With the coming of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), there is suddenly a sense of hyperactivity towards two supposed power centres: Geneva and New York. Everybody who is anybody in the disability world seems to want to be seen there. As our mailboxes incessantly beep with incoming messages with tidings from Geneva and New York, I am apprehensive.

When I see this sudden flurry towards a top down flow of information, it makes me nervous. Communication is neither a top down nor a bottoms up approach. It needs to give equal weightage to both. In this case, however, I dare say it needs to pay more attention to the bottoms up traffic.

CRPD is a great tool no doubt. But what does it say that the disability sector has not known for years. Not much. The right to education, access, information, health, social security, and so on and above all the dignity and integrity of a person with disability is not something that dropped down in the form of CRPD like manna from heaven. We all knew all of this before CRPD and we all know it now. But suddenly, all our energies seem to be focused on what is happening in Geneva and New York, on submissions, on reports, on Committees, on resolutions. While I am not denying the importance of those processes, I am cautioning against neglecting national issues, local issues, and what is happening in our own backyards.

CRPD will not be implemented by either Geneva or New York. CRPD will be implemented by the grassroots persons with disabilities by ensuring that disability is an integral part of their local and national policies. CRPD will be truly implemented when people with disabilities at the grassroots become a force to be reckoned with in their own locality, province and country.

Note: This article was published as a blog on the Disability Rights Knowledge Network, hosted by the Commonwealth Connects Portal. http://www.commonwealthconnects.org/connects/

Please join us as we celebrate another year of the United States International Council on Disabilities' work towards the full inclusion of people with disabilities through global engagement and U.S. foreign affairs.

USICD will be providing some exciting updates on the status of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the United States. USICD is also honored to host the Shoji Nakanishi, who will provide brief remarks. Shoji is the Director of the Japan Council on Independent Living Centers and has been a leading disaster relief advocate for people with disabilities following the Tohoku-Kanto Great Earthquake.

Date: Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Time: 3:30 pm - 5:30 pm
Location: U.S. Access Board 1331 F St. NW, Suite 800 Washington, DC 20004

To attend, please click here to RSVP.
We look forward to seeing you at the reception and meeting in June!

Sincerely,

David Morrissey
Executive Director

CART and ASL Interpretation will be provided. If you have any question or if you would like to discuss accommodations, please contact Susie Richard at 202-347-0102 or at srichard@usicd.org

I have collected Deaf News Media Presentation (Samples) from four places and will send you the report asap.

We have also arranged “Deaf Entertainment” program in Mumbai on 17th June from 4pm to 7pm at Sahitya Sangh Mandir, Churni Road.
We have printed coupons for the same and the capacity of the hall is 820 seats.
We will be telecasting the same in Deaf News for 20 minutes.

Kindly watch this Deaf Entertainment video:
Click it : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMq4Fdx33mc&feature=channel&list=UL

Will update the records:)

Best Regards,
Arti Umrotkar(Ms.)

Two visually impaired persons read Braille books at Bangladesh Braille Library in the city’s Kattali area.

Bangladesh Braille Library (BBL) continues its relentless efforts to facilitate education for visually impaired people through publishing Braille books.

BBL, the country’s lone Braille library, by now has a rich collection of over 500 books in Braille version, including the Quran, the Bible, law books, story books, novels, science fictions and educational magazines. Some of these books were published from Chittagong Compu-terised Braille Production Centre (CCBPC) run under it while the rest were donated by different organisations.

The Braille library, which started its journey with about 100 visually impaired members, currently has more than 300 members.

Alongside lending books to its members, the BBL supplies Braille books to the Braille Book Corner introduced at the library of Dhaka University under its initiative back in 2006. Besides, BBL also organises training on Braille writing and reading, essay competitions, book fairs, discussion programmes and so on for the visually impaired persons.

The noble work of easing education for visually impaired persons began with setting up of ‘Chittagong Computerised Braille Production Centre(CCBPC)’ by Unite Theatre for Social Action (UTSA), a non-government organisation in the port city. CCBPC launched its operation in March 2004 through publishing ten copies of `English for Today’ of Class III in Braille version before UTSA founded the BBL on its premises in 2005.

Before launching the centre, Dr Mohammad Jahangir, the then president of Rotary Club of Islamabad in Chittagong, extended his all out support to arrange a training programme on Braille publications. A trainer from Index Braille, Sweden and another two from Malaysian Council for the Blind, Malaysia conducted the week-long programme to train four trainees from Chittagong and two from Dhaka.

Sources said the British Council, Chittagong Centre offered to use their auditorium as well as computers without any charge to assist the training.

Dr Jahangir also helped import special types of papers used for printing the books while the printer was donated by Malaysian Council for the Blind.

After the demise of Dr Jahangir in 2007, his wife Dr Shahana Begum, also then president of Rotary Club of Rose Garden, continued extending support for the library through donating two book shelves and shifting BBL to Dr Mohammad Jahangir Complex in the city’s Munshipara of Uttar Kattola area in January 2011, they said.

Japan Braille Library, Washington Braille Press and Indiana Braille Library of the USA have been contributing a number of publications in the library regularly.

Type Savers International, a UK-based voluntary organisation, Bangladesh Freedom Foundation, AK Khan Foundation and Chittagong City Corporation provided a great support to publish books in Braille versions for students of different classes, said the sources.

Arifur Rahman, programme officer of BBL, said that due to lack of fund, the production centre and the library find it difficult to buy costly printing materials for publishing Braille books and providing honorarium to the staffs.

Cooperation of all can ensure availability of Braille books and help visually impaired students to study, he observed.

This information was provided Mr. mostafa kamal, Bangladesh Braille Library

Media release

9 May 2012 /// Preventing and eliminating barriers to accessibility for persons with disabilities should be a condition to fulfil in order to receive European money. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities should be at the core of the European Funds allocated to Members States and the European regions. It is crucial the funds are effective and ensure implementation of the UN treaty. During a workshop organised on 8 May by EDF and MEP Danuta Hübner (EPP, Poland), the European Parliament sent a strong messages to the Members States: the removal of crucial conditionalities is not acceptable: the future Cohesion Policy 2014-2020 will have to include persons with disabilities.

The European Parliament is now in the driver’s seat concerning the future cohesion policy: with the Treaty of Lisbon, it has become a formal co-legislator in the cohesion field. This provides the Members of Parliament with a unique opportunity to ensure that the Structural Funds meet the needs of all European citizens, including 80 million European with disabilities.

The new Regulations on the EU Structural Funds have been released by the Commission last year in times of financial cuts. The MEPs together with key actors have brought to the EDF’s workshop a strong political message supporting people with disabilities. They have focuses on four main issues:
■the importance and support to the ex ante conditionalities,
■the need to enhance accessibility provisions in the regulation,
■ensure partnership on equal footing with the representative organisations of persons with disabilities,
■
the Structural Funds are a crucial test for the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

For more infomation: http://www.edf-feph.org/Page_Generale.asp?DocID=13855&thebloc=29976

It is the great privilege for me to inform you that People Living in Unified Society (PLUS Cambodia) is going to organize a training course on Logical Framework Approach (LFA). The course will start on June 20 and end on June 24, 2012 at Cambodia Japan Cooperation Center (CJCC).

The training is for those working in none governmental organizations (NGOs) and donor community, whose main focus is on developing proposals and managing programs. Those who are in the positions of middle or senior management within the organizations like Executive Directors, Program Managers, Program Coordinators, M&E Officers, and Grant Officers are welcome to this training. For those who have ambition to hold the above-mentioned positions in the near future is highly recommended to attend.

The deadline for application is June 11, 2012. Failure to return your completed training application form within the given deadline may affect your eligibility.

Should you need more information or further details, please kindly find the enclosed Training Opportunity herewith or make a direct contact with me.
Download file

With very best and warmest regards,

Ms. Ngeth Raksmey
Training Coordinator
E-mail: raksmey@pluscambodia.org
training@pluscambodia.org
Tel: 089-350-567/023-6999-624

Background
Children with disabilities are among the most stigmatized and excluded of all the world’s
children. It is because of their level of exclusion that it remains a challenge to have
reliable data on the number of children with disabilities globally. Children with disabilities
face substantial social stigma and marginalization, and as a consequence are more likely
to be among the poorest, deprived of family care and health services, without access to
school, discriminated against, and vulnerable to both physical and sexual abuse. Girls
with disabilities face a particularly complex and layered experience of double
discrimination and disadvantage, which can multiply if they are living in poverty or from
an ethnic minority.
As the world’s leading UN agency for children, and after consulting with different
partners in the field, UNICEF is interested in convening a meeting of Governments, UN
agencies, Non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Civil-society organization (CSOs),
Disabled Persons organizations (DPOs) and academia to lay the foundation for a global
partnership that would ensure the rights of children with disabilities are included in
international development cooperation agenda and ensure effective cooperation.
The primary aims of the meeting are to:
• Exchange information on work in the area described above is being done at the
country, regional and global levels (coverage, policies, laws, investments, etc.)
• Establish common principles, strategies and priorities to progress on work started
• Agree on a model for coordinated action/partnership.
It is proposed that the forum is organized at UNICEF House (New York, USA) for 1.5
days, in mid-September 2012. A possibility being considered by the partners is to hold it
in conjunction with the Fifth Conference of States Parties on the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities in September 2012.
The forum will include a combination of panel discussions, working sessions and will
provide an opportunity for participants to share and showcase their work with the aim to
identify strategic opportunities for partnering at all levels.
The forum will include representatives of Governments, UN agencies, NGOs, CSOs,
DPOs, and academia and will engage the following global cross-disability networks:
International Disability Alliance, International Disability and Development Consortium,
Global Partnership on Disability and Development.
Taking the opportunity of having major international disability-focus organizations at the
forum, it is planned to launch the UNICEF Orientation on Disabilities for all Staff and
Partners at the reception ceremony on September 14th.

To learn more: Download file

Here is General Information on Improvement of the Social Welfare System for your reference.

Download file

We hope this information helps you.
The secretariat for jicafriends

Disability Rights Fund Announces Letter of Interest Process for Bangladesh, Peru and Uganda

May 4, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Diana Samarasan, Director
Telephone: 617-261-4593
Email: dsamarasan@disabilityrightsfund.org

BOSTON, MA – The Disability Rights Fund (DRF) announces a letter of interest (LoI) process for Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs) in Bangladesh, Peru and Uganda.

DRF is a grantmaking collaborative between donors and the global disability community which supports the human rights of persons with disabilities. DRF empowers DPOs in the Global South, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union to participate in implementation and monitoring of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CPRD).

DPOs in Bangladesh, Peru and Uganda have received DRF support since 2008. To determine if proposed projects fit DRF eligibility criteria and priority funding areas, DPOs from these countries must first submit a letter of interest. Eligibility criteria and letter of interest details are posted on the Fund’s website, http://www.disabilityrightsfund.org/grantmaking.

DPOs may apply as a) single organizations or partnerships for 12-month Small Grants and/or b) national DPO-led coalitions for 24-month National Coalition Grants. Grants to single organizations will range from USD 5,000 to 20,000 and will support efforts to build CRPD skills and to develop rights-based advocacy and monitoring on the CRPD. Grants to national DPO-led coalitions will range from USD 30,000 to 50,000 per year (60,000 – 100,000 over 24 months) and will support the production of alternative/parallel reports to UN monitoring mechanisms and/or follow-up to recommendations from these mechanisms. Proposals for passage of specific legislation to accord with the CRPD will be reviewed by the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund.

Any questions on the letter of interest process should be directed to info@disabilityrightsfund.org. The deadline for receipt of Letters of Interest is June 11, 2012.

In publicizing this LoI process, Director Diana Samarasan said, "DRF is excited to announce continuing support to DPOs in Bangladesh, Peru, and Uganda. The LoI enables organizations to apply in a more efficient process. Organizations provide concise information about their project so that DRF can determine fit with its criteria and priorities. Qualifying organizations are then invited to submit a full proposal.” To date, the Fund has given out nearly $7 million to organizations in 20 countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Ukraine, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru, Ghana, Namibia, Uganda, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu). Grants have rangedfrom USD 5,000 to 100,000 and support CRPD skills-building, local rights advocacy, and national-level CRPD promotion, implementation and monitoring by DPO-led coalitions.

Donors include the American Jewish World Service, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the Leir Foundation, the Open Society Foundations, The Sigrid Rausing Trust, and the United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).

There has been mounting concern over his future amid confusing accounts, including from Chen himself, on his decision to leave US diplomatic protection and remain in China, and his subsequent desire to leave.

US state department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland confirmed that Chen and his wife had spoken to US officials and "they as a family have had a change of heart about whether they want to stay in China". She said US officials needed to talk further with Chen to decide on options.

Chen had earlier told the Daily Beast in an interview from his hospital room in Beijing that his "fervent hope is that it would be possible for me and my family to leave for the US on Hillary Clinton's plane."

The activist, who is blind, left the US embassy in Beijing after agreeing to a deal allowing him to stay in China and study law at university, with reassurances from authorities.

But it appears he changed his mind after being reunited with his wife, Yuan Weijing, and their children at the hospital, talking to friends about the risks, and learning from Yuan about apparent threats made by local officials in the eastern province of Shandong, where the family lived under a brutal regime of illegal house arrest for 19 months prior to his escape.

Asked about Chen's case at a regular press briefing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said: "After Chen Guangcheng's release from prison he was a free person, as far as I know. He has been living in his home town."

In a phone interview with the Guardian, Chen said he was worried about his health, the safety of relatives still in his home town and his lack of communication with the outside world. "I can't go out. No friends visit me. For a time, my cell phone did not work last night so I worry so much about my relatives back home."

Although his wife was with him, he said the main concern was for family members still in his home village, where security has been tightened. "There are many people around my home with sticks and they have installed closed circuit cameras. I heard they are putting an electric fence around my home."

His health is another worry. "My condition is not very good. The blood in my stool is still very serious, and my leg is broken and in plaster," he said, before the phone was cut off.

Chen initially told the Associated Press a US official had told him Yuan would have been beaten to death if he did not leave the mission – a claim the US has adamantly denied.

He later told CNN that Yuan had relayed the threat from guards herself, and then told the Daily Beast the threat had been implicit rather than explicit. Yuan also told CNN: "I became really worried: If they ever get us back home, they would put us in an iron cage."

On Wednesday night, Nuland, the US state department spokeswoman, said in a statement that no US official spoke to Chen about physical or legal threats to his family and nor did the Chinese relay any such threats to American diplomats.

She added that Chen had expressed his desire to stay in China throughout talks.

But she confirmed US officials had passed on the Chinese warning that his family would be returned to Shandong if he stayed at the embassy.

"The problem is not that they relayed it to him – as they should have done – but that it should have raised alarm bells. You have to conclude that if the authorities were ready to play these games they were probably not ready to guarantee his safety," said Nicholas Bequelin of Human Rights Watch.

Gary Locke, the US ambassador, told reporters he could say unequivocally that Chen was never pressured to leave the embassy.

Teng has said via Twitter he had spoken to Chen several times on Wednesday, discussing whether he could be protected if he remained in China, before the activist changed his mind.

He added on Thursday in another tweet: "No one has the right to make decisions for Guangcheng, but all people who have access to Guangcheng have a responsibility to give him all the information related to his decision. Guangcheng said the information he got before left the embassy was very little.

"Weijing also has limited information due to years of isolation and threats. All I can do is give him the relevant information. The [first] decision was made when there was less information and the different decision was made when there was more information … which one is more respectable? It is obvious."

Two American diplomats and an American doctor were seen at the Beijing hospital where Chen is receiving medical treatment on Thursday morning, although it was uncertain whether they had been allowed in.

Hillary Clinton, who is in Beijing for annual bilateral talks now overshadowed by Chen's case, urged China to protect human rights in remarks at the opening of the meeting, but did not mention the activist specifically.

"Of course, as part of our dialogue, the United States raises the importance of human rights and fundamental freedoms," the secretary of state added.

"We believe all governments have to answer our citizens' aspirations for dignity and the rule of law and that no nation can or should deny those rights."

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world

The National Trust along with the Forest department came together in putting together a tree project along the river banks.
A total of 5000 trees was planted to help keep our forest area.
The ST. Lucia Blind Welfare Association which Mr. Alphonse belonged as IT Instructor participated in the project.

TOKYO: Blind people in Japan marked this year’s International Guide Dog Day, an event held around the world to promote awareness of guide dogs’ roles in helping persons with disabilities, by launching a parade in the capital appealing for better access to shops.

The parade, which continued for roughly two kilometers around Tokyo’s Shibuya Ward, was organized as part of the 10th anniversary of the enforcement of Japan’s Act on Assistance Dogs for Physically Disabled Persons, an ordinance that promotes self-sufficiency among persons with disabilities who use assistance dogs.

Some 150 blind people and others, accompanied by 24 guide dogs, took part in the event. By calling out, “Let’s create a city free of guide dog-refusing shops, starting in Shibuya” to passersby, the participants promoted the act and appealed against shops and other facilities that continue to refuse entry to guide dogs.

“There are still many shops that are not keen on letting in guide dogs based on religious or other reasons,” says Shigenori Maruyama, 59, a blind man who took part in the parade. “In order for everyone to feel relaxed, it is necessary that both sides understand each other’s feelings.”

International Guide Dog Day was established in 1992, and is held annually on the last Wednesday of April.

Source: http://mainichi.jp

An unfortunate incident happened to a Filipina (Filipino woman) PWD.
She boarded a flight to Singapore where she had to crawl down from the airplane to unboard. Please watch the news clip in English for more details: (copy and paste the link to your browser address bar, a short advertisement will be shown before the clip itself)

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/anc/04/26/12/disabled-pinay-forced-crawl-down-airplane#ooid=xxZTBrNDqck4OgdF9AOJD1eCerMGkwqV

Indeed we have to do more to improve equal access to safe, fast and reliable transportation.
Just to update everyone, it is now clear that it is actually Changi Airport management that seeks payment for the use of its lift: an act that is clearly a violation of the right to accessible and safe transportation.

Although I still think that Cebu Pacific (the airline carrier) has a certain degree of responsibility for its own lapses. (ie: not informing the passenger of the additional fee at the time of ticket purchase, etc.)

May I therefore call on our fellows in Singapore to help us negotiate and lobby with the management of Changi Airport so that its policy be reviewed particularly that of providing services to wheelchair users who transit there.

Also, we call on our fellows in Malaysia to negotiate with its own airport for the same end.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts and comments!

Best Regards,
Christopher Abriam

Finally, a ray of hope has appeared. AKBAYAN is an organization represented in the lower house of the Philippine Congress(legislative branch.) Its representative has vowed to initiate an inquiry on the matter at hand. (Please read full details below)

I will continue to update later.

Cheers!
Christopher Abriam

From:
http://www.akbayan.org.ph/news/12-press-releases

Above link/page is copy-pasted below:

Press
Releases
Published on Sunday, 29 April 2012 11:19

Akbayan Party expressed outrage over Cebu Pacific's "lack of
compassion and gross insensitivity to the plight of persons with
disabilities" following Ms. Socorro Jabor's account of the airline's
terrible treatment of passengers with disabilities.

"Akbayan will investigate the matter and ensure that Cebu Pacific is
made accountable for their treatment of passengers with
disabilities," Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello said.

According to reports, Jabor, a bilateral leg amputee, was made to
crawl out of the airplane in Singapore after Cebu Pacific failed to
inform her that she must pay P11,000.00 for the usage of a wheelchair
lift. It was also reported that Cebu Pacific pinned the blame on the
travel agent that arranged Jabor's flight.

"This is a question of command responsibility, the burden is on Cebu
Pacific, and all other airlines, to ensure the safety and convenience
of all their passengers, and they should be doubly attentive to the
needs of PWDs who are flying with them," Bello added.

The Civil Aeronautics Board also said that it was industry practice
to charge PWDs an extra fee for the usage of wheelchair lifts; for
Bello, this reveals a bigger problem with respect to ensuring the
free and unimpeded mobility of persons with disabilities.

"Hindi makatarungan ang sistemang pinagbabayad ang mga may-kapansanan
dahil sa kapansanan nila," Bello said. "A wheelchair lift, or any
other facility that would ensure the mobility of PWDs, should be made
readily available to anyone who will need it."

Bello committed to develop a remedy to this predicament that PWDs
upon the resumption of session in Congress in May.

"Akbayan strongly believes that it is the government's duty to ensure
that PWDs live a life of dignity, and that includes the right to
unimpeded travel and mobility," Bello concluded. "With the PWD
groups, we will develop a remedy to this enduring problem, one that
will likewise set the standard for the quality of service that
airlines should provide PWDs."

Last year, Bello led investigations into drug retail giant Mercury
Drug Corporation's refusal to provide PWDs 20% discount on medicines,
as stipulated by law. The investigations resulted into the signing of
a memorandum of agreement between Mercury Drug Corporation and the
Lower House Committee on Social Services that sealed Mercury Drug
Corporation's commitment to honor the 20% discount for all PWDs, and
provide Congress regular updates of their implementation of the discount

Greeting from Nepal.

Please find our newsletter of Disabled New Life Center(DNC), Nepal where I'm working as Public Relation Manager.
DNC is non government organization, established to provide medical, physiotherapy and education to physically challenged children to make them self reliant, independent and role model for the society.
We anticpipate your relevent comments, feedback and support for our children's growth.
Download file

Thanking all

With Best Wishes

Jamuna Subedi
Nepal Disabled Newlife Center
Website.www.disablednewlifecenter.org

MALAYSIA, Feb 29: A newly set up employment portal www.OKUjobs.com.my for people with disabilities, will help them secure jobs easily.

The portal was formed by Beautiful Gate Foundation for people with disabilities, in collaboration with Japan International Cooperation Agency Malaysia Office (JICA), Student in Free Enterprise of Tunku Abdul Rahman College (SIFE) and SayIT Sdn Bhd.

The launch of the job portal was officiated by Minister in the Prime Minister's department Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon at Jaya 33 Cyber Centre here.

The portal was sponsored by Sompo Japan Foundation.

Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled executive director Sia Siew Chin said the portal allows employers to look for the right candidate.

"Currently, the employment rate of the disabled is about five per cent. There is a need to increase the employment rate for people with disabilities to enable them to be financially independent and live with dignity in the community," said Sia.

"People with disabilities have a lot of potential to excel in their career and this portal serves as a platform for the OKU to show their skills to their prospective employers," she said.

Koh described the initiative of creating the portal as meaningful and creative.

"I urge organisations to demonstrate more corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes to help the OKU. I want them to not only contribute monetarily but also by providing job opportunities," said Koh.

"Despite their disabilities, they too can become major contributors of the economy if they are given the opportunity."

Present at the event were Petaling Jaya Utara member of parliament Tony Pua, Sompo Japan Foundation chairman Hideki Okabayas, JICA representative Shino Kubo, Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled organising committee chairman Ivy Pua, SIFE Alumni Amanda Poon, Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College student affairs department director Ung Thean Lim, TAR College students and representatives from OKU organisations.

Beautiful Gate Foundation for the Disabled also launched a mini job fair for the OKU.

Ng Bee Kean, 40, from Persatuan Berdikari Untuk OKU, who is paralysed from waist down since her childhood, said the portal is a blessing.

"Not only does this portal offer job opportunities, it also gives hope. We can access it through the Internet and this makes hunting for a job an easier task," said Ng.

Mastura Zahari from Malaysia Association for the Blind (MAB) said the portal is a good platform to reduce the number of unemployment among OKU.

She urged that more job opportunities are offered to the blind.

"Employment opportunities for the blind are limited. I hope more organisations will help the visually-impaired to work for them," said Mastura.

Source: http://www.nst.com.my