Marking the Midpoint of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002: The Senior Governmental Officials Meeting in Seoul, and the WHO Seminar in Tokyo, 1997

Joseph Kwok
Associate Professor, Department of Applied Social Studies City University of Hong Kong


Abstract To mark the midpoint of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002, two important UN events took place in 1997, namely: the Senior Governmental Officials organized by UNESCAP in Seoul, and the WHO seminar in Tokyo. This paper is a summary of their proposals to governments on how to ensure the success of the second half of the Decade.

National Coordination

National planning should have a time frame, a multi- and inter-sectoral emphasis, a built-in mechanism for monitoring and evaluation and an appropriate means of resource allocation. The United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for People with Disabilities be duly considered.

Legislation

Comprehensive legal bases and authority be created through legislation to protect the rights of people with disabilities, to eliminate discriminatory practices, and to remove all barriers to the full participation and equality, including architectural and communications barriers. Legislation be effectively implemented and monitored. Special attention be given to women and children.

Information

Establish standardized databases on the causes, types and incidence of disability, and the availability of resources for rehabilitation service delivery. Establish information centres and databases on disability-related concerns. Information access for disabled persons be ensured, through the use of available and affordable information technology for various forms of disability.
Train national statistical personnel on disability issues, with particular reference to the generation of reliable disability statistics. Include questions on disability issues in all future censuses and conduct periodic surveys on disability issues. Make appropriate use of the internet for the dissemination and retrieval of data concerning disability.

Research

Organized research agenda for disability prevention and rehabilitation be encouraged, including studies assessing programme impact and costs.
Recent progress in bio-medical research be tapped to develop new tools for improving disability prevention and rehabilitation programmes. Particular efforts are needed to find solutions which are appropriate to the cultural and economic conditions in developing countries. Undertake epidemiological studies to determine the magnitude and nature of disabilities. The sharing and utilization of research findings be encouraged.

Public Awareness

Sustained public education campaigns are needed to eliminate attitudinal barriers and to open the various systems of society to all disabled persons. Public information and public education campaigns, including the use of media, should be launched to foster a broader understanding of disability-related matters among all segments of the population, including disabled persons.
Promote awareness and sensitivity among young people through producing information materials on people with disabilities, involving prominent personalities, and encouraging young people to perform volunteer work for people with disabilities.
Undertake national public awareness campaigns to commemorate the midpoint of the Decade and to publicize the start of the second half of the Decade.

Accessibility and Communication

Improve accessibility to all existing public buildings and facilities, housing and educational facilities as well as sports and recreational facilities,
promote appropriate actions by local authorities and incorporate barrier-free design features in all new constructions, as well as in all renovation and expansion. Promote full access to all new mass transport facilities and systems, including railway systems; and develop plans to incorporate barrier-free facilities and user-friendly features for people with disabilities and older persons in existing transportation systems.
Support communication systems for people with disabilities, which improve their access to information, their mobility and their independence.

Education

Provide education for all children with disabilities that meets their specific needs, including inclusive education, through:
1. Sensitization of the public to the educational needs of children with disabilities.
2. Ensuring improvement and increase in education opportunities for all children with disabilities by improving the school enrolment rate, physical access, necessary teaching equipment and support staff, early intervention services and tailored curricula.
3. Training professional personnel on the special needs of children with disabilities and winning the support of regular school administrators and teachers.
4. Providing economic and social support for disabled children from disadvantaged circumstances to continue their education.
Provide access to distance learning education for people with disabilities unable to attend conventional schools. Promote adult and non-formal education, including vocational education, for persons with disabilities in appropriate environments.

Training and Employment

Given proper guidance and assessment, counselling on proper work adjustment and training, disabled persons can perform a wide range of work. Some governments have supported measures such as quota schemes and tax concessions. For disabled persons with special needs or people with severe disabilities, sheltered workshops have been established. Alternative strategies to ensure more and better employment opportunities for disabled persons should be developed so that persons with disabilities could be self-reliant to the extent possible.
Improve job placement opportunities for persons with disabilities by:
1. Strengthening capabilities of government officials, NGO personnel, the private sector and family members to assist people with disabilities in finding employment.
2. Formulating policies to develop and support job placement programmes and appropriate vocational training opportunities for persons with disabilities.
3. Recognizing the rights of duly qualified disabled persons to regular employment. Identify and develop new job opportunities for people with disabilities that are geared towards the present and future demands of the labour market and provide them with training in those fields. This should include special arrangements for people with extensive disabilities and those who require a supportive environment.

Prevention of Causes of Disability

Programmes of prevention should include the following measures:
1. Improvements in the educational, economic and social status of the population.
2. Introduction to early detection and intervention programmes.
3. Improvement of health service delivery, particularly primary health care systems that reach all segments of the population.
4. Expansion of immunization programmes.
5. Passage of appropriate legislations and regulations.
6. Modification of lifestyles.
7. Control of environmental hazards.
8. Conduction of education and information campaigns related to disability prevention and rehabilitation for the public and professionals.
9. Fostering of better-informed and strengthened families and communities.
Join the international campaign to ban the production, use and sale of anti-personnel land mines.
Develop specific disability prevention programmes with priorities as indicated by the data collected in different countries.

Rehabilitation Services

The traditional approach to rehabilitation is institution-based. Efforts should be made to develop and strengthen community-based rehabilitation (CBR) services, as the mainstay of rehabilitation programmes. CBR has been found to be affordable, accessible and appropriate to local situations. With local government support, it could help communities and families to reinforce the efforts of their disabled members to overcome the disabling effects of impairment within their normal environment. All types and levels of services for disabled persons should be provided, whenever possible within the existing health, social, educational and labour structures. The establishment of family support systems should likewise be encouraged.
Undertake studies and surveys on national rehabilitation needs, and as appropriate establish and strengthen rehabilitation services, especially in rural areas.
Increase efforts to involve people with disabilities, their families and communities, NGOs and other appropriate organizations in rehabilitation programmes.

Human Resource Development

One of the most formidable obstacles to the development of disability prevention and rehabilitation programmes is the scarcity of trained professionals and personnel. There is also a need to improve the way institutions conduct training. Quality should be standardized across courses. Curricula should consider the socio-cultural setting of each country. Assessment should be made periodically with regard to human resource needs for training and staff development in accordance with national priorities.
Emphasis should be placed on training of trainers of field level workers. Training of community-based workers in the early detection of impairment and provision of primary assistance is particularly important.
Continuing education is particularly important for professionals supervising and training rehabilitation team members. The need for the establishment of a regional research and training centre to address the various issues of rehabilitation has been recognized and is deemed essential.

Assistive Devices

Promote local production, distribution and maintenance of low-cost and high quality assistive devices through active exchange of information and contacts among users, local manufacturers and concerned scientific institutes, with implementation of standardization of components of and materials for assistive devices. The development and production of technical aids in line with the overall technological development of countries should be supported.
To exempt assistive devices, as well as components, materials and production, repair and maintenance of equipment from custom duties.

Self-help Organizations

Through self-help organizations, disabled persons have become their own representatives, influencing government leaders, identifying their own needs, determining priorities, evaluating services and promoting public awareness. To ensure that disabled persons have opportunities to make their views known in the planning and implementation of disability-related matters, collaboration between disabled persons' organizations and governments should be encouraged.
Support self-help organizations with a focus in rural areas.
Recognize the value of promoting self-help organizations of people with specific disabilities, and further promoting a cross-disability federation of such self-help organizations.
Channel resources, to the extent possible, directly to self-help organizations of people with disabilities to enable them to carry out, on behalf of their national constituencies, programmes aimed at independent living of disabled persons.

Regional Cooperation

Promote the monitoring and implementation of the above-mentioned proposals through all possible means of technical assistance. Should intensify technical cooperation and exchange, in areas such as establishing or strengthening national committees, identifying needs, collecting and analysing information, and collaborating in research activities and training.
Undertake an in-depth evaluation of accomplishments at the national and regional levels at the close of the Decade.

ASIA & PACIFIC JOUNAL ON DISABILITY

Vol. 1, No. 2, March 1998

Published by the Asia and Pacific Regional Committee of Rehabilitation International (RI) and the Regional NGO Network (RNN)