and Welfare for Persons with Disabilities, Social Welfare and War-Victim's Relief Bureau, Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

The lecture was very informative. He gave a comprehensive explanation on the topic, including historical development of welfare services for persons with disabilities, the laws related to disability field, definition of disabilities, changes of the numbers of persons with disabilities, basic plan and reform of health and welfare policies and measures for persons with disabilities, assistive devices, discount system, income security, measures related education, future challenges and so on.

The lecture was extended until 4:45 since participants asked many questions to the lecturer.

Thanks to the lecturer's tireless efforts eight participants could gain an overall understanding of the welfare services for persons with disabilities in Japan.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0621pm.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 21, 2010 AM : Ice breaking session

Ice breaking session was held by committee members in order to establish close relations with participants.

Firstly eight participants gave self-introduction and then committee members made presentations about their working careers in power points.
Two committee members who could not attend the session also introduced themselves in their ppts.

At the beginning participants looked a bit nervous but they could break the ice at the end of the session.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0621am.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)

June 17, 2010

Training Report : July 16, 2010: Program Orientation

 

Program orientation was held at Seminar room 18 (our room as you know!).

JICA program officer and a person in charge of JSRPD gave a brief outline of the training course to JICA participants.

Though it was the first day, many questions related to “project plan writing” were raised.

Each participant has a chance to introduce him/herself including staff of JICA, JICE, JSRPD.

AT the beginning they looked nervous, however as time passed It seemed like as if they were having reunion with old friends.

The actual program will be started from next Monday, June 21, 2010.

Please look forward to the training report!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/training/v0616.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)

June 15, 2010

Participants arrived at JICA Tokyo

Dear jicafriends,

We are happy to inform you that six participants from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal、and Malaysia arrived at JICA Tokyo in the morniing. They appeared to be in good health.

Participants from China and Iran will be arriveing soon as well.
Program orientation will be held tomorrow and everyone concerned except committee members will be gathered at JICA Tokyo.

The secretariat of jicafriends

Posted by jicafriends at 12:50 PM | Comments (3)

June 14, 2010

Welcome to Japan-Participants of Decent Work Course 2010

Dear jicafriends,

Eight participants of "Employment Promotion and Realization of Decent Work of Persons with Disabilities 2010" are coming to Japan tomorrow.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/participants.html

The program orientation will be held on Wednesday to get to know with each other.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2010/schedule.html

We'll report their training on this website, so please visit us and give us your feedbacks!

The secretariat of jicafriends

Posted by jicafriends at 06:05 PM | Comments (0)

April 12, 2010

Training Report : July 22 - 23, 2009: Facilitation skills

Today participants had the second half of four-day session of Facilitation skills.
Participants chose topics related to the issues of their organization or disability in their own countries. All five participants were given 20 minutes for facilitation, their topics are as follows.

Participant from Malaysia “How to communicate / support persons with learning disability”

Participant from Fiji “How is the direction of intellectual disability in my country and want to share each countries' situation”

Participant from China “What is the most important Quality of persons”

Participant from Nepal “What is the difficulties of persons with disabilities and how to eliminate them”

Participant from Nepal “Collect the existing source perception towards PWDs”

All participants were well-prepared and tried to use various methods of facilitation, such as showing pictures or doing a role-play which called the other participants' attention.
After each session, the participants gave a lot of feedbacks to each other. It was also good opportunities for all participants to learn how to give constructive feedback.
They had many things to learn from each other.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0722.html

Posted by jicafriends at 08:28 PM | Comments (0)

February 17, 2010

Training Report : November 13, 2009: Regional Training (Day 6)

In the morning, JICA participants went back to the Peace Memorial Museum to have a lecture by a hibakusha, a survivor of A-bomb.

Even though she became very weak due to a number of surgeries for the after effects of the bomb's radiation, she was very humble and she thanked everyone in the room for giving her this opportunity. She then started explained her unforgettable experience in English.

http://www.hiroshima-spirit.jp/en/index.php

http://www.wagingpeace.org/articles/1999/00/00_matsubara_spirit-hiroshima.php

Through her sincere message all the participants could learn what was really happened in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945.

And then participants moved to the different building in the park, where the International Peace Promotion Department, the City of Hiroshima is located, to learn about the A-Bomb and its damage, and the current status of nuclear weapons in the world.

The Director, Peace Promotion Division gave them brief explanation on the main projects of the City of Hiroshima such as testimonies of the A-Bomb experience, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, A-bomb exhibitions overseas, peace information over the Internet, and Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Courses. The participants also learned the Hiroshima City's effort to abolish nuclear weapons such as Mayors for Peace, 2020 Vision Campaign etc.

http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/e/peace.html

Before leaving Hiroshima the participants could meet the Mayor of City of Hiroshima, Mr. Tadatoshi Akiba, and they directly learned from him about the Hiroshima's national and international efforts for the nuclear weapon free world.

The three day's visit to Hiroshima gave strong impression to the participants and they surely will bring the “Spirit of Hiroshima” back to home country.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1113.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:38 AM | Comments (0)

February 09, 2010

Training Report : November 19, 2009 AM: Visit: The Accessible Design Foundation in Japan

In the morning participants visited the Accessible Design Foundation in Japan.

The lecture was started with a question from Section Chief of General Affairs, “All of us use various products, services, and facilities in our daily lives. However, are they really accessible to everyone?” “Can persons with visual impairment distinguish between shampoo bottle and conditioner bottle?” JICA participants nodded no.

And she then continued, “from that point of view, the Accessible Design Foundation (the ADF Japan) started its activities to promote accessibility for all people including older persons and persons with disabilities. In order to promote products, facilities and services that are accessible to every member in the society, the ADF Japan collaborates with other organizations to conduct user surveys and research on the needs of various people. We aim to create a society where each member can live a happy and lively life.”

Some samples of the accessible design products were introduced by her and participants were very impressed to know their efforts to promote accessible designs.

JICA participant started to interest in the concept and asked the following good questions.
“We understood that we could recognize the differences between milk and juice by the notch, however, we still have difficulty to recognize the differences between orange juice and apple juice. Do you have any ideas to distinguish those differences?” “Even if we could recognize the products, how persons with visual impairment get to know the price without any assistance?”
Section Chief was very pleased to hear their opinions and promised them that they will try to solve those problems.

And then a member the foundation who have low vision shared her experience how she developed the accessible designs at her work place.

When she worked for one of the major transport companies in Japan, company faced a problem of the customers with disability.　When a customer was not at home, delivery staff left a message card in the post, however, only contact phone number with message was printed on the card, so that the customers with visual impairment could not recognize what it is. Likewise customers with hearing impairment could not contact delivery staff on the phone.　In order to solve the problem, the company added fax number on the card. As a result the company decided to notch on both sides of the card enable persons with visual impairment understand what it is.

At the beginning you can start from a small change, then the small change will gradually become bigger, she explained to the participants.

After the lecture, participants had an opportunity to touch and try the accessible products for daily use at exhibition room in the foundation.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1119.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:32 PM | Comments (0)

January 27, 2010

Training Report : November 12, 2009: Regional Training (Day 5)

64 years ago, Hiroshima suffered the world's first atomic bombing. To prevent repetition of such tragedy, the city has sought ever since to covey the facts of the bombing to the world. Website of the City of Hiroshima:
http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/shimin/heiwa/peaceenglish.html

Hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to the A-Bomb in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. Despite the tragedy of mankind, innumerable people were still injured or lost their precious lives because of wars or conflicts all over the world. To learn “Disability and War/Conflict,” nine participants visited Hiroshima and today they came to observe the Peace Memorial Museum located inside the Peace Memorial Park.

In the museum participants were guided and received the explanation by three Peace Volunteers who belong to the museum.
They first showed participants the deformed objects such as bottles and roof tiles, melted by the strong heat of the atomic bomb.
Not only participants with visual impairment but others were also allowed to touch them so that they could feel the power of A-bomb.

Then they were divided into three groups to tour the museum. It took them to three hours to see both inside and outside of the museum.
However it was a valuable opportunity for all the participants to think deeply about importance of peace and they all resolved not to possess any nuclear weapons in respective countries.

Story of Sadako: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadako_Sasaki

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1112.html

Posted by jicafriends at 03:07 PM | Comments (0)

January 25, 2010

Training Report : November 6, 2009 PM: Lecture: History and Current Situation of the Movement of the Deaf in Japan

Participants left Tokyo Metropolitan Support Center for the Deafblind for JICA Tokyo to have an afternoon lecture by advisor of Japan Federation of the Deaf.

To break the ice, the lecturer began his lecture with a joke. He first briefly explained about the main activities, major events, and achievements of the movement made by the Japan Federation of the Deaf.

Then he emphasized the biggest problem which persons with hearing impairment have been facing for long time is “communication” with other persons. Therefore, he's been working very hard over 30 years, to promote the training of sign language interpreter, and to expand awareness of importance of sign language interpreters in the society.

He concluded that sign language interpreters are not only for persons with hearing impairment, but they help persons without hearing impairment to communicate with persons with hearing impairment.

Participant asked many questions to the lecturer including how to master sign language, how persons with hearing impairment acquire the driver's license, and how to convince TV stations to provide caption and sign language interpretation services.

Some of the participants had a strong impression that Japanese persons with disabilities are very lucky since they're well taken care by the government, however, they realized through his lecture that the present situation of persons with disabilities in Japan was the result of long-term movements by persons with disabilities.

Participants were empowered a lot by the lecturer and they strongly felt that they could also get the same result in their countries if they worked hard like him.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1106pm.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:16 PM | Comments (0)

January 20, 2010

Training Report : November 11, 2009: Regional Training (Day 4) - Move to Hiroshima

Participants said “good bye” to Hamamatsu city and moved to Hiroshima by Shinkansen in the morning.
After three-hour train trip they arrived at Hiroshima station. A red sightseeing bus equipped with a lift was waiting for them there to take them to Miyajima ferry landing.

It was a bit chilly and windy day, however participants got excited about visiting Itsukushima Shrine, the sightseeing spot where barrier-free/accessible tourism was promoted.

This shrine a designated national treasure, was built in the architectural style of the Heian period in 593. Later, in 1168, it was rebuild in its current beautiful form. It was selected as one of three beautiful sceneries in Japan and Japanese would love to visit once in a lifetime.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3450.html

The world heritage was remodelled and had ramps to enable wheelchair users come into the shrine. Therefore not only persons with disabilities but also elderly people can easily participate in a tour.
JICA participants were all enjoyed barrier-free sightseeing. and could get ideas how to start barrier-free tourism in respective countries.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1111.html

Posted by jicafriends at 03:28 PM | Comments (0)

January 19, 2010

Training Report : November 10, 2009: Regional Training (Day 3) - WITH in Hamamatsu

Today was the second day in Hamamatsu.

Before leaving the hotel participants together with a committee member did the wrap up session at the lobby of the hotel.

In the morning chairperson of Rokusei Welfare Corporation showed nine participants to the WITH Shijimizuka, community workshop for the elderly with visual impairment. When they arrived there members were singing Japanese songs along with the piano, and of course after introducing themselves participants joined and presented their national songs. WITH Shijimizuka became like a international salon.

By accident a baker with severe disability visited WITH to sell his cookies and cakes. Participants were impressed to see that he drove a car and sold home baked cookies and cakes by himself. He explained them how he started his business and how to make living now.

In the afternoon the piano master, who was the last student of Japanese famous Koto (Japanese harp), master Michio Miyagi, kindly brought Japanese traditional instruments to WITH. The Koto, Shamisen (a three-stringed instrument similar to a banjo) and Shakuhachi (five-holed Japanese bamboo clarinet) were demonstrated by him. This gives participants a chance to learn something about the traditional music and culture of Japan.

At the end of the training program at WITH chairperson gave a brief explanation on the history of small-scale community workshops, and then he summarized points of two-days programs at WITH. He emphasized the importance of “full participation and equality” which was the theme of International Year of Disabled Persons in 1981 as well as the motto of WITH.
In order to realize that a small scale community workshop like WITH is essential.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1110.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:54 PM | Comments (0)

January 17, 2010

Training Report : November 6, 2009 AM: Visit: Tokyo Metropolitan Support Center for the Deafblind

Participants had an opportunity to visit Tokyo Metropolitan Support Center for the Deafblind.
Deafblinds are those who have impairment in both hearing and vision. There are many patterns to what is called deafblind: a totally deafblind is one who cannot hear or see a thing; “blind and hard of hearing” are those who cannot see anything and have limited hearing; “deaf and low vision” includes those who cannot hear anything and cannot see very well, etc.

Three board members, all deafblinds, kindly came to the center to talk about their personal histories including daily lives, the conditions of disabilities and the purpose of their lives.

Interpreter/personal assistants are able to communicate with deafblinds with finger Braille, tactile sign language, or by verbal language according to the conditions of disabilities. Each board member brought one or two interpreter/personal assistances on that day.

When the board members “listened,” all three were interpreted by finger Braille through interpreters. However, when they “spoke”, one of them used sign language and two others used verbal language mainly, slightly using finger Braille through interpreters.

Participants observed those communications with a curious eye. It was amazing that there were various types of communication skills of the deafblind and those were used according to conditions of disability.

After listening three board member's speeches, participants had a chance to talk with them through interaction among individual. Participants asked how they learned those communications skills, how they managed household tasks such as cooking or doing the laundry, about marriage, and so on. Various questions relating to interpreter/personal assistance were also asked such as expenses for dispatch, roles of assistance, training and license to become assistance. Board members asked questions back to the participants about the situation of the deafblind in participants' countries.
Both participants and board members enjoyed interaction.

It was the first time for most of participants to meet the deafblind. Participants were deeply impressed to know that the deafblind fully enjoyed their own lives in spite of their difficulties in communication.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1106.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:32 PM | Comments (0)

January 06, 2010

Training Report : November 3, 2009: Visit: Sight World

What is Sight World?

This is the unprecedented and comprehensive event for persons with visual impairments which marks its 4th anniversary.
Visitors could see the exhibition of equipments with the most advanced technology and daily devices for persons with visual impairments.
Additionally, various seminars, forums, workshops and concerts were also held during three-day events.

Participants observed and tried those exhibits that utilize Induction Heating, Ultrasonic beam or the other technologies.
The prices of some of them are more than a million yen.
However, on the other hand, exhibits were not only those advanced devices, but also daily devices which had only small differences with ordinary devices such as notch, projections or Braille seals.
Those little ingenuities made devices useful for persons with visual impairments.

All participants were very surprised at the latest technologies and could know useful ideas of devices for persons with visual impairments.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1103.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:44 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : November 9, 2009: Regional Training (Day 2) - WITH in Hamamatsu

In the morning nine participants visited WITH, small-scale community workshop for persons with visual impairments run by Rokusei Welfare Corporation. Not only JICA participants but three students from school for the blind and a student from regular junior high school also visited WITH as a part of their integrated study programs. To begin with, JICA participants, members of WITH, and students introduced themselves individually and then members welcomed visitors with songs.

After that chairperson explained why he established WITH in Hamamatsu city and what kinds of difficulties persons with visual impairments are facing in Japan.
Most of children with visual impairment spend their daily lives at the blind schools and they seldom have opportunities to communicate with other persons outside the schools. It discourages and prevents them from participating in the society.
Therefore WITH encourages and empowers them to go out and work together with other people without disabilities.

At lunch time Sri Lankan curry was prepared and as you could imagine easily a participant from Sri Lanka cried for that.

In the afternoon chairperson showed them how to make a white cane and how to provide the mobility training, then he explained the importance of using the white canes.

Participants learned so many things in a day, and they were all fully satisfied.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1109.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:29 PM | Comments (0)

December 24, 2009

Training Report : November 8, 2009: Regional Training (Day 1)

Today is the first day of 5 nights and 6 days trip.

Nine participants were all excited about riding a super express train, Shinkansen between Tokyo and Hamamatsu, it was just one and half hour trip, however they all enjoyed experience one of the fastest train in the world.

After arriving Hamamatsu participants quickly checked in the hotel and went to “Zaza City, ” one of the biggest shopping complexes in Hamamatsu. Various kinds of products from small scale community workshops were displayed there for spot sale. Participants met Chairperson of Rokusei Welfare Corporation there since the facilities of Rokusei also exhibited their hand-made products such as potpourri balls, post cards made by recycling paper, owl shaped deodorizers, Zori (Japanese sandals) and so on. The exhibition was held not only for selling the products but also for drawing the attention of citizens.

Then Chairperson showed them IT support corner which is run by Hamamatsu city. It is located in the annex building together with Public Security Employment Support Center, Employment Support Center for Persons with Disabilities, Vocational Rehabilitation Center, Communication Plaza, and etc...

Participants were surprised to see different types of assistive devices for personal computers there and comprehensive services for persons with disabilities provided by Hamamatsu city. However Hamamatsu city is now thinking about terminating the programs of communication plaza including IT support corner. So participants also left their message on the board.

When it finished it was already eight o’clock and some of the participants nearly fainted from hunger.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1108.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:40 PM | Comments (0)

December 22, 2009

Training Report : November 4, 2009: Visit: Kodaira Genkimura (‘Genki’ means vigor and ‘mura’ means village)

On 4th November, participants visited Kodaira Genkimura in Kodaira City to learn about the current situation of persons with mental disabilities in Japan.

In the morning, participants received lecture about basic knowledge of persons with mental disabilities by Director of Community Living Support Center ‘Asayake’.

Since some of the participants never had an opportunity to learn about mental disabilities, participants asked a dozen of questions to the Director.

In the afternoon, mayor of Kodaira City arrived at Kodaira Genkimura to give a welcome speech to the participants. Participant from Jamaica returned thank-you speech on behalf of the other members.

Thereafter, two members of Clubhouse Habataki related their personal experiences after developing their illnesses to the participants. They explained the symptoms brought on by illnesses, lives in the mental hospital, and society and family's attitudes towards persons with mental disabilities. They lastly emphasized how they could be calm down and get settled after becoming members of Clubhouse Habataki.
One of the members concluded his speech with following word, “My dream is to make a happy family of my own in the future. Though I have a mental disability I will not be defeated by the illness and would like to get a full-time job.” Every one in the room was empowered by their stories.

At the end of the day, the participants and members of Habataki exchanged opinions and discussed the situation of persons with mental disabilities in each country.
It was a valuable opportunity to learn about mental disabilities through the lecture and interaction with Habataki members.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1104.html

Posted by jicafriends at 10:05 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : November 5, 2009: Movements by Persons with Disabilities

Participants heard lecture about the movements by persons with disabilities in Japan. Lecturers were the president and a young leader from Human Care Association, the first independent living center(CIL) in Japan.

At first, the young leader gave brief outline of the organization and its activities, such as Independent Living program and peer counseling. The organization invites trainees from Asian countries in order to develop IL program, peer counseling system and peer counselors in the developing countries.
Then, he let participants think what is the meaning of being independent, and he explained about the transition of its definition;
medical model to social model. There he emphasized that the most important concept of being independent is self-determination with responsibility.

Next, the president of Human Care Association gave lecture about the history of independent living centers, their movements to change society, and their community involvement activities. He brought the concept of CIL from the United States and started the movement in Japan about 25 years ago. At that time, most of the people told him that the concept would not fit with Japanese culture, but starting with opening the first IL center in Hachiouji city in 1986, CIL was gradually accepted by the local community, and finally achieved to establish CIL in every prefecture in Japan.
He explained the strategy of policy proposals to city, provincial, and national governments, how to request them to be successful.
There was lively Q&A session because each participants are facing with difficulties changing society in their countries, especially for participants who are working at government and NGO.

After that, participants visited the office and received briefing, then visited the apartment room of the person who is practicing the independent living regardless of severe disability, and received explanation about actual daily living from him.

It was really beneficial for participants to hear from the people who directly involved in the movement. Each words from the president were very strong and gave a big impact on participants.
It seemed participants found a great role model to be a good leader.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1105.html

Posted by jicafriends at 06:46 PM | Comments (0)

December 17, 2009

Training Report : October 30, 2009: Workshop: Human Rights and Advocacy

Today was the second day of two-day workshops.
And of course it began with the song “Kono Machiga Sukisa (I like this town).”
All participants already remember the song and sang it all together.

In the morning nine participants had opportunities to think about “medical model and social model,” “what is disability,” and “who are persons with disabilities.”

We are human beings!
Therefore, we have human rights!!
Facilitators' strong massages reached nine participants. And experiences, opinions, and comments were actively exchanged among participants.
In the afternoon, all participants together with three facilitators went to Hibiya Park, which is located in front of Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, to observe the “October 30 Forum. ” More than 20,000 people from all over Japan gathered to call for the abolition of the Law for supporting independence of persons with disabilities.

Nine participants were impressed by not only the number of persons with disabilities but also the fervor of audiences. Persons with severe disabilities took part in the forum and raised their voices.
Yes, “nothing about us without us!”
After returning to JICA Tokyo they did feed back and overview of two-day workshops and closed the workshop with the theme song.

[Japanese]

Kono machiga sukisa
Kimiga irukara
Kono machiga sukisa
Kimino hohoemi arukara

[English]

You know I love this town
Because (name) is here
You know I love this town
‘Cause (name)’s smile is here

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1030.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:22 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : October 29, 2009: Workshop: Human Rights and Advocacy

This workshop was originally developed by a group under the leadership of Nancy Fitzsimons-Cova, Assistant Professor, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, in the United States. Protection & Advocacy Japan (PAJ) introduced this program to Japan. And the Human Rights Committee of the Japan Council on Independent Living Centers modified it for persons with disabilities under the supervision of PAJ.

Members of the Human Rights Committee modified it again for JICA Leadership Development Program of Persons with Disabilities. And it has been included in the training program since 2007.

Today was the first day of two-day workshops, nine participants learned “What is Abuse, ” “Why is it difficult to stand against abuse,” and “Empower the diminished mind. In this way, you can stand against abuse.”

We often use the words, “Human Rights” and “Advocacy.” However we sometimes do not notice when we are abused, neglected or discriminated. So Three facilitators explained those situations by using role-plays.

“Human Rights and Advocacy” workshop began with a song “Kono Machiga Sukisa (I like this town)” and it is often used as a theme song for this workshop.

All participants love this song. Especially they love to sing it in Japanese!

[Japanese]

Kono machiga sukisa
Kimiga irukara
Kono machiga sukisa
Kimino hohoemi arukara

[English]

You know I love this town
Because (name) is here
You know I love this town
‘Cause (name)’s smile is here

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1029.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:18 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2009

Training Report : November 2, 2009: Participatory Workshop: Leadership Skills Ⅲ

Today was the last day of three-day participatory workshop.
In the morning session, one of participants volunteered as a facilitator.
She let rest of participants divide by 3 groups and present role-playing about disability issues. Each group chose very interesting topic and participants gave useful feedbacks.

In the afternoon session, participants talked about what they have learned in the whole workshops. Many of them said that they have deeply influenced by the lecturer as leaders and have been fascinated with his personality through the workshop.

Although the lecturer never showed direct answers to participants, each of them found their own ideas to be a good leader. The lecture's unique methodology is not easy to imitate, but his essence will spread in many countries and live forever!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1102.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:20 PM | Comments (0)

December 15, 2009

Training Report : October 28, 2009: Participatory Workshop: Leadership Skills Ⅱ

As the second day of three-day participatory workshops, participants learned important principles/concepts as a facilitator.
To deepen its understanding, participants presented role-playing in pairs, then gave feedback each other.

Participants sincerely enjoyed the visual materials prepared by the lecturer, and some of them was very impressed saying “his method is effective and applicable in my country!”

Since good relationship with the lecturer has already been created from the previous session, participants were easy to get involved into the workshop, and this attitude helped enhancing their awareness.

Everyone seemed they can not wait for joining the next workshop!
The last part of the workshop will be on 2nd November.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1028.html

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December 07, 2009

Training Report : October 26, 2009: Workshop: How to Write Project Plan

At the end of the training course, each participant is required to submit
Project Plan by applying what they learned in Japan.
Some of the participants already had experience of writing projects plans
and also obtaining funds, however it was the first time for most of the
participants to set up projects and draw up plans.

Three days workshops is programmed on project plan writing and presentation
skill during the training program. Consultant for Nonprofit NGO Project and
Organizational Development is a nonprofit NGO consultant with background in
the human rights issues in Asia and she gives these workshops.
She explained the following 12 items to be covered in Project Plan required
by JICA.

1. Name, organization and country

2. Title of your plan / proposal

3. Background: local issues, needs statement and preconditions
4. Overall Goals
5. Concrete Objectives
6. Beneficiaries
7. Impact on beneficiaries
8. Project implementation plan: step by step outline & description,
including schedule and timeline
9. Monitoring and evaluation
10. Possible obstacles to Project plan implementation
11. Budget needed, how to raise funds
12. Impact of this training: how this training contributes to your Project
Plan

She showed the participants how to write by using former participants' good
practices, such as "Bakery in Bhutan."
http://www.jicafriends.jp/projects/asiaandpacific/bhutan/001jigme/002.html
The participants brought their computers to the classroom and they started
drafting their project in the class. It was an intensive whole-day. workshop
but the participants could improve their writing skills.
The second workshop is programmed for December 20 and the participants are
asked to bring their draft project paper in word and also to prepare their
presentation materials.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1026.html

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Training Report : October 24, 2009: Presentation: Personal / Organizational Report

The personal/organizational report presentation was held from 10 am to 5 pm at JICA Tokyo today.
Nine participants made presentations on their personal history and organization which they belong to.

Since it was open to the public, more than thirty audiences, including committee members, JICA officers, Duskin trainees, some lecturers of this course, and officers from non govermental organizations in the field of disability and development issues, took part in the presentation.
Japanese/English interpreters as well as Japanese sign language interpreters were prepared to secure equal information.

Today the participants as well as Japanese personnel could learn about the current situation of persons with disabilities in each coutry and deepen understanding of each other. Furthermore, participants could build a bond through today's presentation.

Personal/Organization Report 2009

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1024.html

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Training Report : October 21, 2009: Participatory Workshop: Leadership Skills 1

Today nine participants had the first part of participatory workshops about
leadership skills.
The facilitator, conducted the workshop by thinking together through the
dialogue with all participants.
In the workshop the participants discussed about the meaning of
ability/disability and what factor makes one a person with disability.

Every participants already had their different opinions about disability,
but due to lecturer's facilitation using pictures and
parables, there was lively discussion and many of the participants came up
with new ideas.

Everyone seemed enjoying the workshop very much and good atmosphere was
created as an introductory part.

The second part of the workshop will be on 28th October.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1021.html

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December 01, 2009

Training Report : October 27, 2009: Visit: Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Centers for the Disabled

In the morning, the lecturer, Deputy-Director, Sports Support Division explained about the outline and main activities of the center.

Lecture Material : Persons with disabilities and Sports Speculations from the Management of Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Centers for the Disabled

Thereafter, participants observed facilities of the center such as Training Room, Swimming pool, Playground, Tennis Courts, Sports Ground.

They also observed various sports for persons with disabilities and its devices.

Participants met some sports such as Boccia, Target Bird Golf, Javelic Throw for the first time.

Those facilities and devices were specially designed to adjust to the characteristics of various types of disabilities, making easy-to-use for them.

In addition, there was at least one staff presented at each facility, so that people could enjoy sports even if people visit the center alone or they did not have any experiences of those sports before.

In the afternoon, participants had experienced more than three or four sports based on each interest.

They enjoyed wheelchair tennis, sound table tennis, table tennis, target bird golf, gym, and race wheelchair.

That was so much fun!

After having experiences of sports, lecturer told the story of a member.

There was a person came to the center with the purpose of rehabilitation at the beginning. Through rehabilitation at the center, he recovered his confidence and he was encouraged to return to his place of work. After he returned to work, he kept a dedication to the promotion of sports for persons with disabilities.

Sport has a power, not only for enjoyment or rehabilitation but also for empowerment and social participation of persons with disabilities.

Lecturer demonstrated to make some devices by utilizing simple materials that were also available in participants' home.

He showed how to make Flying Disc by using old newspapers.

He also made a basketball that makes sound, by wrapping it around with a plastic bag. He said that it was also difficult for the center to purchase expensive equipments and devices. For this reason, we can substitute available resources with originality and ingenuity.

He hoped that participants could get at least one idea that they could bring back to their own countries from today's experience.

Participants could gain confidence to apply some ideas after returning home.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1027.html

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November 19, 2009

Training Report : October 23, 2009: Lecture: Welfare Service and Systems for Persons with Disabilities Ⅱ - from the perspectives of persons with disabilities

Since the Japanese government has changed and The Democratic Party of Japan took power today's lecturers became very busy for abolishing the Law for Supporting Independece of Persons with Disabilities and creating a new comprehensive law for persons with disabilities based on the concept of CRPD.

In the morning Secretary General of Japan National Assembly of Disabled Peoples' International (DPI-Japan) started his lecture by introducing the outline of DPI and then sharing his own childhood experiences in an institution with the participants.

Lecture material : Policies for Persons with Disabilities in Japan from the Viewpoint of a Person with a Disability

In the afternoon staff of DPI first lectured on the movements of persons with disabilities by showing the video about the transportation barrier-free movement in the 1980's. Then He explained about the shift from medical model to social model, the development of the independent living movement and postwar policies for persons with disabilities, the International Year of Disabled Persons and dissemination of the idea of normalization. It was only from the late 1990's to early 2000's when the support for the community life or independent living in the actual systems and services started.

Through their lectures, the participants could learn that the current welfare services and systems were not available for persons with disabilities from the beginning. But the movements and involvement of persons with disabilities over the last 50 years had played important roles in their development.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1023.html

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November 04, 2009

Training Report : October 20, 2009 : AM: Accessibility Check in Tokyo Metropolitan City PM: Lecture: “Aiming at realization of a barrier-free society”

In this morning, the participants were divided into 3 groups for accessibility check of public transportation and building in Tokyo Metropolitan City.

They were heading for 3 different famous sites in Tokyo.

Group 1: Ferris wheel “Big O”
Participants from, Namibia, Jamaica and Saint Lucia

Group 2: Roppoongi - Tokyo Midtown
Participants from Laos, Pakistan, and Fiji

Group 3: Hachiko (Hollywood movie titled “Hachi” was modeled after this dog)
Participants from Sri Lanka, Philippines and Kazakhstan

On the way to the destinations, participants checked and experienced various barrier-free facilities provided for persons with disabilities.

There are Braille block tiled on the platform or on the street.

Platform gate which prevent persons fall down from platform.

Those facilities are very helpful for persons with visual impairments when they walk outside alone.

There are also services and facilities available for persons who use wheelchairs.

Train staff prepared a portable ramp to assist wheelchair users to get on and off a train.

Participants from Sri Lanka, Philippines and Kazakhstan had an opportunity to ride on a non-step bus.

Some participants had the impression that people are able to go anywhere by themselves in Japan.

In the afternoon, Board member, Japan National Assembly of Disabled People's International (DPI-Japan), gave lecture on “boarding rejection” of flat-type wheelchair user with severe disability to introduce about the reality of what is occurring in Japan.

From lecturer's own experiences, he said that he did not feel sadness when he could not get on a bus which was not wheelchair-accessible.

However, he was very chagrined when he could not get on a bus which was wheelchair-accessible.

He raised a question, “How do you feel if you are not allowed to use facilities which are accessible and barrier-free”. “What is to say, the right to get around using public transport is violated by the arbitrary policies of bus companies.”

The lecturer advised that the important point to promote barrier-free society was, to reflect opinions of persons with disabilities themselves in the process of making laws and policies.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1020.html

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October 31, 2009

Training Report : Oct. 22, 2009 Peer Counseling and Peer Support

On the day of October 22, the participants learned a new method of counseling. It was “Peer Counseling for people with disability.”

Peer counseling is to empower each other (peer) by listening to each other, releasing emotions, sharing the same amount of time without giving advice or denial. And it is important that you don't reveal any story you heard during counseling.

Peer counseling assumes that we all have the following philosophy: all human beings have creativity, wisdom, love, joy, and solidarity in abundance. This philosophy, an intrinsic part of all human beings, is easy to upset; therefore, in order to protect ourselves, we prepare defensive mechanism like fear and insecurity. As long as we are unable to discuss these hurt feelings and be comforted, we make decisions and take action based on our hurt feelings and sorrow rather than on clear, logical thought.

As long as these hurt feelings are not resolved by talking with someone else, the person's actions are filled with anguish and clear, rational thinking does not take place.

The participants seemed to be perplexed in the beginning because it was entirely the new method for all of them. But as the program was preceded, they became to be curious to know about it.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1022.html

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October 27, 2009

Training Report : October 19, 2009 PM : Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan

After lunch nine participants left JICA Tokyo to receive the first lecture at the Ministry of Labor, Health and Welfare.

On the way to the ministry they passed by Imperial Palace, Supreme Court, National Police Agency, and National Theatre of Japan.

The ministry is located in Kasumigaseki, where you can find most of Japan's cabinet ministry headquaters.

The lecture was about the Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan, given by Special Advisor, in the field of welfare for persons with disabilities. He gave a comprehensive explanation on the topic, including historical development of welfare services for persons with disabilities, definition of disabilities, certificate of persons with disabilities, measures for persons with disabilities, assistive devices, income security, measures related education and employment. Thus participants could gain an overall understanding of the welfare services for persons with disabilities in Japan.

Before going back to JICA Tokyo, nine participants had an opportunity to take a picture in front of the National Diet of Japan.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1019pm.html

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Training Report : October 19, 2009 : Program Orientation

Program Orientation was followed after the opening ceremony.

Most of the core members of Leadership Development Course, such as nine participants, course leader and three planning committee members of the program and JICA officers, JICE coordinators, and JSRPD staff gathered at seminar room 18.

Chairperson of Planning Committee gave a power point presentation on the overview of the course.

Lecture Material :
Welcome to the training course in Leadership Development of Persons with Disabilities

Also the resource book and some additional information were provided. All the people who were present there introduced themselves including some personal information and we got to know each other a little bit more.

All of us are looking forward to collaborating together and learning a lot from each other during the coming 7 weeks.

We could get off to a good start!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l101902.html

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October 21, 2009

Training Report: October 19, 2009 Opening Ceremony

Opening ceremony for Leadership Development Course 2009 was held at JICA Tokyo on 19th of October.

Welcome Speeches were addressed by Director of Human Development Division, Tokyo International Center, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and then by Secretary General, Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD).

After the ceremony the participants took pictures in front of the national flags.
Their training will be reported on this web page.

Posted by jicafriends at 07:00 PM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2009

Nine participants of Leadership Development Course 2009

Dear jicafriends,

We are very happy to inform you all that nine participants from Philippines, Lao PDR, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka, Fiji, Saint Lucia, Namibia, and Pakistan arrived in Japan safely and they are now ready to take the training program, which is going to start from October 19, Monday.
http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/schedule.html

We will report their training to you on this website.
Your comments will be most welcome!

The secretariat of jicafriends

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October 15, 2009

Special training before JICA Leadership Development Course 2009

Special training of assistance for persons with disabilities was conducted on 9th October organized by JICA Tokyo international center.

Ms. Yoko Sadaie Program officer of Human Development Division, JICA Tokyo, and Ms. Masako Okuhira, Manager of International training section of JSRPD, were invited as lecturers.

The training aimed to provide basic knowledge of assistance for persons with visual impairments and persons who use wheelchairs to people who worked for JICA TOKYO, in order to enhance support of training participants with disabilities. 15 persons participated in the training, practiced how to push wheelchairs at difference in level on street, and how to guide persons with visual impairments at stairs or on the Braille blocks.

That was the first of its kind of experience for most of participants.

At the beginning, participants tried very gingerly, however, they grasped the techniques gradually by hands-on experience.

Ms. Sadaie and Ms. Okuhira both emphasized that the most important point of assistance was, to ASK needs of persons who will be assisted.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2009/training/l1009.html

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October 07, 2009

Training Report : July 13, 2009 Visit: JHC Itabashi, Employment of Persons with Mental Disabilities

Five participants visited a non profit organization “Joint House Cosmos, Itabashi,” which was established in 1983 to support independent living and social participation of persons with mental disabilities. One of the planning committee members acts as Board Vice Chairperson of the organization. They have been conducting their activity to provide facilities as the base (House) where any one as a resident exchanges (Joint) with harmony (Cosmos).

At first JICA participants visited the Clubhouse Sun Marina. Board Chairperson of JHC lectured on the outline of the organization, and Chief of welfare department of Itabashi Ward explained the welfare policies, services, and activities for persons with mental disabilities.

The members of Sun Marina cook their lunch everyday for themselves. When they plan the lunch menu they pay attention to the nutritional balance and display the foods.

Members specially cooked lunch for JICA participants and they enjoyed eating together.

In the afternoon, participants visited two sheltered workshops, “Akatsuka(means name of the place)” and “Cosmos (means name of flower as well as harmony)”.

At Akatsuka the members produce and sell pastries such as cakes, jellies and cookies and they also operate tea room. At Cosmos the members not only operate restaurant but they deliver lunch boxes to the elderly people living in the neighborhood. They can learn vocational skills, at the same time they get opportunities to interact with people in the community through those activities.

The member who has been belonging to Cosmos for 14 years said keeping good relationship with other members is a key for him to work comfortably. The other member said that he could keep regular habits and he became healthier, since he started to come to Sun Marina everyday.

Participants were impressed and understood the characteristics of JHC and importance of networking with community people.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0713.html

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Training Report : July 10, 2009 Cocoron (Local visit: day 6)

Early in the morning five participants visited Cocoroya to observe how farm producers deliver their products or processed foods. They deliver, put the price, and set out their products on the wooden shelves. They all know what to do without any assistants. The revenue from selling is increasing and Cccoroya is existing as part of a commonplace for community.

Then participants visited the farmhouse. Two members of Cocoron are gaining OJT at the farm. When participants arrived they were picking eggplants. Owner of the farmhouse invited JICA participants to his house and they could ask questions and exchanged opinions with him.

Then they visited a hospital where Cocoron member is employed. He first gained OJT with support of job coach and the hospital just recently decided to employ him. JICA participants had an opportunity to meet director general and head nurse who are in charge of him.

Before going back to Cocoron they went to Sake breweries “Ooki Daikichi”. They are a great supporter of Cocoron and they participate together to the three-year project on “Revitalization of the Village Mountains” as part of the community building activity. In this project three parties were involved such as Horticulture center in Shirakawa city, Sake breweries “Ooki Daikichi” and Cocoron. The activities are rice-planting, weeding in a rice field and harvesting. People with disability have participated in this project with persons without disabilities. In Japan the increased abandonment of rice field is becoming serious issue. But with a good plan and activity such problems could be solved.
Ooki Daikichi also employs four persons with disabilities at their sake breweries and they distribute their merchandise to Cocoron. Participants were invited to the owner's house, which is a traditional Japanese architecture. They enjoyed having lunch and nice conversation with the owner.

JICA participants had a feedback session at Cocoron. Participants got many good ideas which they can apply to their countries. Especially they could learn the spirits of Cocoron and they were very much encouraged to work for persons with mental disabilities in respective countries.

Five participants left Shin-Shirakawa with innumerable beautiful memories of Fukushima Prefecture.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0710.html

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October 06, 2009

Training Report : July 9, 2009 Cocoron (Local visit: day 5)

In the morning five participants visited Prefectual Kennan (Southern part) Health and Welfare Office to learn about the welfare and health services provided by the Prefectual government.

Then they moved to “Nagomi-no-ie (House of Comfort),” a Community Activity Support Center. 20 members welcomed five participants with big smiles. They engaged in subcontract job, Yamato home-delivery service, food processing work. It is located in front of Prefectual Kennan Health and Welfare Office. Five participants became very interested in the setting of this support center, which is quite applicable in their countries.

Before lunch they stopped by “Challenge shop Nikoniko-ya (smile a sweet smile),” where fresh vegetable, products and food items from neighboring shops including Cocoro-ya and Nagomi-no-ie are sold. Cocoron sent staff there to support selling items. People living in the neighborhood come not only for buying things but also for chitchatting. Participants nibbled here and there and became so hungry and they rushed to “Cocoro-ya” for lunch.

Healthy lunch boxes were prepared for participants. While eating, Managing Director of Cocoron explained why and how she overcame difficulties and started Cocoroya in Izumizaki village. After establishing Cocoron, the next step was to build a sheltered workshop, but condition is hard and no fund. Izumizaki village has a population of 6,700. Its main industry is agriculture. Cocoron thinks about anything connected to agriculture. Cocoron opened the Cafe and Shop ccalled Cocoroya to sell products what farmers produce. Lunch and sweets with products sold are served. Cocoroya became popular as it was introduced in a newspaper and TV. Cocoroya also goes selling by a car at a housing complex. The revenue from selling is increasing. Cccoroya is existing as part of a commonplace for community.

After lunch they went to Cocoron to take Japanese calligraphy lesson together with the members of Cocoron. Cocoron organizes the Japanese calligraphy lesson in order to learn how to concentrate or how to settle down. A writing master comes to Cocoron once a month as a volunteer. Participants from China and Malaysia know how to write Chinese character but it was a first experience for others. They all enjoyed and could create friendship between members and participants.

After the feedback session, they observed a group home as the last program of the day. It was newly built for members to promote their self-independence. It takes only two minutes from Cocoron, so members can go and back from Cocoron whenever they want to. They have an individual room to keep their privacy; however they eat breakfast and dinner together.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0709.html

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September 18, 2009

Training Report : July 8, 2009 PM : Cocoron (Local visit: day 4)

After lunch five participants moved to Izumizaki village where Cocoron, a living support center for persons with mental disability is located.

Director of Cocoron explained about the facilities and activities as follows;

Cocoron was established in Izumizaki village in Fukushima Prefecture in March in 2004 as the center to support living of persons with mental disability in the community. At that time there were very few facilities which are unable to cover the area of population with 150,000 in the southern part of Fukushima Prefecture. The name “Cocoron” was selected from the public. Two years prior to the establishment of Cocoron NPO was set up with people from different field including a medical doctor of mental illness for the preparation of the formation of the center to support people with mental disability who return to the society. It started from counseling service for persons with mental disability and their family members who have had difficulty in the community. People with mental disability need a place to get counseling service anytime, and people’s understanding. Then they may feel release and security. Based on such needs, Cocoron aims to support the community as a whole so that people with and without disability can live with security. With the support of Fukushima Prefecture Cocoron organized the workshop on community building and networking, inviting a resource person outside of the village.

After that five participants were invited to present their job reports to the members of Cocoron. Many questions and comments were given to them and the members could learn about the employment situations of persons with disabilities in participants' countries.

At night a welcome party was held at Cocoron and more than 60 people including Mayor and workers of Izumizaki village and supporters in the community came to see and talk to JICA participants. A lot of foods and drinks were prepared by supporters and laid out on the table. Participants could have a lively conversation with community people. It was a wonderful and memorable night!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0708pm.html

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Training Report : July 8, 2009 : Samegawa Tampopo-no-ie (Local visit: day 4)

In the morning five participants went to “Madeiniya,” Udon noodle shop, which is managed by Tampopo-no-ie and located in the corner of the big shopping mall ground. Users of Tampopo-no-ie work there as serving staff.

At first Director asked them their impression of Tampopo-no-ie. Most of the participants gave her positive feedbacks. In Tokyo they had opportunities to learn the measures and policies for employment promotion of persons with disabilities and they also had chances to visit facilities for vocational rehabilitation and companies where persons with disabilities were employed, however it seemed hard for them to adapt the systems and methods to their work places in home countries.

On the contrary the lectures and observations at Tampopo-no-ie were very meaningful and useful to them. Since it is located in the remote area surrounded by the mountains and there aren't any big companies where persons with disabilities are able to work, the environment is quite similar to the ones in their home countries. They had confidence in creating the work places for persons with disabilities if they could make tireless efforts. JICA participants could get many keys to success from the Tampopo-no-ie activities.

Before leaving five participants enjoyed Madeiniya noodles and understood why Tampopo-no-ie can sell noodles very well. Because Very oishii!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0708.html

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September 15, 2009

Training Report : July 7, 2009 : Samegawa Tampopo-no-ie (Local visit 3)

Today five participants left the hotel early in the morning to observe an actual work site of the users of Tampopo-no-ie, the small workshop for making Udon noodles. Before the observation they were requested to put white uniforms, caps and masks on for hygiene control. Users were so skillful that it's difficult for participants to distinguish the users from the staff. They learned that persons with intellectual disabilities could be workforce when the working environment was properly arranged.

Before lunch participants visited Samegawa Village Office to make a courtesy call on Village Mayor. Deputy Mayor and Chief of Welfare Section also attended the meeting.

Outline of the village as well as five-year welfare plan were explained by Deputy Mayor. Participants asked many questions about welfare system and services for persons with disabilities in Samegawa Village.

According to Deputy Mayor Samegawa village has population of 4,218 and among those there are 216 persons with physical disabilities, 11 with mental disabilities, and 53 with intellectual disabilities. Most of persons with intellectual disabilities are users of Tampopo-no-ie, and Mayor of the village showed his appreciation to Director of Tampopo-no-ie.

After lunch participants joined the field work, digging potatoes with users. Tampopo has just finished ingathering pumpkins for producing Shochu, distilled spirits. Everyone enjoyed working outside and satisfied their harvests. Two participants from Nepal experienced indoor-work, making paper carrier-bag together with users.

All JICA participants were impressed by the users' productivity and accuracy.

On the way back to the hotel they stopped over at the hydroponically-cultivated tomato farm. Then there they found out wheelchair users can work in the farm.

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0707.html

Posted by jicafriends at 10:23 PM | Comments (0)

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

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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 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

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July 30, 2009

Training Report : July 1 2009 AM : Visit to Swan Bakery

In the morning five participants visited “Swan Bakery Akasaka shop,” with one of the committee member, a professor of Kanagawa Institute of Technology. The President lectured how Swan Bakery was established.

Swan Bakery is corporation that the late Mr. Masao Ogura, founder of the Kuroneko-Yamato Home Delivery Service, established in cooperation with the Yamato Welfare Foundation and the Yamato Transport Co., Ltd.

The number of persons with disabilities in Japan is estimated to account for about 5% of the population, or approximately 6 million people. The majority of them are working in more than 6,000 joint community workshops and small scale sheltered workshops scattered throughout Japan. However, their wages are as low as less than 10,000 yen monthly and under this situation they are far from becoming independent.

The late Mr. Ogura was amazed to know the fact and started to think how it is possible to pay more than 100,000 yen in monthly salaries. Then he got the idea of establishing shops selling “delicious bread fresh from the oven.”

Mr. Ogura gained the understanding and cooperation of Mr. Seiichi Takaki, President of the Takaki Bakery Co., Ltd., which has developed a nationwide network of famous bakery chains “Andersen” and “Little Mermaid”. After finding that it is possible for persons with disabilities to bake bread from the frozen bread dough that Takaki Bakery developed, Mr. Ogura immediately put this into practice. In June 1998, a shop in Ginza, downtown Tokyo, opened as the Swan Bakery's first shop. It was the late Mr. Ogura who named “Swan Bakery”. He took his clue from the work of Hans Andersen, the Danish writer of storybooks, who told the story of what seemed an ugly duckling was in fact a “swan.”

Presently, Swan Bakery shops are scattered across the nation and now there are over 20 outlets employing more than 200 people with disabilities. They have become economically independent and achieved participation in the society through their jobs.

The participants could learn lots of keys to success of business from the President today. Then the participants visited the bakery shop to observe how people with disabilities work. The participants could not distinguish employees with disabilities and without disabilities.

Everyday more than two hundred office workers come to Akasaka Shop to buy breads or to eat lunch during lunch time. The participants of JICA training course, of course tried the popular breads!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0701.html

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July 26, 2009

Training Report : June 30, 2009 AM: Visit to Isetan Soleil

Five participants learned the special subsidiary system on June 26 and today they visited Isetan Soleil, Co., Ltd., a special subsidiary of Isetan Co., Ltd. which runs one of the most famous department stores in Japan, Isetan.

When they arrived at the company at 9:45 am, twenty eight employees with disabilities were asked to get together for the morning assembly. They first watched a video to get the latest information of Isetan Department Store. Participants saw each employee sat down and tried not to miss even a single word from the video. President then asked them several questions related to the contents of the video. They looked up and answered his questions imposingly.

After the assembly they cleaned up their workplace to start work.

Not only them but also all employees were very much concentrating on their own tasks and their works were perfectly done.

Since they are employed by Isetan Soleil, Co., Ltd, the minimum wages are secured.

There are more than 80 kinds of works done at Isetan Soleil, President explained. They are supplementary tasks which used to be done by sales staff at a shop in Isetan Department Store such as folding wrapping papers, making gift bags, sorting credit card sales slips etc.

The participants could also observe various devices created by Isetan and used by employees with disabilities. For example, a paper mould which has a cut in a shape of a gift sticker indicates where the sticker should be pasted and thus anyone can paste a sticker on a gift bag easily and accurately. The participants tried some tasks which looked easy, but they felt to do it accurately and repeatedly was not as easy as it looked.

Participants could meet two job coaches, one from the sheltered workshop and the other from Employment Support Center. They visited Isetan Soleil to see how their former users were working. Actually they already got used to all the works.

After the observation of workplace, President of Isetan Soleil showed them a video of a program broadcasted by a big TV company which took up the employment promotion of persons with disabilities at Isetan Soleil.

The participants could learn that if the environment is appropriately arranged and the appropriate jobs are provided, persons with intellectual or mental disabilities can also work.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0630.html

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July 22, 2009

Training Report : June 24 & 25 AM, 2009 : Participatory Workshop: Facilitator Skills

Today five participants had the first day of four-day participatory workshop.

As most of jicafriends know, the facilitator for this training program is very popular among former participants. Once you participate in this workshop, you will be fascinated by him.

In this workshop everybody in the lecture room has to participate and each participant is encouraged to give his/her opinion and comment.

It is not only to learn about how to “facilitate,” but also to learn communication and empowerment skills by using simple materials and exercises.

Participants chose their own topics and each participant is requested to facilitate a session in the latter part of the participatory workshop. Hopefully they can facilitate the topics by making use of the skills which they acquired today.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0624.html

Posted by jicafriends at 08:04 PM | Comments (0)

July 21, 2009

Training Report : Lecture on Current Situation of Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Japan

Although five participants prayed for their course leader, they could still not hear his voice.

However the participants were very pleased that he could come to JICA Tokyo to lecture on the current situation of employment of persons with disabilities in Japan. His presence is the most important!

He started the lecture on why realization of “Decent Work” is essential to persons with disabilities and explained the difference between open employment and welfare employment. Becoming employees at the private companies means they can be secured the minimum wages, on the other hand people who work at the welfare facilities are not recognized as workforce, but they are service users and not secured the minimum wages.

They also learned the history of the quota schemes and its present issues and Necessity of collaboration and integration of welfare policies and labor policies for the promotion of employment of persons with disabilities.

All the participants could get the basic ideas regarding employment/work of persons with disabilities and could be ready for site visits next week.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0626pm.html

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July 17, 2009

Training Report : June 26, 2009 AM : How to Write Project Plan Ⅰ

Five participants are requested to write their own Project Plans by the end of the training course.

Two and half days workshops are programmed for them to acquire skills of how to write a project plan and how to make an effective presentation.

In the morning they had the first half-day lecture to grasp the basic idea of writing a REALISTIC AND CONCRETE plan including 12 topics, such as 1. Name, 2. Title of the plan, 3. Background, 4. Overall goals, 5. Concrete Objectives, 6. Beneficiaries, 7. Impact on beneficiaries, 8. Project Implementation Plan, 9. Monitoring and Evaluation, 10. Possible obstacles to project plan implementation, 11. Budget needed, how to raise funds, and 12. Impact of this training.

The lecturer suggested participants to plan something which they can implement upon return to their home country and use the ideas what they got from her workshop plus the other parts of the training.

Five participants also discussed the meaning of decent work, which is a key word for this training program.

By July 21, each participant has to prepare the first draft.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0626am.html

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July 02, 2009

Training Report : June 23: PM The Right to Decent Work of Persons with Disabilities

In developing countries, 80% to 90% of persons with disabilities of working age are umemployed. They are frequently not considered potential members of the workforce. Most of those who have jobs receive little or no monetary remuneration. Perception, fear, myth and prejudice continue to limit understanding and acceptance of disability in workplaces everywhere. Many countries do not have legislation to promote and protect the rights of workers with disabilities.

The primary goal of the International Labour Organization (ILO) today is to promote opportunities for man and women to obtain decent work and productive work, in conditions of freedom, equity, security, and human dignity.

http://www.ilo.org/global/About_the_ILO/Mainpillars/WhatisDecentWork/lang--en/index.htm

The lecturer, Professor of Hosei University, a former Vocational Rehabilitation advisor for Asia and Pacific region of ILO lectured on the rights to decent work of persons with disabilities. He explained major international conventions, recommendation, declaration etc. related to the employment of persons with disabilities including Article 27 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).

http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml

All the participants knew some of the conventions or recommendations, however it was their first time to know about international efforts to eliminate the discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment field. Today they understood that everyone, with or without disabilities, without any exception, has the right to work. Not just to work but decent work!

http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0623pm.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:07 PM | Comments (0)

July 01, 2009

Training Report : June 23, 2009 AM : Welfare Services for persons with disabilities -from perspective of persons with disabilities

Yesterday five participants received the lecture on the Japanese welfare services from a special advisor for the disability issues at the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

Today participants learned the welfare services from the users' viewpoint.

Lecturer is a special advisor for the INAX Corporation, who is a disability certificate holder and uses the welfare services regularly. She came to JICA Tokyo with her personal assistant by a taxi equipped with a lift.

She was born in Hokkaido. She contracted diseases when she was a senior high school student. Her life was completely changed but she never gave up her life.

“I had to live, in order to live, I needed to work,” she said.

So she tried to look for the place where she could learn design, and she found the interior design course at the National Vocational Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities and moved to Tokyo. She experienced uncountable difficulties, prejudices and discriminations, however she overcame one by one and as the result of her hard work, she could find an appropriate job at the private company through employment support services.

Her lecture helped five participants understand how Japanese persons with disabilities use their welfare services and live independently in the community. Although she succeeded in living independently. It is still not easy for persons with disabilities to access necessary information, unless they go out and look for it by themselves.

For the participants, the morning session was not only to know the Japanese welfare services, but also to aware of the meaning of “Decent Work” for persons with disabilities.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0623am.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:28 PM | Comments (0)

June 25, 2009

Training report : June 22, 2009 Afternoon : Lecture “Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan”

Five participants took a bus to the Ministry of Labour, Health and Welfare.

Before arriving they had a tour around the National Diet Building to get an idea of the government office quarter.

The first lecture was given by the special advisor of disability issues at the Ministry on the Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan.

He gave a comprehensive lecture on the topic, including administrative system of Japan, historical development of welfare services for persons with disabilities, definition and certificate of disabilities, number of persons with disabilities, income security, reform of health and welfare policies and measures for persons with disabilities, measures related education and so on.

He also explained them about the current topic, the law to support independence of persons with disabilities.

Although the time was limited five participants could gain an overall understanding of the welfare services for persons with disabilities in Japan.

When we arrived at the Ministry it was drizzling, but when we left, clear skies received them.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0622pm.html

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Training report : June 22, 2009 : Program Orientation

Welcome to Japan!

Five participants from the following four countries - China, Fiji, Malaysia, and Nepal - arrived at JICA Tokyo on June 16.

Today is the first day of the training program.
And five participants are ready for six-week training in Japan.

Course leader who was a facilitator of the program orientation this morning was very happy to welcome new jica friends.

However we had a big problem!

Our course leader lost his voice because of inflammation of the tonsils. No voice coming out from him!

He can use sign language, but participants don't understand the Japanese sign language!

He can whisper, but his voice cannot carry a long way.

So JSRPD staff repeated what he said, and other committee members, JICA officer, and JICE coordinator added necessary information to support him.

As a result we including participants united all our efforts and could have a wonderful program orientation.

We could get off to a good start!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2009/training/v0622.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:16 PM | Comments (1)

January 14, 2009

Training Report : December 5, 2008: Workshop: Review of Project Plan and Presentation Skill

Today is the second day with Ms. Sarajean Rossitto. The participants were requested to prepare for their presentation practice and also to bring their drafts of Project Plan.

In the morning, each participant gave a 10 minutes presentation of Project Plan in front of the other participants, and the audience were to ask questions regarding the Project Plan so that he/she could improve the contents of Project Plan as well as the presentation skills.

The afternoon session was about presentation skills. Ms. Rossitto explained how to make an effective presentation which is appealing to the audience or donors. Not only the contents of the presentation and time management are important but also the presentation delivery such as gesture, eye contact, positive attitude, voice etc. plays an important part in presentation.

While listening to the presentation practices in the morning, Ms. Rossitto reviewed the drafts of Project Plan and wrote down comments for each participant. Before finishing the workshop, Ms. Rossitto gave feedbacks to each participant so that they could improve their project plans.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1205.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:54 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : November 25-27, 2008: Individual Training

Three days individual training was programmed according to each participant's interests and what they are planning to carry out upon their returning to home countries.

Please refer to the following table to see their training schedule.

< Tokyo Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities >

Two participants from Sri Lanka and Philippines visited the Tokyo Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities on November 26, to learn about Japan's measures on employment of persons with disabilities. Mr. Shigeru Okano, director of the center, Ms. Chie Arisawa, vice-director, and Mr. Yuuki Kato, chief counselor attended the participants.

After Mr. Okano's explanation on the overview of the Center, Ms. Arisawa lectured on employment measures and vocational rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in Japan. Mr. Kato explained the center's programs in more details and then showed them around the center. Two participants also had an opportunity to practice some of vocational evaluation tools. They became so serious in challenging the tools, but Mr. Kato explained that not only the results are evaluated but the understanding of instructions and attitudes towards given tasks are also being observed. After the observation tour, the participants watched a video. The video showed examples of some worksites where persons with disabilities are working and also various supports at worksite including Job Coach arranged for persons with different disabilities to be able to work.

Although one day was a limited time, thanks to the center's kind cooperation, the participants could have its overview of employment measures and vocational rehabilitation of persons with disabilities in Japan.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1125.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:51 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : November 19, 2008: Regional Training (Day 3)

Yesterday the participants met the Mayor of City of Hiroshima, Mr. Akiba, and learned directly from him about the Hiroshima's national and international efforts for the nuclear weapon free world.

This morning, the participants had an opportunity to learn more details about Hiroshima City's devotion to the cause of peace from Mr. Nobuyuki Teshima, Director, Peace Promotion Division, International Peace Promotion Department, the City of Hiroshima.

Mr. Teshima firstly explained them about the A-Bomb and its damage, and the current status of nuclear weapons in the world. Then he talked about the main projects of the City of Hiroshima such as testimonies of the A-Bomb experience, Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, A-bomb exhibitions overseas, peace information over the Internet, and Hiroshima-Nagasaki Peace Study Courses. The participants also learned the Hiroshima City's effort to abolish nuclear weapons such as Mayors for Peace, 2020 Vision Campaign etc.
(http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/e/peace.html)

The two day's visit to Hiroshima gave strong impression to the participants and they will bring the “Spirit of Hiroshima” back to home country.

In the afternoon, the participants moved to the next destination of their regional training Wakayama Prefecture! On its way, they could experience Shinkansen (Bullet Train) from Hiroshima Station to Osaka Station.

When they arrived at the hotel, though it was already in the evening, Mr. Tanaka, Ms. Ito, Mr. Kato and Mr. Takeda from Mugino-sato were there to meet the participants. As the participants had already watched a film “A Peace of Your Home” where Mugino-sato was taken as a model, the participants got really excited to meet them.

Ms. Ito and Mr. Kato talked to the participants how Mugino-sato started from scratch.
Then they explained the characteristic of Mugino-sato. The participant could have fundamental information of the organization in prior to the coming up 4 days training at Mugino-sato and its related organizations. The participants asked many questions enthusiastically and also shared their comments on the film and their expectation for the coming up training at Mugino-sato with them.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1119.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:48 PM | Comments (0)

January 08, 2009

Training Report : December 9, 2008: Presentation of Project Plan

The presentation of Project Plan was held at JICA Tokyo today. The nine participants explained what they are planning to do upon their return to home country, what they learned from the training course in Japan, and which learning they applied in their project plan.

The presentations were made in the following order.

Please click the project title to read the whole text.

1. Participant from Turkey

Title: Underground Women

In Turkey, women with disability are kept inside the house by their families and do not participate in social sphere. They are even not aware of their own rights and do not discuss about the difficulties they face in their life. In order to improve this situation, this project aims to provide an opportunity to introduce human rights of persons with disabilities in order to help them discuss their problems and to encourage them participate in social activities. For this purpose, 10 human rights and advocacy workshops will be organized in 10 different cities of Turkey. The target group is women with different disabilities of age between 18 and 35 years old. At the end of this project, 250 women with disabilities from 10 different cities are expected to have a contact with each other, to have better understanding of their rights, and to exercise their rights. The period of project is 2 years and the total budget is estimated at US$22,500.

2. Participant from Malawi

Title: Disability For Ability Project (DIFAP)

In Malawi, persons with disabilities are despised as second class citizens and have been victims of different kinds of abuses. However these abuses have not been reported because the victims do not know about their rights or even if they have the knowledge they are not confident enough to go and report due to negative public attitudes. This project, in effort of tackling this problem, aims to alleviate abuse and discrimination of persons with disabilities through awareness raising and capacity building so that persons with disabilities fully enjoy their human rights and participate in social and economic and other spheres of life. To achieve this goal, human rights resource unit will be established to provide information on human rights to people with disabilities in order to raise their awareness of human rights issues. The five-day advocacy and human rights training will also be provided to 20 participants, mainly the members of FEDOMA (Federation of Disability Organizations in Malawi) who already have some experience in advocacy. In addition abuse prevention workshops will be organized and the graduates of these workshops will train other 25 people at a grassroots level which will bring more players in the fight against abuses. In this project it is also expected to create a good working relationship with the media, have meetings with the parliament committee and governmental officials, and to organize public lectures and rallies etc. It is a 2 years project from January 2009 to December 2010. The total budget is estimated at US$54,874.

3. Participant from Kazakhstan

Title: KNOWLEDGE for CHANGE - the counseling and education center

In Kazakhstan persons with disabilities tend to have low self-esteem and do not know how to exercise their rights. This project aims to create the human rights center. This center provides counseling to persons with disabilities, conducts trainings to teach basic rights, conducts seminars on disability understanding in order to increase the self-esteem of persons with disabilities and also to make people without disabilities to understand and accept people with disabilities, and conducts the open days and demonstrations in order to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. The target beneficiaries are people with different disabilities between 16 and 40 years old. The total duration of the project is 2 years from May 2009 to May 2011 excluding the preparation stage. The total budget is expected at US$41,232.

4. Participant from Costa Rika

Title: Vamos (Let's Go)

People with disabilities in Perez Zeledon, Costa Rica, are excluded from a society. They do not have access to cultural and sports activities and feel afraid to go out. To change this situation, this project will provide persons with disabilities opportunities to participate in different social activities such as sports, cultural events and other entertainment. In these events, persons with disabilities will also receive information about their rights and how to solve their problems. In order to carry out these activities, a group of volunteers will also be organized to assist persons with disabilities in their going out. At the end of the project, they are expected to be more confident so that they can visit public places and use the public transportation, and they can see themselves as members of the community just as persons without disabilities. The project period is 1 year from January to December 2009. The total budget is US$8,900.

5. Participant from Lao P.D.R.

Title: Braille Newsletter

LDPA (Lao Disabled People's Association) distributes more than 2,000 newsletters monthly to its members in 11 provinces of the country but currently the newsletters are issued only in a printed form. Therefore there have been requests for newsletters in Braille from the members with visual impairment. With this project, exactly the same contents of the newsletters will be transcribed into Braille and sent it out to all the members with visual impairments of age between 15 and 30 years old. It is expected that this project gives them a better access to information, gives an opportunity to learn about many things and a possibility to find jobs later on. It is also expected to change their life and also the society's negative attitude towards them. The project period is 2 years between January 2009 and December 2010. The total budget is estimated at US$ 22,400.

6. Participant from Uganda

Title: Enable Me Work to Live Independently Project 2009-2011 (01, 02)

This project aims to promote increased access to employment among persons with disabilities and it is a pilot project to be implemented in the 23 sub-counties of Masaka District for 2 years from 2009 to 2011. The targeted beneficiaries are the 300 adults with disabilities of age between 18 and 40 years old; 140 persons with physical disorders, 50 persons with hearing impairment, 50 persons with visual impairment, and 60 persons with intellectual disabilities. The project will (1) ensure observance of rights of persons with disabilities at the workplace, (2) eliminate discrimination against persons with disabilities in the recruitment and hiring process, and (3) to promote increased participation of persons with disabilities in lobbying and advocating for their employment rights and building their careers. The total budget is estimated at US$30,352.

7. Participant from Sri Lanka

Title: Nilaa Muttram (Court in Moonlight): Physical Education Promotion for the Children with Intellectual Disabilities

The goal of this project is to provide an opportunity for children with intellectual disabilities to participate in sports activities so that they can enhance their physical and mental capabilities as well as social participation. The project target is 41 children with intellectual disabilities in Puthuvazhupoonga (garden for new life) Training Centre for Children with Intellectual Disabilities and 30 children with intellectual disabilities in villages. This project will (1) provide sports and exercise equipments, (2) provide sports training to resource teachers, CBR voluntaries and children club members, (3) create more opportunities to participate in the sports activities for children with intellectual disabilities in Puthuvazhupoonga, and (4) secure access to the sports activities to children with intellectual disabilities in the villages. The duration of project is 6 months. The total budget is estimated at US$7,038.

8. Participant from Philippines

Title: Laundry Service

This plan aims to employ more persons with disability in order to generate employment for persons with disability to uplift their economic conditions. For this goal, a laundry shop will be set up and 15 wheelchair users of age between 20 and 55 years old will be employed. In addition, 4 persons without disabilities and 6 persons with intellectual disability will also be employed for the tasks that are difficult for the wheelchair users. The potential clients are hotels and hospital which outsource their laundries. The project period is 1 year. The total budget is estimated at US$ 780,000.

9. Participant from Jordan

Title: Al Nahada Human Rights Unit： YOU Have A Voice ‘Enndk Sowt’

In Jordan, persons with disabilities suffer from ‘invisibility,’ being viewed as ‘objects’ of protection, treatment and assistance rather than subjects of rights, and as a result, they are excluded from mainstream society. Disability movement at local and national level is considered weak, which has affected their participation in decision-making process in public policies and also the lobbying and advocacy activities concerning the rights of persons with disabilities. In addition insufficient attention has been paid to human rights issues for persons with disabilities even though they have been discriminated and excluded in daily life. In order to change this situation, this project aims to ensure the promotion and mainstreaming of human rights of persons with disabilities. The project consists of (1) establishing a library with a collection of books, documents, reports etc. related to human rights of persons with disabilities, (2) holding workshops in awarenessraising, lobbying, advocacy and capacity building, (3) teaching the members of Al Nahda Association for Persons with Disabilities how to be more effective advocates for human rights and social justice, and (4) encouraging persons with disabilities to exercise their human rights. The target beneficiaries are community in general and the assiciation members of age between 18 and 70 years old. The project period is between January 2009 and April 2010. The total budget is estimated at US$39,595.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1118.html

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Training Report : December 8, 2008 AM: UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 2006, two years ago by now. Many of the participants' countries have signed the treaty and some have already ratified it. But from the discussion and opinion exchange so far, it has been made clear that even ratified, the reality that persons with disabilities are facing each day has not changed and is still far from what the convention aims for.

This morning the participants had the last lecture of the training program in Japan and the topic was CRPD. The lecturer is Mr. Takanori Sai, who belongs to DPI-Japan and is in charge of CRPD. DPI-Japan serves as the secretariat of the committee on promoting the convention of Japan Disability Forum (JDF) and Mr. Sai has been involved in coordinating disability NGOs and the government including meetings and negotiation with the government etc.

Mr. Sai firstly explained why CRPD is necessary despite of many previous international laws concerning human rights and then the meaning of CRPD. He talked about paradigm shift in attitude and approaches towards persons with disabilities, changing from the view as “objects” of charity, medical treatment and social protection to the “subjects” with rights. The concepts of anti-discrimination and inclusion are at the base of the convention and it aims to ensure equality. He emphasized the participation of NGO and persons with disabilities in the process. Lastly he gave an explanation on the structure and main contents of CRPD.

Although some participants already had good knowledge about CRPD, today's lecture gave a clear and structural overview of CRPD. The participants asked questions including “why Japan has not ratified CRPD?” and “how can they make the convention into reality in their respective counties where disabled people's organizations and persons with disabilities movements are not as strong as in Japan?” Mr. Sai again put emphasis on the importance of movements and involvement of persons with disabilities, and encouraged the participants to use the convention as a tool and keep lobbying for the realization of CRPD. As the DPI's slogan says, “Nothing about us, without us!”

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1208am.html

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Training Report : November 18, 2008: Regional Training (Day 2)

AM: Visit to Peace Memorial Museum, Peace Memorial Park

In the morning the participants visited the Peace Memorial Museum located inside the Peace Memorial Park.
When they arrived, five Peace Volunteers were already waiting for them at the entrance.
They were wearing fluorescent yellowish green windbreakers which attracted people's attention.
Peace Volunteers belong to the museum and they show the visitors around the museum and the park and they also appeal to the visitors for the abolition of nuclear weapons and realization of the world peace.

The museum kindly made a special arrangement so that the participants with visual impairment could touch and feel objects such as bottles and nails melted by the strong heat of the atomic bomb. While going around the museum, the Peace Volunteers gave a keen explanation on the exhibitions and also answered the questions raised by the participants.
Thanks to Peace Volunteers, the participants could see what happened to Hiroshima 63 years ago.

After the lunch the participants walked around the Peace Memorial Park.

The cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims is inscribed with the words ”Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall not repeat the evil.“
The stone chest in the center holds the registry of the names of persons who died from the bombing, regardless of nationality.

The participants then saw a statue of a girl, Sadako Sasaki, who was exposed to the A-bomb at the age two, contracted leukemia ten years later and passed away.
( http://www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/kids/KPSH_E/hiroshima_e/sadako_e/sadako18_e.html)
Thousand cranes were folded by people all over the world with hearty prayers for the peace, and the participants were impressed with so many of them displayed around the statue of Sadako.

The famous A-Bomb Dome was registered as the UNESCO World Heritage in 1996.
The dome is a witness of the disaster of the first atomic bombing in history, and also a symbol of the vow to pursue the abolition of nuclear weapons and enduring peace.

It was a sunny autumn day and the participants enjoyed the walk around the park.
This is also a season for school study trips in Japan and so the park was very busy with many visitors. Several times the participants were asked by students to write peace messages.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1118.html

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December 25, 2008

Training Report : November 14, 2008: Workshop: How to Write Project Plan

At the end of the training course, each participant is required to write Project Plan by applying what they learned in Japan. During this training course, two days workshops is programmed on project plan writing and presentation skill. Ms. Sarajean Rossito is a nonprofit NGO consultant with background in the human rights issues in Asia and she gives these workshops.

Ms. Sarajean explained the items to be covered in Project Plan required by JICA with examples. Some of the participants already had experience of writing projects plans and also obtaining funds.
But with Ms. Sarajean, they could improve their project writing skills.

The resource parson was not only the lecturer in this workshop. The participants also have a rich experiences and valuable opinions, so they were asked to share their ideas with the group and also to work in a pair to discuss and exchange opinions with each other. In this way, they could get more ideas and develop their plans.

The participants brought their computers to the classroom and they started drafting their project in the class. It was an intensive whole-day workshop but the participants could improve their writing skills.
The second workshop is programmed for December 5 and the participants are asked to bring their draft project paper in word and also to prepare their presentation materials.

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December 11, 2008

Training Report : November 7, 2008: Lecture: Welfare Service and Systems for Persons with Disabilities Ⅱ

Today's lecturer was one of the leading figures in Japanese disability movement, Mr. Koji ONOUE, Secretary General of Japan National Assembly of Disabled Peoples' International (DPI-Japan).

Mr. Onoue started his lecture by sharing his own childhood experiences in an institution with the participants. At that time, the medical approach was prevailing. For example, he was identified by a number “55” and received experimental surgical operations many times regardless of his will which made his disability even severer.

Mr. Onoue then talked how the movements of persons with disabilities have been involved in development of the Japanese welfare measures and services. He explained about the shift from medical model to social model, the development of the independent living movement and postwar policies for persons with disabilities, the International Year of Disabled Persons and dissemination of the idea of normalization. It was only in the 1990’s when the support for the community life or independent living in the actual systems and services started.

From Mr. Onoue's lecture, the participants could learn that the current welfare services and systems which might look very nice to them were not available for persons with disabilities from the beginning. But the strong movements and involvement of persons with disabilities over the last 50 years had played important roles in their development.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1107.html

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Training Report : November 13, 2008: Watching a Film “A Piece of Your Home”

In this evening, the participants watched a film “A Pieace of Your Home” at JICA Tokyo. And it was for free! Not only this course's participants but other participants who are staying in JICA Tokyo were invited.

But what is the importance of this film ?

The nine participants are going to visit a facility which initially started for persons with mental disabilities next week during their regional training in Wakayama Prefecture. The facility is called Muginosato (Barley Village) and it is the model for this film.

“A Piece of Your Home” was filmed to celebrate 30th anniversary of Kyosaren (Japan Association of Community Workshops for Disabled Persons.) It depicts the often misunderstood attitudes that the Japanese people have toward mental health patients. By watching this film prior to their visit, they could learn how this organization started and what kind of frictions with the local community they had faced at initial stages. The film has successfully transformed a serious theme into an entertaining story with a strong message and the audience with different background could enjoy it very much.

Ms. Yoko Kawakubo, Assistant Secretary General of Kyosaren, and Mr. Hiroshi Ueno, Adviser on International Affairs of Kyosaren and chairperson of Planning Committee of this course, were kindly present in today’s event.
This film was already produced with the Spanish subtitle and shown in Costa Rica. So, the participant from Costa Rica had already seen this film before.
After watching the film, many audiences wished to show the film in their own countries or have a copy of the film to bring back home.

At the end of the tonight's show, some participants shared their comments:

• It was a quite personal film and it will take me long time to think about today's film. The father showed a negative image at first but he changed. That point shows the civil society's attitude for persons with disabilities.
• This film showed a negative side of the society's attitude. But persons with mental disabilities are a part of society. They should live in a society. People have a negative attitude in local area. Persons without disabilities have to know about disabilities. This film is a good way to work for local people.
• It was a very educational film. In my country, persons with mental disabilities are neglected for a long time, so now I got an idea to work for mental disabilities.

Now the participants are so expectantly looking forward to visiting the Muginosato, seeing how actually the organization has been developed based in the local community, and learning from their activities. We all thank to Kyosaren for giving this opportunity to watch the film tonight.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1113.html

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December 04, 2008

Training Report : November 17, 2008: Regional Training (Day 1) Barrier-free Tourism - Visit to Miyajima, World Cultural Heritage

This week the participants have a long-awaited one-week regional training in Hiroshima and Wakayama!

This morning they left JICA Tokyo at 8 am for the Haneda Domestic Airport and flew to the world famous City of Hiroshima.

After an enjoyable flight of one and a half hour, the participants arrived to the Hiroshima Airport and there a bus equipped with a lift was waiting for them. Then the participants moved to Miyajima, an island with a world cultural heritage “Itsukushima Shrine” and the participants observed the barrier-free tourism.

Some participants commented that their countries also have a lot of beautiful places and sightseeing spots, however, they are not made accessible so they have not been able to enjoy those places. Others mentioned that the cultural and social side of the life of people with disabilities were often neglected or seen as luxury, but it's related to the quality of life and it's their rights to enjoy social and cultural aspects of human life.

One of the participants also commented that he expected the Miyajima to have applied a modern technology to make it accessible, but what they've observed was rather low cost devices for example wodden slopes. Other participant also mentioned about the possible economic contribution that the barrier-free tourism could bring as barrier-free tourism can widen the range of customers and consumers. It could possibly create new employment opportunities for persons with disabilities.

In Hiroshima, the leaves were turning its colors from green to red, yellow and brown and the participants were blessed with a lovely autumn weather today. They fully enjoyed the beauty of Miyajima and it became an unforgettable memory.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1117.html

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Training Report : November 8, 2008: Visit to the homes of persons with disabilities

The participants have so far learned about Japanese welfare services for persons with disabilities through lectures. But what is the actual day-to-day life of persons with disabilities like?

Today the participants had a great opportunity to visit the homes of Japanese people with disabilities, and to learn and exchange opinions about their daily life in each country. They were divided into four groups and visited four families who live in suburban Tokyo.

The weather was rather cold with scattered light rain, but warm welcome by the host families awaited the participants. The participants and the host families talked about a lot of issues related to their life like job and education, including personal matters such as marriage and raising the children.

How quickly time passes! Everyone enjoyed spending time together and getting to know each other. We would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to all the host families.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1108.html

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December 01, 2008

Training Report : October 27, 2008 PM: Lecture: “Welfare Service and Measures for Persons with Disabilities I”

The first training program took place this afternoon.

Ms. Chihiro KAWAMURA, an associate professor of Department of Social Work at Saitama Prefectural University and a planning committee member of this training course, gave a lecture on the welfare service and measures for persons with disabilities in Japan.

Firstly she explained the major Japanese laws which developed between 1945 and 1960, such as Child Welfare Laws, and other laws concerning persons with physical, mental and intellectual disabilities respectively. She then described an overview of persons with disabilities in Japan by giving information such as the number of people with disabilities, categories of physical disabilities etc. Then the development of Japanese measures after the International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP) in 1981 was explained in the international context.

Ms. Kawamura proceeded to talk about the welfare services in more details focusing on education and employment spheres. The statistical information, historical development, and the current situation and challenges were explained. The participants raised a lot of questions comparing with the situations in their countries.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1027pm.html

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November 27, 2008

Training Report : November 5, 2008: Workshop: Human Rights and Advocacy

On the second day, in the morning, the participants were asked to make their own role plays and present them in front of other groups. They were divided into three groups and discussed what kind of cases to be taken in their role plays and what messages to be conveyed. Even though the group was randomly selected and they were asked to create the play suddenly, they came up with really good role plays. All the stories they made were based on their real experiences and the performance of the participants were clear and realistic. Some participants even felt bad, recalling the painful experiences they had in the past.

At the end of the workshop, the participants gave some comments reflecting on the last two days:

* I see many abuses in my workplace but no one take action against it.
I got courage from the workshop and I want to make a step forward to fight against abuses upon return to my country.

* My organization provides consultation services but I never knew about internal barrier that those who get abused develop. I'd like to hold this kind of workshop in my country.

* Never accept abuse as our destiny. As a human being, we have to fight against abuses.

The participants got encouraged and empowered to fight against abuses seen in the daily life and to promote human rights of persons with disabilities. They closed the workshop by singing “Kono Machiga Sukisa (I Like ThisTown).”

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1105.html

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Training Report : November 4, 2008: Workshop: Human Rights and Advocacy

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted in December 2006. But do we really understand what human right is? How is it related to our day to day life? Often trivial abuses or maltreatments which are even not recognized as abuses can develop into serious violation of human rights.

Ms. Kinue SUZUKI, Ms. Keiko HIGUCHI and Mr. Hajime IWAMOTO facilitated the “Human Rights and Advocacy” workshop. This workshop was first introduced to this course last year but this year it was made into a two-day workshop with some improvements in the contents.

We started the workshop by singing a song “Kono Machiga Sukisa (I Like This Town).” It's a simple lyric but the song somehow cheers us when we sing it. This year it was sung not only in Japanese but also in English, and the participants sang this song repeatedly throughout the workshop.

The workshop consists of five steps: (1) what is abuse? (2) why is it difficult to stand against abuse? (3) In this way, you can stand against abuse! (4) Have a try! Believe in your power. (5) Win back our rights! Each step was explained in more details. A lot of role plays were used as a straight-forward but effective method to convey messages during this workshop. The new scenarios which reflected the reality of the participants' countries were created especially for this year's workshop. In this way the participants can take the role plays back to their respective countries to reproduce this workshop right away. The participants were encouraged to share their experiences or the cases commonly seen in their countries.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1104.html

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November 20, 2008

Training Report : November 1, 2008: Visit: Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Center for the Disabled

It was a clear autumn day. The participants visited the Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Center for the Disabled. Mr. Ueno, chairperson of Planning Committee and Mr. Kanoya who is a regular user of this center accompanied us all day today.

In the morning, the overview of the sports center was explained to the participants by Mr. Muramatsu, Deputy-director of Sports Support Division. He has been working for the center more than 20 years since its establishment. Mr. Muramatsu then introduced them various sports devices with which persons with even severe disabilities can enjoy sports safely. Some of those devices are very expensive to buy, however Mr. Muramatsu said that it could be made by hands by utilizing local materials which has similar characteristics. For instance, you may be able to substitute balls with metal inside for the sound table tennis with round-shaped plants' seeds which make noise when you shake.

Then the participants went on a tour to observe all the facilities; gymnasium, swimming pool, table tennis and sound table tennis, sports field, tennis court etc. The center also has barrier-free accommodation for persons with disabilities and the participants got excited to see Japanese Style rooms with Tatami mattress.

In the afternoon, the participants could choose sports that they want to try ! They were divided into three groups and experienced sound-table-tennis, wheelchair tennis, and wheelchair badminton. At least one trainer was assigned to each facility and the participants could get instructions on the sports and enjoy it fully and safely despite all of them did not have previous experience.

Mr. Muramatsu concluded today's program by saying “The main aim of the center is to contribute to the realization of the principle of normalization through the promotion of sports and we have strived to promote the sports activities which persons with disabilities, persons without disabilities, and local residents are able to enjoy together.” The participants could deepen their understanding of the positive influence that the sports have on physical and mental aspects of persons with disabilities and also its important roles to promote more inclusive society.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1101.html

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November 19, 2008

Training Report : October 31, 2008: Presentation: Personal / Organizational Report

Today, each participant made a presentation on the organization which they belong to, their job, and their personal history. This session used to be called “Personal Report Presentation” focusing on participants' personal background. However, from this year more emphasis is put on their organization and their work.

Another characteristic of the presentation this year was its venue. Instead of JICA Tokyo seminar room, it was held at the International Community Center (ICC) of Waseda University. This university is one of the most prominent Japanese private universities and it is also known for its established support services for students with disabilities which are not often available at many of universities in Japan yet.

At the presentation, consecutive interpreter as well as sign language interpreter was prepared to secure information and communication accessibility to all. As a result there were a number of audiences from various organizations: some lecturers of this course, others from non governmental organizations in the field of disability and development issues. Also several Waseda University students joined the session and asked many sharp questions. The participants also raised questions and gave comments to each other.

Today the participants as well as the related Japanese personnel could have good information on personal background and work and deepen understanding of each other. We would like to show our appreciation to the ICC, Waseda University for their cooperation in offering the location.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1031.html

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November 17, 2008

Training Report : November 6, 2008: Peer Counseling and Peer Support

In the morning, the participants learned about what Peer Counseling is and why it is needed.

Peer counseling assumes that we all have the following philosophy: all human beings have creativity, wisdom, love, joy, and solidarity in abundance. This philosophy, an intrinsic part of all human beings, is easy to upset; therefore, in order to protect ourselves, we prepare defensive mechanism like fear and insecurity. As long as we are unable to discuss these hurt feelings and be comforted, we make decisions and take action based on our hurt feelings and sorrow rather than on clear, logical thought.
As long as these hurt feelings are not resolved by talking with someone else, the person's actions are filled with anguish and clear, rational thinking does not take place.

The participants seemed to be perplexed in the beginning because it was entirely the new method for all of them. But as the program was proceeded, they became to be curious to know about it.

In the afternoon, they went through session which they shared time equally to talk about their problems or experiences. The details cannot be explained here. If you would like to know of it, you should join us in the program.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1106.html

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November 06, 2008

Training Report : October 29 - 30, 2008: Participatory Workshop: Leadership Skills

What are the important principles to be good leaders ?

Mr. Yoshinori IKEZUMI, the facilitator of this workshop, has over 30 years of experience in conducting participatory approach workshop in Bangladesh, Nepal, Philippines and the other Asian countries.

Mr. Ikezumi started the first day by this word “this session is not going to be teaching, but we would like to exchange and share ideas that you have with all participants”.

He always threw back questions when participants asked a question. In this way, all participants were encouraged to speak up, share more ideas, and deepen their understanding of issues. He also presented about origin of key words which relates to disability and necessary skills of leaders.

The participants could come up with lots of new ideas which they can utilize for raising awareness of the community people.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1029.html

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Training Report : Accessibility Check in Tokyo Metropolitan City Lecture : “What is Personal Mobility ?”

Do people with disability in your country go to where they want to go, when they want to go, in a way they want to go ? Or do they only go to where they CAN go ?

In this morning, the participants were divided into 3 groups for accessibility check of transportation and building in Tokyo Metropolitan City. They left JICA Tokyo heading for 3 different famous sites in Tokyo as below.

Group 1: Ferris wheel “Big O”
Group 2: Roppoongi - Tokyo Midtown
Group 3: Hachiko (Statute of Japan's Most Faithful Dog)

While heading for the destinations, they checked various barrier-free facilities and devices provided for persons with disabilities. All participants were very much impressed about train staffs who came down to a platform with a portable ramp to assist wheelchair users. At the station where they get off, the train staff there was already waiting with a portable ramp ready to provide assistance. Very good communication between stations !

Today the participants were blessed with beautiful Japanese autumn weather and they enjoyed their tour.

In the afternoon, Mr. Yoshiaki IMAFUKU, Transportation Affairs Officer, Japan National Assembly of Disabled People's International (DPI-Japan), gave an explanation of each barrier-free facility, by looking at photos taken during the accessibility check this morning.

Then Mr. Imafuku raised two questions to the participants: (1) Why is it important for persons with disabilities to be able to go anywhere they want ? (2) If persons with disabilities don't have personal mobility, what rights will they be deprived of ?

He lectured about the brief history of making transportation accessible in Japan by taking about his involvement and achievement. The participants shared their ideas of personal mobility and how it is related to other spheres of life such as education, social life, employment as well as psychological aspects.

Through the accessibility check and the lecture, the participants could understand the importance for persons with disabilities to be able to go to places they want to go or need to go.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1028.html

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November 04, 2008

Training Report : October 27, 2008 AM: Opening Ceremony and Program Oritentation

Nine participants of Leadership Development Course had arrived safely on Oct 21.

This year's participants are from Costa Rica, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Laos, Malawi, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Uganda.

Opening Ceremony was held today at Assembly Room of JICA Tokyo.

Welcome Speeches were addressed by Ms. Ritsuko SAKAMOTO, Director of Human Development Division, Tokyo International Center, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), and then by Mr. Shuzo KATAISHI, Executive Director, Japanese Society for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities (JSRPD).

The participants took a group photo with flags of their respective countries behind.

After the Opening Ceremony, the Program Orientation took place. Firstly nine participants introduced themselves and expressed their expectations for the coming training program. Then Mr. Hiroshi UENO, chairperson of Planning Committee of this training course, gave explanation of this training.

Now the training is starting !

We are all looking for the working together as a team for the coming weeks!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2008/training/l1027am.html

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September 17, 2008

Training Report : July 10, 2008, PM: Local Vist (Day 4)

It was a beautiful day.
Six participants were very excited and ready to work with users of Samegawa Tanpopo-no-ie.
Their first task requested by Ms. Yaeko Shiraiwa, Director of the facility, was picking up fruits from Japanese apricot (ume) trees. They left the facility together with users and staff by car to perform their morning duty. Apricot yard belongs to the director of the post office and he kindly allowed them to get apricot fruits for free. Though woolly bears often welcomed them, they never stop working.
Tanpopo-no-ie is going to produce the salad dressing by using those apricot fruits.

At lunch time, Japanese noodle “Udon” produced in Tanpopo-no-ie was served. As you can see Udon became the participants’ favorite dish.

After lunch, the second task was waiting for all the men. They went to the pumpkin field to cover it with straw. The participants from China, Fiji, and Lao PDR worked so hard that they could accomplish their task very quickly. Meanwhile lady team was in charge of removing stems of apricot fruits inside the facility. They also visited the pumpkin field to observe how the other participants were working together with the users.

Before leaving Tanpopo-no-ie, “question and answer” session was specially arranged by Ms. Shiraiwa. The users asked many questions to the participants and of course they were very happy to answer all of them.

It is happy to say “hello”, but so hard to say “good-bye” to all the friends at Samegawa Tanpopo-no-ie.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0710.html

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Training Report : July 9, 2008, PM: Local Vist (Day 3)

At lunchtime, six participants enjoyed Japanese noodle “udon” at Madeini-ya, a noodle shop run by Samegawa Tanpopo-no-ie. It is located in a big shopping mall. Two users with intellectual disability was working there as waiters. Their attentive service to the customers had proved that persons with intellectual disability could be efficient workers when the working environment was arranged. The participants were very impressed to observe how they worked and had to change their views towards persons with intellectual disabilities. Udon, which was served there, was produced at Tanpopo-no-ie. And it became popular among the community people.

After lunch, they visited one of the supporters of Kokoron, Oki Daikichi Honten, a microbrewer of Japanese rice-wine (Sake), where three persons with disabilities were employed. Oki Daikichi Honten was established in 1865. The shop faces the old Oshu-Kaido Highway, one of the five main highways constructed during Edo Period (1603-1867). Mr. Daikichi Oki, the fourth-generation and Mr. Daikichi Oki, the fifth-generation showed them around the brewery to observe how persons with disabilities were working there as well as the process of making sake. Mrs. Oki and her daughter welcomed and entertained the participants with home-made dishes.

They stayed at the Oki Daikichi Honten longer than they planned, and had to hurry to the Samegawa Village Office to have a courtesy visit to Mr. Katsuhiro Daikura, Village Mayor. They had a one-hour fruitful meeting with the mayor and he promised them to work harder for persons with disabilities living in Samegawa Village.

At night all the staff from Samegawa tanpopo-no-ie came to their lodging “Hot House Samegawa” to eat dinner together with the participants. It was a great opportunity to get to know with each other.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0709pm.html

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September 08, 2008

Training Report : July 9, 2008, AM: Local Vist (Day 3)

In the morning six participants met Ms. Kumada, director of Kokoron, at Kokoroya, a direct sales store which mainly sells local agricultural products and local specialties. They also run Café at the back of their shop to serve 500 yen-lunch. This lunch became very popular among community people as they can buy it just with one 500 yen coin. At present 23 users with mental disabilities work at Kokoroya　and prepare for working in open labor market.

After looking around the shop, Ms. Kumada gave the participants a brief lecture at Café. She explained why she started Kokoron and chose the place Izumizaki and how she manages all the facilities such as Kokoron, Kokoroya, Nagomino-Ie and a group home named Kokoron House. What Ms. Kumada is doing now is not just the employment promotion of persons with disabilities, but she aims to enliven Izumizaki Village and to overcome barriers between community people and people with disabilities.

Then the participants visited Tsuburaya-Kinoko-En run by Mr. Yasuo Tsuburaya. He cultivates Shiitake (Japanese mushrooms) and sells them at Kokoroya.

His Shiitake received the Award of Minister from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry. He could sell mushrooms at good price, however he sells them at low price at Kokoroya. Mr. Tsuburaya told them that he was happy about contributing to persons with mental disabilities. Six participants were impressed by the attitude of Mr. & Mrs. Tsuburaya.

Before leaving, the participants were called by a couple of a tomato farm next to Tsuburaya-Kinoko-En. They picked up and gave so many fresh tomatoes to the participants. Can you imagine how happy they were!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0709am.html

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August 21, 2008

Training Report : June 27, 2008 AM: Rehabilitation Process

This morning Mr. Akira TERASHIMA, one of Planning Committee Members, gave a lecture on Rehabilitation Process. This is a new topic covered in to this course.

Mr. Terashima explained the overall process of rehabilitation, and the participants could understand what steps persons with disabilities take after acquiring disabilities from acute medical rehabilitation till job placement. Then, Mr. Terashima explained about the Japanese laws and regulations concerning persons with disabilities, degrees of disabilities and eligible services. The participants’ discussion developed into why a service dog is necessary for persons with hearing impairment. After that, he introduced the change from ICIDH* to ICF** and explained about the movement from medical model to social model of rehabilitation.

* ICIDH stands for International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities and Handicaps

** ICF stands for International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0627am.html

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August 19, 2008

Training Report : July 30, 2008: Presentation of Project Plan

Today six participants made a presentation of their Project Plan at JICA Tokyo. It showed what they plan to do by applying their learning from Japan after returning to their home countries. Each participant gave 40 min presentation as follows.Please click the project title to read the whole text.

Morning

1. Participant from Vietnam

Project Title: ENTRANCE TO INDEPENDENT LIFE (PDF)
Summary: Overall goal of this project is that students with disabilities from Ho Chi Minh Vocational College of Technology will get job and live independently. This project consists of three aspects (1) improving vocational skills and social skills of students with disabilities, (2) improving teaching skills of teachers and (3) approaching to companies to employ school graduates with disabilities. The project starts in February 2009 till December 2010 and the total budget is estimated at US$ 150,000.

2. Participant from Nepal

Project Title: HAMRO HANDICRAFTS (PDF)
Summary: Overall goal of this project is that persons with disabilities get employed, become confident and live independently. In order to achieve this goal, this project provides 6 months training in knitting, cross-stick and production of cookies to 13 persons with disabilities as well as women in need and people in poverty. The total budget is estimated at Rs. 354,000 (equivalent to US$ 5240.6).

3. Participant from Laos

Project Title: SHINING STAR - Job creation through wheelchair development project

Summary: This project aims to provide training to 5 persons with physical disorders in wheelchair production at a wheelchair production workshop of the National Rehabilitation Center. After the training, the trainees will be employed at the workshop. Through this project, it is expected to increase the production capacity of the workshop and also to create jobs for persons with disabilities. The duration of the project is 10 month starting from August 2008 and the total budget is estimated at US$ 5,050.

Afternoon

4. Participant from Fiji

Project Title: HAPPY FUTURE - Finding employment for persons with disabilities
Summary: This project aims at job placement of persons with disabilities in service industry especially in a supermarket. The beneficiaries are six students of the Fiji Vocational and Technical Training Centre for Persons with Disabilities, both male and female, of any disabilities. To achieve this aim, this plan requires to approach companies and to make a curriculum which meets companies' needs. In this project, he would like to introduce trial employment. The project is from October 2008 to December 2009 and its total budget is estimated at US$ 11,000.

5. Participant from China

Project Title: WIN-WIN EMPLOYMENT - To develop cooperation with companies for opening up to PWDs and provides supporting and service for stable work
Summary: This project aims to promote employment of persons with disabilities through the following three objectives: (1) 80 persons with physical disorders will be employed at an insurance company A in two years, (2) 15 persons with physical disorders and hearing impairment will be employed at a private company P, (3) Two training courses will be provided in two years for persons with intellectual disabilities in service industry in cooperation with two companies M and N. The duration of project is from October 2008 to September 2010 and the total budget is estimated at US$ 4,049,460.

6. Participant from Bangladesh

Project Title: PEACE TO LIVE - Income Generation Program for Persons with Intellectual & Physical Disabilities
Summary: This project will provide social rehabilitation training and vocational training to 20 persons with disabilities respectively, from 18 to 35 years of age, from 4 different self help groups. Social rehabilitation training aims to improve life skills and social skills of persons with disabilities. Vocational trainings are provided in three subjects: Block printing on cloths, Batic printing on cloths, and Jurdousi (embroidery) on cloths. The project period is from August 2008 to December 2009 and its total budget is estimated at US$ 43,843.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0730.html

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Training Report : July 29, 2008 PM: Future Perspectives on Employment of Persons with Disabilities

Time flies and this afternoon was the last lecture in Japan !

The lecture was about the “Future Perspectives on Employment of Persons with Disabilities” given by Mr. Katsunori Fujii, Executive Director of Kyosaren (Japan Association of Community Workshop for Disabled Persons).
Those participants who went to see the film “A Piece of Your Home” on June 26 recognized his face.

Mr. Fujii gave explanation of the importance of to work and the relationship between work and disability. He talked about reasonable accommodation mentioned in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Then he told the participants that it already moved from the medical model to the social model, of which standpoint was also being applied to employment issues.

Mr. Fujii then gave his opinion on the future perspective in the field of employment of persons with disabilities. He explained the desirable direction by introducing the European case where the labor law and minimum wage were applied to sheltered workshops and community workshops, and the government or companies compensate some part of salary and provide human support for employees with disabilities.

At the end of his lecture, Mr. Fujii talked to the six participants about Mr. Ichiro Maruyama, founder of this training course and former course leader. He explained that in August 2007, Mr. Maruyama appealed to the International Labor Organization (ILO) that Japanese government was breaching the ILO Convention No. 159. It was the first case for the Japanese government to be sued internationally and it was also the first case for ILO to be appealed in regard to Convention No. 159 as an employment issue of persons with disabilities. The core of his appeal was that the labor law should be applied to the persons with severe disabilities who are working at sheltered workshops or small scale community workshops. Its judgment will be given soon.

Mr. Maruyama fought for persons with disabilities especially in the employment field until his last moments. Keep Mr. Mayuyama's ambition and his spirits in our heart, and let us strive for employment promotion of persons with disabilities in each respective country.

Mr. Maruyama's Acceptance Speech

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0729pm.html

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Training Report : July 29, 2008 AM: The Right to Decent Work of Persons with Disabilities

What is Decent Work?

The lecturer Mr. Ryosuke Matsui, Professor of Hosei University asked the participants.

This morning, Mr. Matsui gave a comprehensive lecture on the rights to decent work of persons with disabilities. He explained major international conventions, recommendation, declaration etc. related to the employment of persons with disabilities.

For many participants it was first time to know about international efforts to eliminate the discrimination against persons with disabilities in employment field. Today they understood that everyone, with or without disabilities, without any exception, has the right to work. Not just to work but decent work!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0729am.html

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Training Report : July 28, 2008: Final Check of Project Plan

This morning, the six participants had the last half a day session with Ms. Sarajean Rossitto.

Each participant practiced making a presentation for 15 minutes in front of other participants. While listening to the presentation, they were asked to check if all the topics were covered or not, using the check sheet prepared by Ms. Rossitto. On this sheet, they also wrote down two positive points, two suggestions to improve, one question and other comments. Ms. Rossitto checked the full text of their project plan and wrote comments for each participant. All the feedbacks were very valuable to them as they could use these ideas to improve their project presentation.

During this course, the participants had two and half days with Ms. Rossitto. Starting from no experience of writing project plan or project proposals, the participants now acquired basic knowledge of project plan writing and presentation skill.

There was no lecture or visit programmed for this afternoon so that they could use this time for more writing. After the lunch, all the participants came back to the classroom and worked on their project plans.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0728.html

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Training Report : July 1, 2008 PM: Visit: Japan Organization for Employment of the Eldery and Persons with Disabilities (JEED)

After Tokyo Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities, they visited the headquarters of JEED, where they can enjoyed the view of the Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge.

Mr. Eisuke Saotome, Executive Vice President of JEED gave a welcome speech and a brief explanation of their services to all the participants. JEED was originally established in 1971 as the Association for Employment of the Disabled. Its name and role had changed according to changes in the social aspects or needs, and the Japan Organization for Employment of the Eldery and Persons with Disabilities was established in 2003.
URL for JEED: http://www.jeed.or.jp/english/index.html

Mr. Yoshihiko Nonaka, one of the committee members and Development Section Chief, Vocational Rehabilitation Center, National Institute of Vocational Rehabilitation, JEED gave them a lecture on Vocational Rehabilitation. He not only lectured but also showed them a video about the history of employment for persons with disabilities in Japan to deepen their knowledge.

On the way back to JICA Tokyo, they could see the Tokyo Tower from the bus.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0701pm.html

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Training Report : July 1, 2008 AM: Visit Tokyo Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities

Six participants took a bus from JICA Tokyo to Ueno to visit Tokyo Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities.

Mr. Shigeru Okano, Director, Ms. Chie Arisawa, Assistant Director, and Mr. Yuki Kato, Head Supervisor welcomed them at the entrance of the center.
After the welcome speech by Mr. Okano, Ms. Arisawa 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. Services provided both for persons with disabilities themselves and employers are support through job coaches and comprehensive employment support for persons with disabilities. And the center also provides services specific to employers such as consultation, assistance and employment management support.

Mr. Kato 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.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0701am.html

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August 18, 2008

Training Report : July 25, 2008 PM : Learning from former participants through JICA-Net (TV conference)

Today's program is to learn from the activities of former participants through JICA-Net. JICA-Net facility enables to organize TV conferences regardless of distance constraints. This year, it was connected with two former participants of this course, Ms. Rekha Sriyani from Sri Lanka and Mr. Try Suphearac from Cambodia. Both are the participants of the course in 2007.

Ms. Rekha is a social service officer of the Department of Social Services, Central Province of Sri Lanka. Using the ideas and knowledge gained in Japan, she planned an “Income Generation Program for People with Spinal Cord Injuries.” In Sri Lanka, people with spinal cord injuries were depressed and dependent on family and government, and they cannot have future plans or look for new jobs. In order to solve this situation, she put the above program into practice.

After returning to her country, she started a variety of vocational training programs such as making brooms, candles and greeting cards, growing mushrooms, packing spices, etc. She has carefully chosen the training subjects considering market needs. She also considered that most of persons with spinal cord injuries use wheelchairs and chose suitable activities which wheelchair users can do. She also organized peer counseling among people with spinal cord injuries and also social rehabilitation such as training in wearing cloths and toileting etc. The pictures showed that these activities empowered the people with spinal cord injuries and they could regain confidence.

Mr. Try is a representative of Watthan Artisans Cambodia (WAC): A cooperative of Cambodian handicraft producers with disabilities. His project title is “SMILE HANDICRAFTS - To provide handicraft skill training and continue employment for persons with physical and intellectual disabilities.”

After the training in Japan, he started new training courses in wood carving and tailoring and 23 trainees are taking these courses and produce marketable products. Initially he tried to get grants but he failed. But he started again from the beginning and carried out these programs with smaller but several donations from other organizations. Now the products of WAC are sold even to European customers through internet. You can visit their website at http://www.wac.khmerproducts.com/

Mr. Akira Terashima, Planning Committee Member, participated in this program and he gave overall comments to both of the speakers. All the participants also contributed to the session by asking questions or giving comments.
Through JICA-Net, the participants could have real-time communication and opinion exchanges with these two former participants. They could see that neither Ms. Rekha nor Mr. Try gave up when they faced difficulties. Through these good examples of former participants, they could have clearer image of how they apply their learning in Japan to their activities upon returning to home countries.

We are deeply grateful to Ms. Rekha and Mr. Try for preparing the presentation materials and taking part in today's session.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0725pm.html

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August 11, 2008

Training Report : July 24, 2008 : How to Write Project Plan Ⅱ and Presentation Skill

This morning, the participants looked a little bit tired　because they had worked hard on writing drafts of their Project Plans by this morning.

This was the second day with Ms. Sarajean Rossitto. In the morning she checked their drafts and gave advices on where they were not sure about and where they could improve.

Afternoon was about presentation skill. Ms. Sarajean asked the participants to work in pair and brainstorm dos and don'ts when making a presentation. They came out with many ideas such as speaking clearly, making eye contact, not reading out of paper etc.

Ms. Sarajeam explained how to make an effective presentation covering various topics such as preparation, purpose, contents, format, delivery, visual aids etc. During the class, each participant started to write presentation outline using their drafts as a base.

Now that they know the key elements for making an effective presentation, the only thing they need to do is to practice.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0724.html

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Training Report : June 26, 2008 : Special Preview of a film “A Piece of Your Home” (Furusato wo Kudasai)

After today's lecture, 4 participants from China, Bangladesh, Laos and Vietnam went to see the special preview of a film “A Piece of Your Home” (Furusato wo Kudasai) with English Subtitle. It took place in the Nippon Foundation at Akasaka, central Tokyo.

The film is produced by Kyousaren (Japan Association of community Workshop for Disabled Persons). The story is about how people with mental disabilities have fought for and established their living in community of a country side village of Japan. It is based on the real story and filmed in a real place. The participants enjoyed watching this film.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0626.html

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August 07, 2008

Training Report : July 22 - 23, 2008 : Individual Training Program

This course is group training but two days individual training is programmed for each participant.

Since the arrival to Japan, the participants were asked by JSRPD staff about what they were interested in to learn more deeply and what they would like to do upon their return to home country to improve employment situation of persons with disabilities. Thus individual program was created suitable for each one of participants.

Through the individual training, the participants could deepen the understanding of their field of interests and of specific topics which were especially related to their Project Plan which is to be submitted at the end of the training in Japan.

The following table shows the training program of each participant.

DAISY stands for Digital Accessible Information System. The participant from Bangladesh is partially involved in the production of recorded books using DAISY, so today she learned about DAISY at the Information Center of JSRPD to deepened her understanding of DAISY in general. She was impressed to know that DAISY books are not only for persons with visual impairment but also useful for other people such as people with intellectual disabilities, elderly people etc. Learn more about DAISY at http://www.daisy.org/

SAORI can be woven by anyone and its weaving machine is easily adapted for any types of disabilities. In the organization of the participant from Nepal, its members make knitting products using loops or crochet hooks, but not weaving equipment like the one for SAORI. So after experiencing how to weave SAORI, she wishes to have something like this in her organization.
Also SAORI seems to have a healing power. When weaving, the Nepali participants concentrated so much and afterwards she seemed to be uplifted.
Learn more about SAORI at http://www.saori.co.jp/13english.html.

At Koyukai, the participants from Fiji and Laos experienced playing the Sound Table Tennis (STT) which can be played by people with or without visual impairment. The Fijian participant was excited to know about STT for the first time and he is now planning to introduce it in Fiji enthusiastically. In Laos, STT was already introduced in last January by a volunteer group of Japanese people including Ms. Igarashi, Executive Director of Koyukai and their STT players. The Lao participant wants to teach STT when he goes back to his country. We wish the STT will empower a lot of people with visual impairment in Laos, Fiji and other Asian-Pacific countries.

At Pallet, the participant from Nepal learned how to bake cookies for the first time in her life. As one of production activities in her organization, she had a desire to produce something like sweets which is daily consumption but she didn’t know how to. She was so much impressed how tasty and how high quality Pallet cookies are. In Nepal, there is something like cookies but not as tasty as the ones she tasted at Pallet, the participant commented. Now that the participant learned how to bake cookies, she is planning to introduce production of cookies in her organization.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0722.html

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Training Report : July 18, 2008 : Employment of Persons with Mental Disabilities

Today the participants visited Social Welfare Corporation JHC Itabashi. It aims to promote independence and social participation of persons with mental disabilities. JHC stands for Joint (cooperation, sharing, interaction), House (base), and Cosmos (harmony). They run 9 facilities and today the participants visited three of them: San Marina, Akatsuka and Cosmos.

First visit was San Marina. San Marina is a clubhouse established in 1992 and it aims to promote self-help activities of persons with mental disabilities. Mr. Toshiyuki Munakata, one of the committee members is its director, and so he accompanied the participants all day through.

San Marina is located right in the middle of a busy local shopping street. So, some participants got attempted to shop for bargains on its way.

As soon as the participants arrived at San Marina, they observed the morning assembly. In this meeting, the members who are persons with mental disabilities, check their health and emotional conditions and confirm what they plan to do on that day. Staff members, who are qualified social workers, nurses etc. are there to support the members when necessary. Then the participants received the explanation about the development of JHC Itabashi from two members.

You can learn more about clubhouse at website of International Center for Clubhouse Development (http://www.iccd.org/article.asp?articleID=3)

The participants had lunch at San Marina. It was prepared by members of San Marina. The menu is decided by the members in charge and shopping and cooking is all done by them too. All the participants enjoyed the delicious lunch.

In the afternoon, the participants moved from San Marina to Akatsuka using public transportation. Unfortunately it started raining heavily and by the time they got to Akatsuka, they were all soaked wet. But they are warmly welcomed by all the staff of Akatsuka.

Akatsuka is located in a center of a quiet residential area. It aims to promote employment of persons with mental disabilities through production and sales of confectionary such as cakes and cookies and also operation of cafe. Through these activities, the persons with mental disabilities can interact with people in a community. The second visit in the afternoon was Cosmos. It is also a facility which aims employment promotion of persons with mental disabilities. Cosmos operates a restaurant and also food delivery services. They prepare about 70 lunch boxes a day. As both Akatsuka and Cosmos provides social skill training an important part of their activities, such as communication skills, health control, daily living skills etc.

By the end of the visit, it stopped raining. The participants learned about how people with mental disabilities could live and work in a community with a support in a community.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0718.html

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Training Report : June 30, 2008 PM : Visit : Shinagawa Public Employment Security Office

Six participants took the subways and went to Roppongi where Sinagawa Public Employment Security Office was located.
Mr. Sato, Director of Employment Divistion first explained about PESO.
The role of PESO is not only to support persons with disabilities in looking for thier jobs but also to create new job opportuniries in open labor market.
Participants also learned about the relation between PESO and other related organizations and they could understand the importance of networking.
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 Shinagawa Public Employment Security Office.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0630pm.html

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Training Report : June 30, 2008 AM : Lecture: Current Situation of Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Japan

Mr. Masaya Asahi, lecturer for this morning, became sick and could not give a lecture. Six participants were so disappointed to know that.
They had no alternative, so Ms. Keiko Nakatani from JSRPD explained about the following topics by using a boolet “Supporting the Employment of Persons with Disabilities” published by JEED.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0630am.html

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July 28, 2008

Training Report : July 14, 2008 : How to Write Project Plan Ⅰ

The six participants are requested to write and submit Project Plan at the end of the training in Japan. Two and half days workshops are programmed for them to acquire skills of how to write a project plan and how to make an effective presentation. The workshops are given by Ms. Sarajean Rossitto, convener of NGO People for Social Change, and today was the first day with her.

Ms. Sarajean explained about 12 topics to be covered in their Project Plan one by one. Many simple examples were shown so that the participants could understand how to write each topic easily. She also introduced many discussions in pairs, and therefore the participants could get more ideas and learn from each other. All the participants brought their computers today, so they could start typing their Project Plan during the workshops.

Learning how to write Project Plan is a very useful skill as it can be used as a base for project proposals or grant proposals. For all the participants, it was the first time to write a project plan like this, but through the step by step explanation, they could get a hang of it. Now that the participants have ideas of what to write in their Project Plan, they are asked to write a draft plan and bring it to the next session with her on 24th July.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0714.html

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Training Report : June 27, 2008 PM : Process of Vocational Rehabilitation

Now that the participants understand the overall process of rehabilitation, in the afternoon, Mr. Yoshihiko NONAKA, another Planning Committee Members, gave a lecture on the Process of Vocational Rehabilitation.

Firstly Mr. Nonaka explained about 4 steps of vocational rehabilitation and main services. These four steps are (1) Counseling on Finding Employment, Vocational Assessment, (2) Preparation, Training for Work, (3) Employment Searching, Job Placement, (4) Work adjustment → Fruitful Life through Work.

Then he talked about the employment situation of persons with disabilities in Japan as well as the organizations/institutions which provide employment support to persons with disabilities. He introduced the Employment Quota System and the Levy and Grant System. In some of the participants' countries, they have quota systems but not levy and grant system. At the end Mr. Nonaka explained what process persons with disabilities take to get job placement. The participants now have clearer understanding of vocational rehabilitation.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0627.html

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Training Report : July 16 & 17, 2008 : Facilitator Skills

Second two days session with Mr. Ikezumi has come. This time, each participant had an opportunity to facilitate 30 minutes session. For the facilitation, they could choose any topics related to this course which they want to share or discuss with the group.

Some participants chose daily topics such as “shopping” or “laptop”, while others chose topics related to disabilities such as “how to use wheelchairs” or “what is disabilities.” Some participants introduced ice breaking exercises to start the session or to change the mood in the middle of the session.

After each session, the participants gave a lot of feedbacks to each other. These feedbaks helped each one to improve their facilitation in the future. After all facilitations, the participants wrote down on papers what messages were conveyed.

For all the participants, facilitator skills were something new, but after four days session with Mr. Ikezumi, they now have some idea. The participants could learn a lot of important things from Mr. Ikezumi and from each other.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0716.html

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Training Report : July 8, 2008 Morning: “Zao Suzushiro” Afternoon: “Kokoron”

In the morning the six participants observed the work site of Zao Suzushiro, where users with intellectual and mental disabilities make Tofu (Bean curd). Since good quality soy beans can be harvested in Zao region, Mr. Takeda decided to produce Tofu at his facility. Making Tofu is actually a hard work, however all the users have responsibility in each position and enjoy working together with fellow workers. JICA participants learned how to make Tofu and tasted fresh Tofu and understood why they can sell this Tofu well.

Six participants said good bye to “Zao Suzushiro” and left for Fukushima Prefecture by bus. All the participants admired the beautiful senery of rice paddy fields.

After two-hour drive, the participants arrived at “Kokoron” which is a Living Support Center for Persons with Mental Disabilities in Izumizaki Village. Ms. Yoshie Kumada, Director of “Kokoron” kindly cooked lunch for them. All the JICA participants enjoyed curry and salad.

Then they took part in the peer counseling session. Users shared their experiences and there they could express their emotions or feelings without worrying about the reaction of other people.

Mr. AkihikoTasaki, one of staff members of Kokoron, gave them a brief outline of Kokoron by using Power Point material.

In the evening, Kokoron staff and users kindly hold a welcoming party for the participants. Staff and members of Samegawa Tampopo-no-ie, which they were programed to visit next day, came all the way to join this party by driving nearly one hour. The participants very much enjoy the party and they were touched with the warm heart and the hospitality of people in Izumizaki and Samegawa.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0708.html

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July 23, 2008

Training Report : July 7, 2008 : Regional Visit Day 1

Lecture by Mr. Hajime TAKEDA,
Chairperson of the Board of Directors,
Social Welfare Corporation “Harakara Welfare Association”

One week regional training was programed in Miyagi and Fukushima Prefectures, northeastan area of Japan.
Mr. Yoshihiko NONAKA, one of Planning Committee Members, is from Fukushima Prefecture. As he was familiar with the region, he gave a lot of valuable advices on the arrangement of this regional programs, and then he also accompanied the participants throughout this week.

Six participants took Shinkansen (Bullet train) for Shiraishi Zao in Miyagi Prefecture. It seemed the compartment No. 6 was occupied by JICA group.
They all enjoy two-hours private train trip.

After arriving at Shiraishi Zao, they took a bus to “Zao Suzushiro” (Suzushiro means Japanese white radish) to have a lecture by Mr. Hajime Takeda, founder of Harakara Social Welfare Corporation.
Harakara consists of eight main facilities and two branch facilities, and runs nine group homes (eight of which also function as care homes).
Total number of the users are 260.

Harakara is conducted under the following three philosophies.

1) Everyone is the same human being, whether he/she has disabilities or not, and whether the disabilities are severe or mild.

2) In order to realize an ordinary life in the local community, we aim to secure the monthly income of JPY150, 000 including the pension.

3) To work means to share a social responsibility, therefore, the challenging job should be secured.

All the participants were impressed to know Mr. Takeda's strong will which to secure the minimum wage JPY 75,000 for all the users.

Before going back to the hotel, they had a chance to visit a care home for persons with intellectual disabilities and six JICA participants witnessed users of Harakara enjoy independent life at the care home.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0707.html

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Training Report : July 4, 2008 : Job Report Presentation

In this training course, the participants are asked to write three reports:
Job Report, Project Plan, and Progress Report. Today the participants presented their first report, Job Report.

The venue was at the Waseda University's International Community Center (ICC). Waseda University is one of the most well-known Japanese universities with high reputation and the participants had a great opportunity to visit there today.

Job Report used to be called Inception Report but the name changed this year to Job Report. The participants gave a presentation focusing on their job in their home countries. Please click the below to see their presentation materials.

In the morning

Presentation 1: Participant from Bangladesh
Presentation 2: Participant from China

In the afternoon

Presentation 3: Participant from Fiji
Presentation 4: Participant from Laos
Presentation 5: Participant from Nepal
Presentation 6: Participant from Vietnam

Today's program was organized in collaboration with the ICC, which was this year's new attempt. Many student volunteers were involved in the program, making posters, advertising the program, setting up the presentation stage, taking a role as masters of ceremony, assisting the participants at lunch time, etc. Thanks to the ICC’s cooperation, there were a number of students and other audience attending the presentation today. During the lunch time and at coffee break, the participants enjoyed interacting and exchanging information with students.

A number of NGO workers, who were interested in disability and development issues, were also present among the audience and they raised a lot of questions and comments. The participants also asked some questions to each other. After all the presentations, Mr. Akira Terashima, one of the Planning Committee Members, gave comments to each one of presentations.

For today's program, JICA provided Japanese and English interpreters as not all Japanese audience understood English. This also made it possible to allocate Japanese sign language interpreters and note-takers by computer to guarantee information accessibility for all. The presentation went successful and we appreciate the contribution of everyone involved in preparation of today's program.

From the presentations, the participants and the Japanese related personals could understand what each participant does at their work and also as the employment situation of persons with disabilities in their country. At the end, the participants took a group photo with audience and student volunteers.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0704.html

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July 16, 2008

Training Report : July 3, 2008, PM Visit to Isetan Soleil

Disability is Power !

In the afternoon, the participants visited Isetan Soleil, Co., Ltd., a special subsidiary of Isetan Co., Ltd. which runs one of the most famous department stores in Japan, Isetan. On its way, the participants passed by Isetan department store in Shinjuku and observed from outside how big and popular it is.

As the participants arrived at the company, Mr. Shioden, President of Isetan Soleil, came out to the entrance to welcome them with his warm smile. Firstly, the participants watched a video of a program broadcasted by a big TV company which took up the employment promotion of persons with disabilities at Isetan Soleil. Then they visited the workplace where employees with intellectual and mental disabilities are working.

As entering the workplace, the participants could feel that all employees were very much concentrating on their own tasks. Everyone was preceding his/her duties steadily and diligently. At Isetan Soleil, 26 employees with disabilities are working together with three employees without disabilities who also act as job coaches. There are more than 80 kinds of works done at Isetan Soleil, Mr. Shioden explained. They are supplementary tasks which used to be done by sales staff at a shop in Isetan Department Store such as folding wrapping papers, making gift bags, sorting credit card sales slips etc.

The participants could also observe various devices created by job coaches and used by employees with disabilities to produce the same products. For example, a paper mould which has a cut in a shape of a gift sticker indicates where the sticker should be pasted and thus anyone can paste a sticker on a gift bag easily and accurately. The participants tried some tasks which looked easy, but they felt to do it accurately and repeatedly was not as easy as it looked.

After the observation of workplace, President Mr. Shioden gave lecture about the company and their efforts in employing persons with disabilities. The participants could learn that if the environment is appropriately arranged and the appropriate jobs are provided, persons with intellectual or mental disabilities can also work. Some participants commented that in their counties employment of persons with intellectual disabilities are not considered and they were surprised to see today that persons with intellectual disabilities could be a strong workforce.

From today's two visits to Swan Bakery and Isetan Soleil, the participants could learn a lot from how those private companies have strived for employing persons with disabilities not as charity or welfare but as business.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0703pm.html

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Training Report : July 3, 2008, AM : Visit to Swan Bakery

Today the participants had an opportunity to visit two special subsidiaries of famous Japanese companies in different industries.

In the morning, the participants visited “Swan Bakery Akasaka Shop” of Swan Co., Ltd. Swan Co., Ltd. is a special subsidiary of Yamato Holding Co., Ltd., one of the leading companies in the fields of its delivery, logistics etc.

Mr. Ayumu Kaizu, President of Swan Co., Ltd. explained about the company's efforts to employ persons with disabilities. The participants could learn a lot of clues for working with persons with disabilities from him; for example, there is no limit in the abilities of persons with disabilities; arrange the work environment and people can work; motivation is the best management resource etc.

Then the participants visited the bakery shop to observe how people with disabilities work. The participants could not distinguish employees with disabilities and without disabilities. One of staff with intellectual disabilities demonstrated Latte Art, which is a drawing on top of coffee with whipped milk. The participants got excited to see how beautifully done it was.

At Swan Bakery Akasaka Shop 50 different kinds of breads (1500 breads in total) are baked everyday. The participants witnessed how popular and busy the shop is, as at lunch time there was a very long queue of customers. They kindly prepared lunch box of three different breads for the participants and the participants could taste how delicious they are!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0703am.html

Posted by jicafriends at 12:58 PM | Comments (0)

July 14, 2008

Training Report : July 2, 2008 : Community Visit

Prof. Yoshimichi Ogawa, Planning Committee Member, organized today's visit to 3 homes of persons with severe disabilities in Atsugi City, Kanagawa Prefecture.

In the morning, the participants visited a home of a person who has quadriplegia due to cervical injury. She lives in a barrier-free flat of a public housing provided by Atsugi City, with her husband and a daughter. She uses personal assistance throughout a day, including volunteers of university students at night time. She told to the participants that she had to negotiate many times with the City Hall in order to obtain the services and conditions which she has now. The participants were impressed with her strong spirits.

Then the participants visited the Comprehensive Welfare Center of Atsugi City to have lunch at a restaurant “Donguri (acorn)” where persons with disabilities are working. They also quickly visited 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 and to learn about the “employment at home.” He is an employee of a special subsidiary of a famous company in the employment service industry in Japan. In stead of commuting to an office, he works at home using a computer. He explained both merits and demerits of working at home, and he emphasized how important “to work” is for him.

Lastly the participants visited a dream house. It's a barrier-free house designed by a couple with disabilities. The participants were amazed with various assistive devices and automated equipment. Participant from Laos tried an electric lift to transfer from a bed to toilet and then to a bathroom. Afterwards, he smiled and commented “it was rather comfortable.”

Before visiting this house, the participants had an opportunity to make a short visit to a community workshop where the husband works as a director and observe how people with disabilities work in a community.

From today's community visit, the participants could understand that even persons with severe disabilities can live independently in a community.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0702.html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:53 PM | Comments (0)

July 09, 2008

Training Report : June 28-29, 2008 Home Stay

Discover the Japanese Lifestyle !

This weekend the participants enjoyed staying at homes of Japanese family, discovering what Japanese people’s life is like.

Each participant stayed at a different host family, so on the way to meet the family, the participants had felt excited but at the same time a little bit nervous.

But to meet the welcoming smiles of their host families, such worries disappeared. Their host families welcomed the participants, bringing handmade “welcome” signs or a board with participants' name on.

Just overnight stay was a short time. But now the participants have their second family in Japan. Thank you to Japanese families for your hospitality !

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0628.html

Posted by jicafriends at 01:08 PM | Comments (0)

July 03, 2008

Training Report : June 25 & 26, 2008　Participatory Workshop: Facilitator Skills

Mr. Ikezumi YOSHINORI is a famous facilitator known for his participatory approach. He has worked as an NGO worker internationally including many of Asian countries which the participants are from.

There are four days with him during the training in Japan and we had the first two days. Everyone in the room was encouraged to give opinions and comments freely.

Using the simple materials and exercises, Mr. Ikezumi conveyed ideas and messages to the participants. Through discussion and exchange of ideas, the participants could learn about many key points in facilitation skills.

At the end of the two days session, some participants commented that they gained a new understanding on the disability, new approach to communicate with people, and even a new philosophy of life.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0625.html

Posted by jicafriends at 01:06 PM | Comments (1)

Training Report : June 24, 2008 : Visit : National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities...

The first observation trip

Six participants visited a huge rehabilitation site, where you can find Rehabilitation Hospital, Rehabilitation Center including training for daily living activities, and Vocational Rehabilitation Center.

In the morning, the six participants observed comprehensive rehabilitation services at the National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities. First they toured the employment promotion service section which helps trainees get jobs at open labor market, such as basic pre-work, laundry work, office work, worksite trainings. They can acquire basic skills for employment. And then the participants moved to the facility for the training for independent living. All participants were surprised to see the realistic setting for the training. Everyone couldn’t believe fishes, fruits, vegetables and other goods arranged in order are not real, but they are imitations! Weight of each good is carefully checked and it is made as the same weight as a real one to learn the actual work situation.

Just before lunch, the participants observed the prosthesis and orthosis. Can you tell which is a real hand and which is an artificial hand?

After the lunch, the participants visited the National Vocational Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities and firstly they watched an introductory video of the center. Then they toured the center to observe various vocational training programs offered at the center, inluding training course in Hotel Service for persons with intellectual disabilities.

The participants also visited the rehabilitation hospital and observed barrier-free bathroom, actually experiencing different kinds of toilets, how to use bath-board etc.

Before finishing today's program, they returned to the Rehabilitation Hospital to observe physical therapy and occupational therapy section. The participants also observed the bathroom and toilet, actually experiencing different kinds of toilets, how to use bath-board etc.

Today was a long day but the participants could have a overall observation of the rehabilitation services given at the national level.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0624.html

Posted by jicafriends at 01:03 PM | Comments (0)

Training Report : June 23, 2008 PM : Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan

The first lecture was given at the Ministry of Labor, Health.

It was about the Welfare Services for Persons with Disabilities in Japan, given by Mr. Takao CHINONE, Special Advisor, in the field of welfare for persons with disabilities.

Mr. Chinone gave a comprehensive explanation on the topic, including historical development of welfare services for persons with disabilities, definition of disabilities, reform of health and welfare policies and measures for persons with disabilities, assistive devices, income security, measures related education and so on. Thus participants could gain an overall understanding of the welfare services for persons with disabilities in Japan.

On the way to the Ministry, the participants passed by the National Diet of Japan.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0623pm.html

Posted by jicafriends at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

June 26, 2008

Training Report : June 23, 2008 AM Program Orientation

Welcome to Japan!

Six participants from the following six countries - Bangladesh, China, Fiji, Laos, Nepal, and Vietnam - arrived on June 17.

Today, the training program started.

In the morning, Mr. Masaya ASAHI, Course Leader and Planning Committee Member, explained about the course, giving the outline of the training program.

Two more out of five planning committee members were present too; Mr. Akira TERASHIMA and Mr. Yoshimichi OGAWA. The participants will receive lectures from the planning committee members during the course.

Each participant introduced himself/herself in turn and also stated their expectation for the coming up training. We could see that the participants were all highly motivated to learn from Japan and from each other.

Let's Explore, Encounter and Change with jicafriends!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2008/training/v0623am.html

Posted by jicafriends at 12:16 PM | Comments (0)

December 12, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Lecture : JICA Volunteers

November 15, 2007 :
Lecture : JICA Volunteers

Since a program on “JICA Volunteers” was introduced in this training many former participants are now interested in requesting JICA volunteers to their organizations.

Actually a former participant of Leaders Course 2004 requested a junior volunteer in the field of community development and now the volunteer was dispatched to his organization to work with persons with disabilities in Ghana.

Today Ms. Hiroko Irumata came to explain about JICA volunteers to ten participants. She showed the data related to JICA volunteers working in their respective countries. As the same as previous years, most of the participants of this year did not know about JICA volunteers. Now they know what kinds of professions and skills JICA volunteers can transfer to their countries and the procedure from request to dispatch.

People is a resource. Build a network between former JICA participants and JICA resources, and their respective activities can be improved. Let's all work together for better quality of life of persons with disabilities in the world!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1115.html

Posted by jicafriends at 01:04 AM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Presentation Ceremony

November 9, 2007:
Presentation Ceremony

Right after participants arrive at JICA Tokyo, the secretariat interview the participants and one of the questions is related to a wheelchair. We ask each participant if he/she would like to bring a used wheelchair back to his/her home country.

This year all the participants who use wheelchairs or need wheelchairs whenthey travel long distance answered “yes!”.

The secretariat dialed Friendly Life Community (FLC) to ask for collection of seven used wheelchairs and then students of Kanagawa Institute of Technology, who belong to Wheelchair Repair Circle (KWR), fixed and conditioned them. Both FLC and KWR are located in Zama City which is about one and half hour drive away from JICA Tokyo.

After the lecture a presentation ceremony was organized to hand over seven wheelchairs to the participants. Mr. Shotaro YAMAGUCHI from FLC and three students from KWR had to use two cars to bring seven wheelchairs to JICA Tokyo. They even rented one car for it.!

There are many countries, where majority of people have never seen a wheelchair. In such situation, people who have mobility difficulty are forced to stay in a house without receiving proper education or any other opportunities to participante in a society. The participants will bring back a wheelchair not for their own use but for other people in need of wheelchair. These wheelchairs given today will go over the oceans and will change the life of persons with disabilities in other countries.

Special thanks to Friendly Life Community and Kanagawa Institute of Technology!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l110902.html

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December 06, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Presentation : Action Plan

November 14, 2007 :
Presentation : Action Plan

Today ten participants presented their Action Plan. Each participant had 30 minutes for their presentation (5 minutes for preparation, 15 minutes for presentation, 10 minutes for Q&A). They explained what they learned from the training program in Japan and what they were planning to do upon their return to their countries.

Among the audience were three people from the Nippon Foundation and Mr. Miyamoto from DPI-Japan and they gave the participants many feedbacks. Also three planning committee members, three JICA officers, two JICE coordinators and three JSRPD staff were present. Mr. Yamaguchi, planning committee member, who unfortunately could not participate today had sent his comments and we also shared them after all the presentations.

The following is the title of each Action Plan. Please click the title to read the full text.

The Japanese side could understand what the participants learned from this training and how it helped them create a plan for their future activities.

However it is certain that the impacts of this training is more than what they presented in short time today. We wish them all the best in their future activities to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities in their home country.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1114.html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:55 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Workshop : Final Check of Action Plan

November 13, 2007 :
Workshop : Final Check of Action Plan

By Ms. Sarajean ROSSITTO

This was the third and last day with Ms. Sarajean Rossitto and also it was one day before the Action Plan Presentation.

Firstly the participants worked in pairs to check their presentation outlines and give feedbacks to each other. Then they had a presentation practice in front of the group. Just like the real situation, each presenter had 15 minutes and the time was noticed three minutes before and also when the time was up. Some finished before the time and others could not finish within the time. The rest of the participants checked whether all items were covered in a presentation and also gave comments on good points and points to be improved. Ms. Rossitto reviewed their written drafts and gave comments to each. All the feedbacks were valuable and useful as they could make improvements to their action plan.

In this afternoon the participants worked individually to complete their action plan and prepare for the presentation tomorrow.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1113.html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:50 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Visit to Yamano College of Aesthetics and Lecture on “Aesthetics and Welfare for Persons with Disabilities”

November 10, 2007 :
Visit :
Yamano College of Aesthetics
Lecture :
“Aesthetics and Welfare for Persons with Disabilities”

Yamano College of Aesthetics is unique in combining the aspects of aesthetics and welfare, with its aim to improve the quality of life of all people through cosmetology. The college offers a course which prepares students for both national hairstylist's license and national welfare worker's license.

Last year this program was unofficial and on a smaller scale, being held in JICA Tokyo. Recognizing the importance of the theme and also the distinguished characteristics of the college, this year it became an official program and the participants visited the campus of Yamano College to study more comprehensively as the following schedule.

Ms. Jane Aiko Yamano is one of the leading figures in aesthetics in Japan.
The participants got excited from the beginning of the day to see her demonstration show of quick change of so many costumes from a Japanese traditional wedding dress till a western style wedding dress.

After the lunch, the participants had a college tour and observed the classrooms equipped for practical study on various aspects of welfare. For example there was a classroom with various types of bath equippment so that the students can learn how to assist elderly people or persons with disability to have a bath. There was also a classroom with kitchen facilities. The students of Biyo Fukushi (Beauty and Welfare) Course learn about cooking related matters, which are necessary in order to work as welfare workers.

After the tour, Ms. Watanabe, director of Biyo Fukushi (Beauty and Welfare) Course, explained about the college and talked about relation of welfare and beauty. The participants could understand the effects of aesthetic on people's mind and body.

Today the participants could also experience Kimono and tea ceremony and enjoyed learning about Japanese traditional culture. Although it was a rainy, the day became a unforgettable memory for the participants.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1110.html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:46 PM | Comments (0)

December 02, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : NGO Management

November 7, 2007 :
Lecture :
NGO Management (including fund raising)

Today, the participants learned about Organizational Management lectured by Ms. Yoko Asakawa.
She is one of the founding members of JEN (Japan Emergency NGOs) and she has been engaged in the realm of emergency assistance as well as JEN's organizational development since its establishment in 1994.
JEN is a NPO which aims to support reconstruction of the life which was lost after war or disaster.
She explained major issues of organizational management using her own experiences, especially difficulties that she faced in the process of JEN's development.

She said that it is important to consider both merits and demerits of being different sizes of organization, keeping in mind its mission to achieve. The participants understood that a bigger organization is not always good.
She also illustrated stages of organizational growth and it was easy to see in which stage one's organization stands.
Attractive slogan is another important factor of organizational management.
It appeals to the donors and makes people understand easily why the organization exist.
So the participants made their own slogans of their organizations and compared which are more attactive.

Different types of staff are needed to manage an organization.
The participants showed a strong interest in how to work with unpaid staff and volunteers.
She also mentioned about the importance of accounting. Keeping financial records and receipts, price comparison, and checking cash balance are essential duties.

Fundraising is the most difficult issue.
Ms. Asakawa said that an important point was to get continuous donations.
The key of asking for donation is starting from a small amount, after the success of one project increase it gradually.
She introduced a lot of practical tactics.

In the lecture, the participants also shared their experiences and gave comments to each other.
Ms. Asakawa commented that both successful and unsuccessful case studies are significant to figure out and avoid future problems.
All participants were eagerly attentive and understood well about key components of organizational management.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1107.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:50 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Importance of Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities

November 9, 2007 :
Lecture :
Importance of Political Participation of Persons with Disabilities
Mr. Eita YASHIRO, former member of the House of Representatives
Visit : Diet Building

Today the participants visited one of the Members' Office Buildings of the House of Representative to receive a lecture on the importance of political participation of persons with disabilities.

The lecturer, Mr. Eita Yashiro, is the first person with disabilities elected as a national diet member of Japan in 1977. “Send a Wheelchair to the Diet!” was his campaign slogan. He made the Diet building accessible.
In 1999 he was appointed to the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications.

Mr. Yashiro introduced the ideal of normalization and also talked about the necessity of political participation of persons with disabilities in the local government as well as at a national level. Three participants got inspired to become a politician by Mr. Yashiro. We finished by singing “You Are My Sunshine” all together.

In the afternoon they visited the Diet Building and observed how it became accessible.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1109.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:23 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : How to Write Action Plan Ⅱ and Presentation Skill

November 8, 2007 :
Workshop : How to Write Action Plan Ⅱ and Presentation Skill

By Ms. Sarajean ROSSITTO

Today was the second day with Ms. Rossitto. Although the participants had only one week to write their action plan, they managed to bring their drafts for its revision. They worked in pairs to check whether all the items were included and could find some missing parts to be improved. With Ms. Rossitto, they were encouraged to work in pairs or small groups and give advices and suggestions to each other, learning mutually.

Then Ms. Rossitto demonstrated an example of a bad presentation and the participants pointed out many “Do's” and “Don'ts.” They also learned how to write the outline of their action plan, as in their presentation they would not be able to read out the full text. The participants practiced in pairs to explain the outline of their action plan in a fixed time and by doing so they could also practice making a presentation.

Today the participants clarified any parts that they were not sure about the writing process and also learned presentation skills. They showed concentration and worked hard. It was a tough day but they were now more prepared for their presentation.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1108.html

Posted by jicafriends at 10:28 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Partnership of Government, International Community, NGO and PWD-Experiences in Lao PDR

November 12, 2007 :
Lecture :
Partnership of Government, International Community, NGO and PWD-Experiences in Lao PDR

By Mr. Shintaro NAKAMURA,
Former policy advisor to Ministry of Labour and Social Welfare, Lao PDR (JICA Long-term Expert)

Mr. Nakamura has just come back from Lao PDR this August after finishing a three-year contract with JICA.

He explained ten participants about his activities there which ranged from development of a long-term labour and social welfare plan to support for grass-root projects by young persons with disabilities.

His experiences in Lao PDR showed themthe importance of cooperative network between GO and selp-help organizations..

“Disability rights seminar and radio listening club” and “IT workshop for the visually impaired” were successfully done by persons with disabilities themselves under the cooperation of GO and international community.

At the end Mr. Nakamura gave them the following key factors to implement projects successfully.

* Act as a team, not individually
* Initiatives from PWD
* Start with a small step
* Make use of your competitive advantage
* Aggressively seek information about support schemes of government, NGO and international community
* Find collaborators in the government
* Transparency and accountability

Not only his lecture but also his big smiles empowered ten participants.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1112.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:38 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : World Disability Movements - till the Adoption of the Convention

November 5, 2007 :
Lecture :
World Disability Movements - till the Adoption of the Convention

By Mr. Yutaka TAKAMINE,
Professor, Faculty of Law and Letters, University of the Ryukyus

Today's lecture is on the World Disability Movement and the lecturer is Mr. Takamine who used to work for UN ESCAP. His comprehensive lecture covered such topics as Globalization of the disability movement, UN Decade of PWDs (1983-1992), Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons (1993-2002), other regional decades, Convention on the rights of PWDs, and Emerging issues.

The participants watched a video on APCD (Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability) which aims to promote the empowerment of people with disabilities and a barrier-free society in developing countries in the Asia and Pacific Region. Mr. Takamine talked about the importance of including disability issues in development.

Some participants were shocked to realize that they did not know much of what was happening in the world. Before finishing the lecture, he encouraged the participants by saying “The world is moving ! It is time for working on disability issues and resources are there!”

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1105.html

Posted by jicafriends at 09:01 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Discussion on Peace and Disability

October 26, 2007 :
Discussion on Peace and Disability

Mr. Yamaguchi, one of the planning committee members, had been accompanying the participants to this regional training. This morning he facilitated a discussion on peace and disability.

As a reference material for today's discussion, Mr. Yamaguchi had distributed a document called “WORLD PEACE - THROUGH THE EXPERIENCES OF A PERSON WITH DISABILITY.”
Thjs was written by a blind person from Sri Lanka and contained some clues for discussing world peace from the perspectives of persons with disabilities.

The participants reflected on what they learned from Hiroshima's experience and firstly they shared their impression of Hibakusha. Many participants stated that their countries had experienced wars or conflicts and that a conflict is one of the causes of disabilities. Some participants were surprised to hear from a Costa Rican participant that his country had been peaceful for many years and they even do not have military by the constitution.
In this opportunity, the participants could consider what they could do for peace in their community.

This afternoon the participants came back to Tokyo by Shinkansen (bullet train).

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1026.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:50 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Accessible Tourism: Miyajima

October 25, 2007 PM :
Accessible Tourism: Miyajima
(UNESCO World Cultural Heritage)

Miyajima (literally “shrine island”) is a famous tourism attraction, being one of Japan's three most scenic views and also designated as UNESCO world cultural heritage. Miyajima is most famous for Itsukushima Shrine, which, together with its large wooden torii (gate), stands in the ocean during high tide.

This afternoon the participants visited Miyajima to learn about the accessible tourism. Everyone has a right to travel and go to places. The participants checked that the route was all accessible from the ferry pier, the ferry, streets, shops, till the building of shrine. The accessible tourism, attracting a wider range of tourists, could have an economic impact and in many of the participants' countries the tourism is an important source of income and today the participants could experience the importance of accessibility in tourism.

When we returned to the hotel, we took a photo with two bus drivers who have been accompanying us everyday. We hired two accessible buses for this one week regional training and it was the last night in Hiroshima. Thanks to them, we could smoothly conduct the training.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l102502.html

Posted by jicafriends at 07:18 PM | Comments (0)

November 30, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Hiroshima Prefectural Hatsukaichi School for Special Needs Education

October 25, 2007 AM :
Visit : Hiroshima Prefectural Hatsukaichi School for Special Needs Education

This morning we visited Hiroshima Prefectural Hatsukaichi School for Special Needs Education. After a introductory speech by Mr. Kanda, school principal, Mr. Takeshima, vice principal, explained about the school.

This school consists of elementary school, junior high school, and high school departments. The participants learned about school management, educational objectives of each department, curriculum and daily schedule.

Then, the participants went around and observed the school. They were surprised to see attention and consideration given to each student according to his or her disability.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l102501.html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:59 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Hiroshima Prefectural Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Physical Disabilities

October 24, 2007 PM :
Visit : Hiroshima Prefectural Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Physical Disabilities

In the afternoon, the participants visited Hiroshima Prefectural Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Physical Disabilities. This center provides a range of support for persons with disabilities covering consultations regarding disabilities, diagnosis, evaluation, medical treatment, training, sports and social activities.

After receiving a lecture on the outline of the center from Mr. Kawasaki, Secretary General of the Rehabilitation Center, the participants visited each section of the center and its affiliated institutions and asked many questions.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l102402.html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:22 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Hiroshima Prefectural Braille Library

October 24, 2007 AM :
Visit : Hiroshima Prefectural Braille Library

This morning the participants visited the Hiroshima Prefectural Braille Library to learn about its services for persons with visual impairment.

The participants learned about production and lending of Braille and recorded books, reading services, reference service through NAIVE network (National Association of Institutions of Information Service for Visually Impaired Persons) etc. They were surprised to know that the postage of materials for persons with visual impairments are free of charge in Japan, and also that the services are largely supported by a number of non-paid volunteers.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l102401.html

Posted by jicafriends at 03:37 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

October 23, 2007 :
Message from a survivor of Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Blast
Visit: Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum

This morning, the participants met a survivor of the atomic bomb blast (or Hibakusha in Japanese) and listened to a message directly from her.
Yesterday Mr. Akiba mentioned about three important steps taken; 1) Hibakusha chose to live, 2) Hibakusha decided to talk about their experience and send a message, and 3) the message of Hibakusha is “no one else, including enemies, should not suffer from what we did.” The participants were surprised to realize that the atomic bomb blast is not the past history but its effect is still present, affecting many people. They were also shocked to hear that she does not hate the enemies.

To close this morning's session, the participant from Honduras said a thank you words on behalf of 10 participants.

After the lunch, the participants walked around the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and then visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. The museum provides Peace Volunteers who give explanation to the visitors not only in Japanese but also in English. The participants were divided into small groups and went around the museum with Peace Volunteers.

It was a long day but became a unforgettable learning experience.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1023.html

Posted by jicafriends at 03:00 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Human Rights and Advocacy

October 29, 2007 :
Workshop : Human Rights and Advocacy

We often use the words, “Human Rights” and “Advocacy.” However we sometimes do not notice when we are abused, neglected or discriminated.

Ms. keiko Higuchi, Ms. Kinue Suzuki and Mr. Hajime Iwamoto explained about human rights and advocacy by using role plays.
They started the workshop with a song “Kono machi ga sukisa (I like this > town).”

The participant from Cameroon played the part of father very well and a JSRPD staff had to play a role of bullying a wheelchair user.

Ten participants had experienced the same problems which a couple faced in the role plays. And they learned how to solve the problems.

Before closing the session Kinue san strongly appealed the following message.

“Don't think you are different from a beggar with disability. They are your peers. In order to get the same human rights as others, you have to stand up and change the society in your country.”

At the end of the workshop we all sang “I like this town” again and again.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1029.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:42 AM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : “Hiroshima's Devotion to World Peace”

October 22, 2007 :
Lecture: “Hiroshima's Devotion to World Peace”

by Mr. Nobuyuki TESHIMA,
Director of International Peace Promotion Department, the City of Hiroshima.
Courtesy Call : Mr. Tadatoshi AKIBA, Mayor of the City of Hiroshima

The participants left from JICA Tokyo early in the morning and flew from Haneda Airport to Hiroshima Airport. This is the beginning of one week regional training in the world famous city, Hiroshima. Peace education is the main theme of the training in Hiroshima.

Firstly the participants visited the International Conference Hall to receive a lecture on Hiroshima's Devotion to World Peace. Mr. Nobuyuki TESHIMA, Director of International Peace Promotion Department, explained about the atomic bomb and the peace activities promoted by the city of Hiroshima.

After the lecture, the participants moved to the Hiroshima City Hall and at 15:30 they made a courtesy call to Mr. Tadatoshi AKIBA, the Mayor of the City of Hiroshima.

Every year on August 6 a Peace Memorial Ceremony is held and the mayor issues a Peace Declaration towards the world, praying for the peaceful repose of the victims, for the abolition of nuclear weapons, and for lasting world peace.

Peace Declaration (in English, French, Russian, German, Korean, Chinese, Arabic)

http://www.city.hiroshima.jp/shimin/heiwa/declaration.html

Mr. Akiba also talked about ‘Mayors for Peace’. With the belief that cities are responsible for their citizens' life, ‘Mayors for Peace’ was founded in 1982 calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons. Currently there are 1828 member cities in 122 countries and regions. Please check if your city is a member of ‘Mayors for Peace’.

( http://www.mayorsforpeace.org/english/membercity/map.html )

Today the participants were impressed by Hiroshima's devotion for world peace and Mr. Akiba's strong leadership. Before closing the visit, the participant from Honduras made a thank you speech on behalf of the group.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1022.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:14 AM | Comments (0)

November 28, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Workshop : Peer counseling

October 19, 2007 :
Workshop : Peer counseling

Peer counseling was developed in the independent living movement in the U.S. in the 1970s.

More than 20 years has passed since it was first introduced to Japan. A hundred or more peer counseling courses are organized annually at 121 independent living centers nationwide in Japan.

Ms. Masae Kashiwagi, one of the planning committee members organized a workshop on peer counseling with support of Ms. Makiko Horiuchi who is also a planning committee member.
During today's peer counseling session only persons with disabilities were allowed to attend the workshop.
The following is the program.

After the session all participants could feel very relax and happy. They all understood they are not alone.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1019.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:52 PM | Comments (0)

November 27, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Visit and lecture at Kodaira Genkimura

October 12, 2007 :
Visit and lecture at Kodaira Genkimura

Ten participants visited Genkimura (‘Genki’ means vigor and ‘mura’ means village) to learn about the current situation of persons with mental (psychiatric) disabilities in Japan. The following schedule was planned through discussion. among members of Club House Habataki, users of Community Living Support Center ‘Asayake’ and Mr. Hiroshi Ueno, course leader of this training program.

In some coutries mental disabilities are not clearly defined and classified as intellectual disabilities. And besides that, persons with mental disabilities are believed that they cannot work properly. However they can be employed and work efficiently when appropriate vocational environment is arranged.

The participants explained the situation of persons with mental disabilities in each country and actively exchanged their opinions with the Habataki members and the Asayake users. It was a long day, but meaningful and precious time for all.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1012.html

Posted by jicafriends at 12:41 AM | Comments (0)

November 22, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Lecture on the Role of Independent Living Center in the Community

October 18, 2007 PM:
Lecture on the Role of Independent Living Center in the Community
by Mr. Teruhisa YOKOYAMA,
Chairperson of the Board, Center for Independent Living ‘HANDS-Setagaya’

In the afternoon, the participant could meet another leading figure in disability movement in Japan, Mr. Akihisa Yokoyama. Mr. Yokoyama’s activities are community based and his lecture based on his actual experience conveyed strong and powerful messages. The participants could learn about building a relationship with peers, independent living in a community and the importance of personal assistants etc. Mr. Yokoyama brought his wife with him and some participants asked for his advice on marriage of persons with disabilities.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l101802.html

Posted by jicafriends at 06:31 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Lecture on Philosophy of Independent Living Movement and Independent Living Center

October 18, 2007 AM:
Lecture on Philosophy of Independent Living Movement and Independent Living Center
by Mr. Shoji NAKANISHI,
Chairperson, Human Care Association

Many of the readers may already know of Mr. Shoji Nakanishi, who has been taking an active role in disability movement not only in Japan but also in Asia-Pacific region. Mr. Nakanishi talked about the history of disability movement and his involvement, and why and how he established the first independent living center in Japan etc.

After Mr. Nakanishi's lecture, two staff of Human Care Association explained about the services provided for persons with visual impairment and persons with hearing impairment. Those two staff themselves have hearing impairment and visual impairment respectively and the participants were amazed to see how they communicate each other and work with each other while supporting mutually.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l101801.html

Posted by jicafriends at 06:28 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : How to Write Action Plan Ⅰ

November 2, 2007 :
Workshop : How to Write Action Plan Ⅰ

Today was the first day of three days session, This session aims to learn how to write action plan. At the end of the training in Japan, all the participants are required to write and submit action plan which explains what they have learned from this training and also what they are planning to do upon their return to home country.
The participants were expected to gain concrete ideas of how to write each section of action plan.

Ms. Rossitto explained about each section in depth with specific examples which helped them to understand more easily and more clearly. The participants already had ideas for the topic of their action plan and during the lecture, the participants worked out on writing their plans. They also worked in pairs to exchange their ideas and opinions actively.

The participants will put great effort to prepare the first draft by next session, and then final versions will be presented on the last week of this course.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1102.html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:03 PM | Comments (7)

TRAINING REPORT : Current Situation of Persons with Hearing Impairment in Japan

October 11, 2007 :
Current Situation of Persons with Hearing Impairment in Japan

AM : Visit to WORLD PIONEER Co., Ltd

In the morning the participants visited WORLD PIONEER Co., Ltd. As its name shows, it is a pioneering company in employment of persons with hearing impairment and also in development of unique products for persons with hearing impairment.

PM : Lecture on Deaf Studies Now: Social Model beyond Medical Model
by Mr. Yutaka OSUGI,
Associate Professor of Tsukuba University of Technology

In the afternoon the participants returned to JICA Tokyo. Mr. Osugi, the afternoon's lecturer himself has a hearing impairment. In prior to the current position as an associate professor of Tsukuba University of Technology, Mr. Osugi had worked in a Japanese Federation of the Deaf for 6 years including as a Secretary General. During the lecture Mr. Osugi frequently asked the participants to share the situation in their countries.

From his comprehensive lecture, the participants could understnad various topics such as medical model and social model, information access and communication access etc.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1011.html

Posted by jicafriends at 04:01 PM | Comments (0)

November 16, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Individual Training

October 30 - November 1, 2007 :
Individual Training

Three days individual training was programmed according to each participant's profession and fields of interest. It aims to widen and deepen the specific knowledge and skills which help them to write their Action Plans. The following table shows the schedule and the purpose of each program.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1030.html

Posted by jicafriends at 03:16 AM | Comments (0)

November 15, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Leadership Skills

October 16 - 17, 2007 :
Leadership Skills

by Mr. Yoshinori Ikezumi,
Regional Coordinator of International People's Health Council South East / Pacific and North East Asia

The participants had the second two days' session on Leadership Skills facilitated by Mr. Ikezumi. The theme of the last session was ‘self-development’ and this time it was ‘teamwork / network building’.

Participants from Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Honduras shared their experience. They presented how they approached to their community, how they organize the people with disabilities, how they network with other organizations, what kind of roles they take etc.

From their experiences the participants could draw many important characteristics of effective leaders.

Mr. Ikezumi's four days session was very insightful. The participants had an opportunity to reflect on themselves. They learned about leadership from Mr. Ikezumi's way of being and acting and also from each other.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1016.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:05 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Visit: ‘Skip’ Setagaya Ward Employment Support Center for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

October 10, 2007 :
Visit: ‘Skip’ Setagaya Ward Employment Support Center for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities

Morning : Outline of Skip
by Mr. Hikosaburo Kamidaki, Deputy Director
Afternoon: Opinion Exchange with three members of Skip
Lecture: “Current Situation of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities in Japan”
By Ms Chihiro Kawamura, Prof. of Seiryo Univ.

Ten participants visited Skip to learn about employment support for persons with intellectual disabilities.
In the morning Mr. Hidenobu Miyatake, Director of Skip, gave a few words to the participants and then Mr. Kamidaki, Deputy Director, explained them about the outline of the Employment Support Center “Skip.”

Skip kindly arranged special lunch menu for the participants. They enjoyed seafood spaghetti, salad, soup and apple juice, however the participant from Yemen could not eat because he was fasting.

After lunch they had a wrap-up session at a patio. Mr. Yemen was in charge of facilitation today. They actively discussed about the topic they'd learned yesterday.

Then they invited three users and exchanged opinion with them. In the participants' countries, persons with intellectual disabilities are not expected as a active member of the society, so all the participants were so impressed to know they could work and enjoy their lives.

Lastly Prof. Kawamura briefly explained about the current situation of persons with intellectual disabilities for participants to get a clear idea.

From the today's comprehensive program, the participants could understand that with a proper support persons with intellectual disabilities could work and become an active member of society.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1010.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:03 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : “Current Situation of Persons with Visual Impairments in Japan”

October 9, 2007 Afternoon :
Lecture
“Current Situation of Persons with Visual Impairments in Japan”

In the afternoon the participants came back to JICA Tokyo and had a lecture on “Current Situation of Persons with Visual Impairments in Japan.” Mr. Toshio Kusunoki is the Director of the Board, Nonprofit Organization, Osaka Association of Independent Living of Persons with Disabilities. He started his lecture by telling us about his personal history and then described us about four types of barriers for persons with visual impairments as follows;

1. Problems in the legal system
2. Various kinds of physical barriers
3. Information barriers
4. Mental barriers (lack of understanding by other people, psychologicalissues)

The participants understood the issues in daily living and social participation of persons with visual impairments in Japan.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l100902.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:02 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Visit Tokyo Independent Living Support Center for the Visually Impaired

October 9, 2007 Morning :
Visit Tokyo Independent Living Support Center for the Visually Impaired

In the morning ten participants visited Tokyo Independent Living Support Center for the Visually Impaired.　Mr. Yuichi Nagaoka from guidance and training section explained us briefly about outline of the center.

This rehabilitation institution is mainly for those who acquired impairments in their sight midway in their lives. So the center provides ADL (Activities for Daily Living) skills and Braille training for reintegration to the society. The average training period is about nine months and the average age of the users is 50 years old. The participants were very much impressed to observe their service which meets the needs of each user.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l100901.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:01 PM | Comments (0)

November 08, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Current Situation of Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Japan

Oct 15, 2007 :
Current Situation of Employment of Persons with Disabilities in Japan
by Mr. Hiroshi UENO,
Chairperson of Planning Committee

Today's topic was the employment of persons with disabilities. The lecture was given by Mr. Ueno, Chairperson of Planning Committee and it covered such topics as the difference between employment in open labor market and sheltered employment, the employment quota system, and the levy and grant system of Japan etc. Some participants commented that their counties also had the employment quota system but it was not respected and most of persons with disabilities were unemployed. Although situations are different, the employment of persons with disabilities is a common issue in many countries.
So in the afternoon, each participant shared the employment situation of persons with disabilities in their respective countries.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1015.html

Posted by jicafriends at 08:54 AM | Comments (0)

November 07, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Home Visit

Oct 13, 2007 : Home Visit

10 participants were divided into four groups and each group visited different homes of Japanese people with disabilities this afternoon.

It was a great opportunity to get to know Japanese people with disabilities more personally and see how they live at home. The participants were warmly welcomed and they spent a meaningful time by conversing and exchanging opinions with their host families. They could also see various of ideas and devices applied in their house to make their living more comfortable.

We thank to the four host families for their hospitality !

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1013.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:23 PM | Comments (0)

October 22, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Presentation of Personal History

Oct 6, 2007 : Presentation of Personal History

Today 10 participants presented their personal history to share their experiences among the participants and the Japanese relevant personnel.

The briefing room was full of audience. Five planning committee members were present to raise questions and give comments. Also six trainees of Duskin Leadership Training joined to this program. As two of them were persons with hearing impairments, two sign language interpreters came to secure information access for everyone. Duskin trainees also contributed to the session by raising many questions.

All presentations were different from one another e.g. using power point, showing video clips, playing background music etc., but they were all informative. Through sharing information and experiences, we could get to know more about each other and lay foundation for further mutual understanding.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1006.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:20 PM | Comments (0)

October 16, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Transportation Accessibility in Japan

Oct 5, 2007 : Transportation Accessibility in Japan

by Mr. Yoshiaki IMAFUKU,
Transportation Affairs Officer, DPI-Japan

AM : Accessibility Check in Tokyo Metropolitan City

The participants were blessed with a sunny autumn day. It was the best climate for exploring Tokyo Metropolitan City while checking its transportation accessibility. 10 participants were divided into three groups and each group took a different route.

Group 1 : Paricipants from Chile, Honduras and Zimbabwe.

Check points :
1. A part of platform raised to clear the level difference, and
2. Platform gate

Group 2 : Participants from Costa Rica, Kyrgyz and Laos.

Check points :
1. Multi-function toilet for all users by the Universal Design,
2. Non-step streetcar, and
3. An elevator that has an exit in the right-angle direction from an entrance door

Group 3 : Participants from Cameroon, Nepal, Yemen and Zimbabwe.

Check points :
1. Platform gate and
2. Non-step bus

PM : Lecture on Current Situation and Challenges of Transportation Accessibility in Japan as of 2007

Mr. Imafuku has many years of experience of fighting for transportation accessibility in Japan. Using the photos we took during the accessibility check in the morning, Mr. Imafuku explained about the current situation and challenges of transportation accessibility in Japan. One of the messages Mr. Imafuku conveyed was that the most important thing is not just to have such devices as ramps or gates. What is more important is the people such as train staff who bring these devices.

Before closing today's session, the course participants shared the condition of transportation accessibility in each country.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1005.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:24 PM | Comments (0)

October 14, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Visit to Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Center for the Disabled

Oct 7, 2007:
Visit to Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Center for the Disabled
(unofficial visit)

One week has passed since the training program started on Monday Oct. 1.

Although today's visit was unofficial and not obligatory, all participants decided to visit the Tokyo Metropolitan Sports Center for the Disabled. Mr. Ueno, chairperson of Planning Committee and his friend Mr. Kanoya accompanied them all day.

As it was Saturday, the center was full of people and there was a lively atmosphere. All participants made their own user's card and with this card they can come back to use this center at anytime for free of charge. The participants observed the center's facilities and then tried some exercising equipments and played table tennis etc.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1007.html

Posted by jicafriends at 06:53 PM | Comments (1)

TRAINING REPORT : Leadership Skills

Oct 3 & 4, 2007 : Leadership Skills (Theme: Self-development)

by Mr. Yoshinori Ikezumi,
Regional Coordinator of International People's Health Council South East / Pacific and North East Asia

Mr. Ikezumi has a lot of experience as an NGO worker in many countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America. On Wednesday and Thursday, the participants had a stimulating session on leadership skills with him. The theme of the two days session was 'self-development'. A participatory approach is used in his workshop and everyone in the room without exception is encouraged to participate and contribute to the process of learning. We would like to leave the details of workshop contents secrete for future participants to discover.

We have four days with Mr. Ikezumi during this training course and the next session is on Oct. 16 and 17 with a theme 'teamwork/network building and organizational building'.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1003.html

Posted by jicafriends at 06:49 PM | Comments (0)

October 10, 2007

TARINING REPORT : My Daily Life

Oct 2, 2007 : My Daily Life

What is the daily life of persons with disabilities in Japan like?

The first lecture of this training course was two case studies of daily life of persons with disabilities in Japan. Ms. Horiuchi, committee member, and Ms. Sadaie, Jica officer, explained about their everyday life using video clips which filmed their daily activities such as cooking, cleaning, traveling, shopping etc. The participants could learn what kind of services are provided for persons with disabilities in Japan and how they live independently.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1002.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:43 PM | Comments (0)

TRAINING REPORT : Opening Ceremony and Program Orientation

Oct 1, 2007 : Opening Ceremony and Program Orientation

The Opening Ceremony was held at JICA Tokyo today to celebrate the start of the training course in Leadership Development of Persons with Disabilities.
This year, we welcomed 10 participants from 10 different countries:
Cameroon, Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Nepal, Yemen, and Zimbabwe.

It was followed by the program orientation by Mr. Ueno, a chairperson of Planning Committee. Each participant introduced him/herself and expressed his/her anticipation for this training course.

Before closing today’s session, JICA demonstrated some assistive devices available at JICA Tokyo where the participants are staying.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l1001.html

Posted by jicafriends at 05:28 PM | Comments (0)

October 04, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Orientation and mobility training for participants with visual impairments

Sep 24, 2007 : Orientation and mobility training for participants with visual impairments

A participant from Honduras arrived first at JICA Tokyo on September 23,
2007 and Indonesian participant arrived next day for the orientation and mobility training inside JICA Tokyo. With intention to attend general orientation and briefing organized by JICA and JICE together with other participants, they arrived earlier.

Mr. Yuichi Nagaoka, manager of guidance and training section at Tokyo Independent Living Support Center for the Visually Impaired was in charge of orientation and mobility training for them. And now they could walk around JICA Tokyo freely.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/leaders/gi2007/training/l0924.html

Posted by jicafriends at 11:25 PM | Comments (0)

August 07, 2007

TRAINING REPORT : Reflection Session

June 22, 2007:
Reflection Session

Ten participants discussed on "How to promote employment of persons with disabilities in their home countries" and submitted the following report.
Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment Creation of PWDs
JICA Tokyo, 15 May - 30 June 2007

Report of the Reflection Session

We started our session by talking about how to promote employment for PWDs in our countries. In this regard all of us felt that to start with it is very important to collect and maintain data on PWDs in our respective countries. So we all felt that it is important to collect information on the types of disability and socio-economic status of PWDs. There were differences of opinion on how to go bout collecting data - start big or start small. All of us recognized the difficulties in collecting good quality data and the cost involved in this. Since our discussion was just focusing on this issue for a long period we were lead to go on to discuss how we can promote employment of PWDs in our countries using the knowledge from this training.

It was highlighted that in Sri Lanka there are no big companies or open labour market as in Japan. So based on the knowledge we received it is possible to create networks with small companies to promote employment of PWDs. And it was also highlighted that self employment can be promoted among the PWDs by providing vocational training for them. It was also noted that Japan Sun Industries (JSI) was initially started as a small workshop.

One participant stressed the importance of collecting data of employers as well to see if they are willing to take PWDs as employees. And if so PWDs can be trained to match with the type of employment offered at those companies. The participant also noted the difficulty with promoting employment for people with intellectual disabilities rather than PWDs with physical disabilities. So it would be better to start off with we should be thinking about promoting employment of PWDs with physical disabilities.

The participant from Sri Lanka shared information on how they conducted a very successful job matching fair by inviting PWDs who have completed vocational training at the Department of Social Services and employers. During this fair employers came with information on their vacancies and interviewed PWDs and selected PWDs for their jobs. Out of the 87 PWDs who attended this fair 56 were employed. And it was interesting to learn that employers requested for such a fair but unfortunately the Department of Social Services did not have information of PWDs trained (or maybe did not have trained PWDs). Most of the participants liked this idea.

A participant noted that if all of us are from the government side it would have been easy to take measures to promote employment of PWDs. But another participant noted that even NGOs can advocate and pressure governments to take such measures.

One participant also noted that because employers and the general public do not understand the abilities of PWDs as employees that it would be very useful to provide such information using flyers and the media etc.

It was also noted that most of us had the understanding that PWDs with intellectual disability cannot be employed. However after the training we all believe in the employability of PWDs with intellectual disabilities.

One participant also highlighted that many NGOs conduct training for lots of PWDs but they forget about the ex-trainees when they complete the courses. For these ex-trainees it is important to have support services like job coaches/trial employment opportunities for them to be successfully employed after the trainings.

Some participants noted that some of the NGOs in their countries have good data collection on PWDs and employers by a voluntary registration process.

We were also told that some prominent universities like University of Tokyo is hiring PWDs with intellectually disabilities for cleaning.

One participant highlighted the importance of using PWD role models in educating the public on promotion of employment for PWDs. Some noted that it is hard to advocate when you do not have role models.

The importance of all of us communicating/networking after we go back on the developments in our countries and helping each other to effectively promote employment of PWDs was also noted.

As the situation of each of our countries is different self advocacy is a very important and a useful method in promoting employment of PWDs.

All of us found that this training course to be extremely useful and some of it very applicable to our own countries. And this experience has opened our eyes to the possibilities available for us to work in our countries to promote the rights of PWDs.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2007/training/v062202.html

Posted by jicafriends at 12:33 PM | Comments (0)

July 15, 2007

TRAINING REPORT: Local Visit (Day 3)

June 6, 2007:
"Local Visit (Day 3)"

Lecture Material:
http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/pdf/v2007lecture060601.pdf
http://jicafriends.jp/vocational/pdf/v2007lecture060602.pdf

Today's first visit was Oita Vocational Center for Persons with Disabilities. The center offers a series of support from consultation on employment to follow-up after being employed in close linkage with the public employment security office and various organizations in the fields of welfare, medicine and education to persons with disabilities and their employers.

JICA participants had already visited Chiba Vocational Center with Mr. Nonaka on May 24. The participants were surprised to observe the quality of services provided in Oita was just as the same as and as good as in Chiba.

In the afternoon they visited "Oita Plaza", Employment and Living Support Center for Persons with Disabilities.

Participants were very impressed to see ten national flags on the wall.

Oita Plaza provides not only information related to employment for persons with disabilities but also place to work at its attached workshop.

Participants were divided into three groups and exchanged the opinions with users of the workshop.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2007/training/v0606.html

Posted by jicafriends at 12:23 AM | Comments (0)

July 13, 2007

TRAINING REPORT: Visit to Workshop and Home of Persons with Disabilities in Atsugi City

May 28, 2007:
Visit to Workshop and Home of Persons with Disabilities in Atsugi City

Ten participants visited the community of Atsugi city in Kanagawa Pref.
Prof. Ogawa, one of our planning committee members organized today's program.

In the morning, JICA participants called on a person with cervical injury.
She lives on the first floor of the public housing and her house is remodeled to meet her needs to live independently. She uses personal assistant services everyday so that she does not have to depend on her family all the time. In most of the participants' countries, family members are the care givers and it becomes a big burden to them. Before the JICA participants left her house, she explained them how many times she had to visit City Hall to convince government officers to provide her present services.

The participants had lunch at "Donguri (Acorn)", a coffee shop in Atsugi City Hall, where many persons with intellectual disabilities are working.
After lunch they had a wrap-up session there. Today's facilitator was the participant from Cambodia.

They had an opportunity to visit Consultation Room which was located in the same building. It was divided into three sections for physical, intellectual and mental disability each. Counselors for each type of disabilities are stationed there and citizens with disabilities living in Atsugi city can visit and get information related to welfare services for free.

In the afternoon, the participants visited a home of a couple with disabilities. They built their dream house in Atsugi city. They remodeled their house to meet their needs and use many different types of assistive devices and equipments. They also use personal assistant services for bathing. A participant form Indonesia tried the lift and was transferred from the bed to the bathroom. It is not easy for the couple to pay back their debts, however they decided to leave the institution and live independently in the community.

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2007/training/v0528.html

Posted by jicafriends at 02:43 PM | Comments (0)

July 10, 2007

TRAINING REPORT: Closing Ceremony and Farewell party

June 29, 2007:
Closing Ceremony and Farewell party
Training Report - Vocational Rehabilitation Course 2007

Mr. Fuminari HASHIMOTO, Team Director of Human Development Team JICA gave the closing speech. Then the congratulatory speech was given by Mr. Shuzo KATAISHI, executive director of JSRPD to the ten course participants.

Today is not the end! Although the training in Japan was concluded, this is a new starting point for the participants. Now they go back to their countries with new knowledge and experiences to share with their people. The participants are required to report the progress of their action plan after six months of their return and today Ms. Sadaie, JICA program officer, showed a certificate which the participants will receive upon the submission of their progress report.

The participant from Kazakhstan, on behalf of the ten participants, made a speech and expressed their gratitude for the golden opportunity to take training in Japan. She told us that this speech was made by all the course participants through a group discussion.

Speech by the Kazakhstan participant

Farewell party：

The encounter of friends and people with the same aspiration is precious.

So let's keep in touch with each other and work towards the same overarching goal to promote the employment of persons with disabilities in each country. This is not a farewell, but we look forward to seeing each other again!

http://www.jicafriends.jp/vocational/gi2007/training/v062901.html

Posted by jicafriends at