Ms. Nyunt Nyunt Win, a former participant of Leaders’ Course 2000, and Deputy Principal of the school gave us a warm welcome at the guest room.

There are only two vocational training schools for persons with disabilities in Myanmar including this training school. Six training courses such as electronic engineering（TV, radio and DVD player repairing,）tailoring, silk screen printing, photography, hair dressing and basic computer skill are provided there for free.

Ms. Nyunt Nyunt takes responsibility for recruiting new trainees, reporting to the government, and supporting Principal. She also works as an instructor for the photograph course. She has been making her tireless efforts to improve the quality of lives of persons with disabilities in Myanmar. We could see her trainees are motivated and encouraged to learn new skills by her.

Two days later we visited JICA Myanmar Office with Ms. Nyunt Nyunt. We met Chief Representative and two Project Formulation Advisors. One of them was in charge of Health and the other person in charge of Human Development including disability issue. We exchanged opinions about the ongoing projects and current situation of persons with disabilities in Myanmar. We promised to keep in contact and work in closer cooperation with each other.

It’s also worth noting that Ms. Nyunt Nyunt belongs to Myanmar Alumni Association of JICA training course.http://www.jica.go.jp/myanmar/english/office/others/alumni.html
She has been working hard for persons with disabilities in Myanmar by cooperating with the other former participants and JICA Myanmar Office.

The secretariat of jicafriends

KINGSTON(JIS):
Tuesday, March 02, 2010

The Ministry of Labour and Social Security says that a new committee has been named to expedite the passage of the National Disability Bill.

The committee was set up two weeks ago by the National Advisory Board on Disability, chaired by Dr. Patricia Dunwell, and comes against the background of renewed efforts by Minister of State, Hon. Andrew Gallimore, to have the proposed Bill brought before Parliament during the current legislative year.

Mr. Gallimore has portfolio responsibility for persons with disabilities in the Ministry of Labour and Social Security.

The committee members are: Dr. Polly Bowes-Howell (chairman); former Senator, Floyd Morrison; Iris Soutar, executive officer of the Jamaica Association for the Deaf (JAD); and Ministry representatives Ann-Marie Dobson, Carla-Anne Harris-Roper and Collette Roberts-Risden.

According to Dr. Dunwell, the National Disability Bill is now in its ninth draft and has taken into account recommendations and suggestions from various stakeholders.

She has assured the community of persons with disabilities that the document has her full support, as well as that of Mr. Gallimore.

She said she welcomes public integration and participation of persons with disabilities into society.

In a release making the announcement, the Ministry said it notes recent comments by Mr. Morrison, regarding delays in completing the proposed legislation, and is assuring the public that seeming delays in consultation are not designed to retard the progress of the Bill, but to allow for full participation by persons with disabilities, so that the final document will genuinely reflect their views and contributions.

The Ministry said it continues to work, assiduously, to expedite this important legislation, "as the country prepares to implement its Vision 2030 National Development Plan, which is based on the principle of people at the centre of Jamaica's transformation."

http://www.jis.gov.jm/labour/html/20100303T090000-0500_23098_JIS_NEW_COMMITTEE_TO_EXPEDITE_DISABILITY_BILL.asp

I'm fine with my family, but was a great earthquake, with many people dead and may increase the number of deaths.

Luckily! I live in the capital and thank God it was possible to resist ....even continuous shaking, but I hope to God that this will stop at some point.

From my town "Peñalolen" we are organizing ways to help the people of southern Chile.
We would like to know if we can count on your help.
How can we turn to connect and build collaboration?

a big hug to everyone and thanks for the encouraging words.

Lilian Garrido Vasquez
Participant of Leadership Development Course 2007
Santiago de Chile

I humble need to make an important request related to the earthquake and tsunami in Chile. Is a different one, is not about any kind of resources but your expertise and knolwdge.

We are now facing as a country is the first stage: the emergency. this part is about finding people, restablish order, services and so on

but we need to rebuild a country for everyone, to re build universaly and full inclusive. we also need to help many chilean PwD's they lost even wheelchairs and other important elements.

So, we in the Universidad Austral de Chile (Austral University) are working in a full plan for the authorities, we need all support from all of you, your knwoledge, we need you to check our papers correcting adding or anything you thing may be of use. We will full disclose a new methodology we are working on called " Calculation Matrix of Social Inclusion Index " is a new tool for knowing how inclusive a project is for PwDs. Any person or institution that want to help us, please send an e- mail to:
kaiser.carlos@gmail.com or rsuaustral@uach.cl

*Working Plan*

Background.
1) Chile is facing a great earthquake of 8.8 Righter and a tsunami.
2) Communications are not in good shape.
3) People with disabilities have been ignored until now.
4) Deaf people have no access to public emergency communications and news
It is a difficult scenario but it shows we are no equals. PwDs are always last in government agenda even in disasters. The contingency plan we are creating for Chile, my country is not only meant for Chilean PwDs sake it could serve as a new standard and exigency that our community have to issue worldwide, if we have the same rights we have to be protected and attended in the same time not when everything is lost.
The following is just a measurements to be proposed to authorities.

Stage 1: Mitigation

Problems detected
Homeless persons with disabilities (1).
(1) This category refers to all people with disabilities who, along with having lost their home due to total or partial damage, their technical aids (apparatus or devices essential for daily life activities) are damaged or lost.

Proposed solutions
a) to adapt emergency housing (first stage) for PwD’s necessities to give them as much autonomy, safety and dignity as possible. Delivery must be as fast as possible.
b) Make emergency information and communications fully accessible (interpreters in sign language a first rate necessity due to the fact that 80% of deaf people are illiterate, websites of the media in formats readable for reading programs for blind and visual impaired).
c) to replace lost technical aids (wheelchairs, special lenses, rods, adapters, medicines, etc.). To this end, the National Disability Service may reallocate part of the technical aid budget favoring institutional arrangements with the mayors, governors and local authorities so they can expedite the delivery of more generic technical assistance.
d) Give attention to those needing specialized treatments (physical therapy, pharmacological, psychiatric, etc.).

The networks of universities and professional institutes are ready to support the work contained in this phase.

Stage 2: Inclusive rebuilding

Problems detected
Persons with disabilities cannot fully enjoy their human and constitutional rights due to the characteristics of the physical environment (construction, use) of the Information and Communication Technology, .

Proposed solutions
a) to Comply with the law and ordinances regarding accessibility.
b) to Use all recommendations of experts in accessibility such as Accessible City Fundation.
c) Application of the "Calculation Matrix of Social Inclusion Index" it is a new tool for knowing how inclusive a project of any kind is for PwDs' to evaluate how inclusive a physical space, a technology or procedure is.
d) Implementation Mideplan (National Ministry of Planning) power to grant or denay public funds for construction projects if the project does not meet accessibility in its design.

--
Carlos Kaiser Mansilla
JICA participant of Leaders' Course 2003
Social researcher and advicer on Disabilities Issues, Universidad Austral de Chile

Indo-Asian News Service
New Delhi, February 26, 2010
First Published: 22:05 IST(26/2/2010)
Last Updated: 22:06 IST(26/2/2010)

Disability groups cheered up when a hike in investment in disabled-friendly schemes and the setting up of the country's first sign language training institute was announced by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the general budget on Friday.

"The finance minister's announcement was very heart warming! It is a positive step and in the right direction. We welcome the increase in budget allocations," Javed Abidi, a disability rights activist told IANS.

The allocation in budget 2010-11 for disabled-friendly schemes is Rs.398 crore, a step up from previous year's spend of Rs.243.29 crore.

Investment in schemes for implementation of the Disability Act have been increased manifold to Rs.95 crore from the previous Rs.7.5 crore. The allocation for schemes for employment to disabled persons has been increased by over 50 percent to Rs.7 crore.

Abidi, who is also founder of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP), an umbrella organisation for over 100 non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working on disability issues across India, said he wished that "the budget was more," to expedite the country's 11th five-year plan assuring freely accessible infrastructure and development for disabled people under the Disability Act.

While presenting the budget, the finance minister mentioned the establishing of the country's first sign language institute, which has been one of the three major demands of the disability rights activists.

"The allocation will also assist in establishing an Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre for the benefit of the hearing impaired. District Disability Rehabilitation Centres are being set up in 50 additional districts along with two composite regional centres for persons with disabilities," Mukherjee said.

Taxes liabilities on those caring for disabled dependents have also been relaxed.

Direct tax deduction with respect to maintenance, including medical treatment, of a dependent who is a person with severe disability has been raised from the present limit of Rs.75,000 to Rs.100,000.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/global-economy/Disability-groups-find-Pranab-s-budget-heartening/Article1-513296.aspx

Mr. Carlos Kaiser, a jicafriend from Chile sent us the following email today.
Let us pray for our friends in Chile.

**************************************************************************

Dear friends,

As you all know, Chile has been devastated by a great earthquake. it's been hell on earth. Many people lost everything, thanks God the bodycount is (by now) not too high considering the power of this earthquake. We shall endure and will rebuild Chile.

Thanks for your friendship

Carlos Kaiser Mansilla former "Leaders of persons with disabilities" kenshu in 2003

****************************************************************************

Earthquake in Chile
February 27, 2010
At 3:34 am local time, today, February 27th, a devastating magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck Chile, one of the strongest earthquakes ever recorded. According to Chilean authorities, over 400 people are now known to have been killed. The earthquake also triggered a Tsunami which is right now propagating across the Pacific Ocean, due to arrive in Hawaii in hours (around 11:00 am local time). The severity of the Tsunami is still not known, but alerts are being issued across the Pacific.

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/02/earthquake_in_chile.html

22 Feb 2010

Kigali — The East African Community (EAC) has called for the creation of councils for persons with disabilities (PWD) in all partner states as one way of addressing the challenges faced by the disabled.
The call was made over the weekend at the closure of the first ever conference on Persons with Disabilities held in Kampala, Uganda.
The meeting, attended by experts, political leaders, and policy makers, emphasized the need to adequately finance the councils to enable them fully discharge their responsibilities.
In an interview with The New Times yesterday, regional legislator Dr James Ndahiro (Rwanda) said that the meeting also agreed to come up with a legal framework that will put in place a comprehensive EAC Disability Law to serve interests of persons with disabilities.
"The Sectoral Council on social affairs will work on this law which will be presented to the Council of Ministers and later to the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA)," he said.
Participants emphasized the need to conduct research and provide health services for the prevention, control, early detection, management and support to various human disabilities.
They came up with recommendations on how governments and the EAC secretariat can best address the challenges confronting peoples with disabilities.
"We agreed that the secretariat takes up the responsibility of ensuring that the resolutions are implemented," Ndahiro added.
Among other resolutions, the meeting called for the establishment of a regional disability development fund and for partner states to ratify the UN Disability Convention as a regional bloc.
The meeting also challenged national parliaments to identify weakness in the existing laws, address issues and concerns of PWDs and recommend amendments where appropriate.
Ndahiro revealed that a development partners' conference involving persons with disabilities would be held this year to chart ways on how there can be mobilization of resources to fund programs for PWD.

http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/201002220849.html

18 February 2010
Nthabisang Moreosele

NEED SUPPORT: D isabled pupils and staff.

NINE mothers joined hands in 1994 and opened a school for disabled children in Sebokeng, Vereeniging.

There were no schools for disabled children and ordinary schools were reluctant to register them. The mothers were advised by a social worker to “do it yourself”.

“Most of our children have profound disabilities. The government and NGOs could not do anything for us, so we came together and founded Boipoloko Stimulation Centre. Ours was the first such school and it is still the only one in our area,” co-founder Maborute Tshabalala said.

She said the school was run on fees of R190 a month per child. There are 22 children who are fed twice a day between 8am and 2pm. Their ages range from two to 18.

The pupils are taught to read and write and count. Pleas to the government for a stipend or grant have fallen on deaf ears.

“We have a five-room school that used to be a government building. We do not pay rent. The social worker who helped us start the school moved and the new ones have not been helpful ,” Tshabalala said.

She said the school struggled to collect food and to pay for the children’s transport.

Mama Angel bought chairs , plates, cups, kitchen utensils, pots and stimulation toys for the centre.

“ We thank you for what you have given us. We hope this will open the doors so that more can be done for the children,” Tshabalala said.

Boipoloko still needs blankets, linen, toys, food and cutlery.

A just realized that time has flown by it has been over a decade I had the pleasure of visiting Japan, its still my favourite country outside of Guyana.

What has been happening in Guyana since 1999 in the disability movement and what have I been involved in?

In 2002 I won an Organisation of American States (OAS) scholarship to study in Canada I did a BA in Disability Studies completed that in 2005. Returned to Guyana to work. I was the Program Officer for the National Commission on Disability, Ministry of Health for the last four years. While there the major projects I worked on was a survey on children and adults with disabilities; the national consultation process on a draft persons with disabilities bill and the formation of a resource centre with accessible internet service and books,videos and other materials on disabilities.

In 2007 I began laying the groundwork to prepare a certificate course in Disability Studies to be offered through Distance Education, University of Guyana. The inaugural course was completed in October 2007 by ten persons from the pubic and private sector.

In 2009 I transfred to the Ministry of Education to work as the National Coordinator on Special Needs Education. In those years I also pursued an MBA in Project Management completed that in 2009 and in June 2010 begin a MSc in Special Education. I have attached a newspaper article that gives some in spite on my current job. It was great catching up with you and reading about all the other countries in the newsletters over the past years.

Karen Hall, participant of Leaders' Course 1999

http://www.guyanachronicleonline.com/site/

More information can be obtained from the follwoing site,
http://www.disabled-world.com/sports/paralympics/2010/

16 Feb 2010
Catholic Information Service for Africa (Nairobi)

Nairobi — The first registration of people with disabilities since independence has started in Kenya.

The National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPD) is conducting the registration. The disabled will be identified and details about where they live and work recorded. This will help the government in planning for them.
The documentation of people with disabilities has already been done in Nyanza, Coast and Central provinces.

Speaking during the five-day launch of the counting exercise for people with disabilities in Kakamega, the NCPD accounts assistant, Isaac Manyonge said, Kshs. 200 million has been set aside by the Treasury in this year's budget for empowerment of people with disabilities. The money will also fund business projects for the physically challenged. Manyonge said the disable will also be assisted to form groups through which they will apply for loans.

http://allafrica.com/stories/201002170779.html

The 4th Australasian Orientation and Mobility Conference (AMC2010) will take place between 24-26 November 2010, and will be hosted by Guide Dogs NSW/ACT at The Women's College within the University of Sydney, Australia.

This is a conference for the professional development of Orientation and Mobility specialists, including Guide Dog specialists and those with an interest in vision impairment.

Full details on the conference will be made available in the coming weeks at http://www.guidedogs.com.au/amc2010
CALL FOR PAPERS

Invitations for the submission of abstracts are now open.

Guide Dogs is also encouraging delegates to sign-up now and register their interest via email at:
mailto:amc2010@guidedogs.com.au?subject=I%20wish%20to%20register%20my%20interest%20for%20AMC%202010

It would be greatly appreciated if you could distribute the above details re: AMC2010 among your networks.

Kind regards, Jenny

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

The government of Japan has decided to extend financial assistance of US$ 73,588 to Samaj Sewa Sudhar Yuwa Sangh (Disabled Helping Committee) for the implementation of the project for the construction of a Rehabilitation School for People with Intellectual Disabilities and other Severe Disabilities in Mechinagar Sub-Municipality.
This financial assistance is extended under the Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP) scheme of the Government of Japan.

A grant contract to this effect was signed and exchanged recently between Ambassador of Japan to Nepal Tatsuo Mizuno and Dharma Raj Ghimire, President of Samaj Sewa Sudhar Yuwa Sangh, Mechinagar.

The project is to complete a facility to provide opportunities for receiving education and rehabilitation to disabled children. The recipient organization constructed the ground floor, in October 2009, with local supporters including Mechinagar Sub-Municipality. This time, the grant is to be exclusively utilized for the additional construction of the first and second floors, consisting of 13 rooms, furniture, and necessary equipment in the existing building.

The building is to be utilized as a Rehabilitation School, providing education, rehabilitation, and vocational training for 50 children with disabilities. 9 visually-impaired, 10 hearing-impaired, 11 physically-impaired, and 20 mentally impaired children are to be enrolled in the hostel.

The Samaj Sewa Sudhar Yuwa Sangh consists of staff with disabilities who have energetically worked on various programs since 2004 in order to promote the disabled people’s right for a quality life. The leading role that they are playing to provide children with education, rehabilitation, and vocational training - aiming to help them to be socially and economically independent, is highly evaluated.

Speaking at the ceremony, ambassador Mizuno mentioned Japan’s grant aid to Nepal since 1994 in contributing to realization of the goal of the "Education for All by 2015" Program. He also explained the difficult circumstances surrounding disabled people in Nepal and that the project supports the basic rights of children through contributing education to disabled children. nepalnews.com

http://www.nepalnews.com/main/index.php/news-archive/8-news-in-brief/4014-japan-pledges-us-73588-for-disabled.html

February 12, 2010-The Hindu
Aarti Dhar

Strange as it may sound, it is true. It is easier to get a passport in India than a disability certificate. For the simple reason that the onus of issuing a passport is with the state, while the differently-abled are required to approach the state for getting their disability certified.

“Getting a disability certificate in India is a nightmare. Even in places like Delhi and Mumbai it is next to impossible, one can only imagine what it must be like in the smaller towns and villages,” says Javed Abidi, Director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People.

But now, with the Centre announcing amendments to the Persons with Disabilities Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Rules, 1996, things are expected to improve. As per the amended rules, the differently-abled will now have to appear before one doctor specialising in the nature of disability instead of a Medical Board, a time consuming process as doctors often skip Board meetings.

Also, now primary health centre (PHC) doctors have been given the right to issue disability certificate in cases of severe disability, while others with partial disability will still have to go to the District Hospital to get one. However, the new rules are yet to be notified.

“While we welcome the amendments, we will fight for empowering the doctors at the PHC level to issue disability certificates of all categories of disability since the present arrangement will leave many people out, thereby depriving them of the benefits,” Mr. Abidi said.

In fact, the XI Plan, approved by the National Development Council, provides for putting the onus of certifying disability on the state as is the case in issuing of a passport, which is delivered at the doorstep once the application has been filed.

The existing arrangement stipulates that a differently-abled person approach a medical board. Sometimes, women have objected to the manner in which the check-ups are conducted before a certificate is issued, Mr. Abidi said. It takes five to six months before a certificate is actually received. But once the new system comes into effect, the least time frame will be reduced drastically.

Announcing the amendments at the Ninth National Meeting of State Commissions for Disabilities, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Mukul Wasnik asked the States to adopt the amendments and ensure registration of all differently-abled people so that they are under the ambit of government schemes.

Some States have made considerable progress in issuing certificates to differently-abled persons. Andhra Pradesh has covered all, Jharkhand 97. 8 per cent, Goa 89 per cent, Himachal Pradesh 74.8 per cent, Chandigarh 57.5 per cent, Andaman and Nicobar Islands 56.5 per cent, Punjab 53.8
per cent and Karnataka 52.9 per cent.

http://beta.thehindu.com/news/national/article105270.ece