Seeking Out New Ideas at Times of Crises:
The Thai Experiences
Joseph Kwok
Associate Professor, Department of Applied Social Studies
City University of Hong Kong
Abstract Thailand's economic boom from 1980s to mid 1990s was a surprise to many economists, both local and overseas. A decade of fast accumulation of wealth has drastically changed people's way of life. However, disabled people's share of the nations' wealth has not been that significant. This paper tries to state the situation of disabled people under the attack of the regional financial crisis in Asia. This paper also explores some new ideas through the Thai experiences so that disabled people can get some insights which may be suitable for their home countries.
Introduction
In the recent regional Financial Crisis, Thailand was the first "tiger" to become seriously sick. In early 1997 a number of financial institutions were ordered to close, and huge amount of non-performing bank loans were revealed. The sharp depreciation of many Asian currencies as result of speculative attacks in fact started with the Thai Baht. Like other people in Asian cities, Thai people have suffered from a sharp decline in income. Many have lost their jobs, and could not pay their car and home mortgages. Businesses have slowed down if not closed.
The immediate impact of the Financial Crisis on disabled people, however, does not seem to be that drastic. Not because disabled people are insulated from economic crisis, but rather, their situation before the Crisis was already relatively much worse than mainstream society. They could hardly go any further worse after the Crisis.
A Change in Public Attitudes
The sense of hardship brought about by the Crisis has enabled Thai people to better understand and share the meaning of poverty, and in particular the poor situation of disabled people. The once prevailing superstitious belief that disability comes from sin, and employing disabled people will bring sin, has given way to the attitude of understanding and support.
A very significant event that has brought immense impact on society's attitudes was the FESPICS Games hosted by Thailand in Bangkok in 1998. As Thai people had more time watching TV after the Crisis, the Games' wide coverage in the media, including the TV media, has indeed made Thai people more aware of the abilities and sportsmanship of people with disabilities. The Thai society has become cheerful and united as Thai disabled athletes scored a record number of medals and won the second runner up among all participating countries. Thai people understand that the outstanding achievement of their disabled athletes does not come easily as they do not have sophisticated and modern training facilities, and the hosting of the Games was under heavy clouds of the Regional Financial Crises. Thai people have become encouraged and somewhat forgotten the hardship from the Financial Crisis. Consequently more people are throwing in their supports for long term pro-active policies concerning disabilities.
Toward Inclusive Education for All Disabled Children
Following the success of the FESPIC Games, through the concerted campaigns of NGOs and disabled groups, as well as growing support from the society, the Thai Government proclaimed the year 1999 as the Year of Education for Disabled People. In Thailand, about eight percent of disabled children receive education between four to nine years, even though Thailand has a policy to provide free education to all students. The policy target of the Year of Education for Disabled People is to increase disabled student enrollment from 40,000 to 80,000 i.e. an increase of a hundred percent. The strategy as advocated by the disabled community is simply to ask each mainstream school to admit disabled students. There are now 51,000 schools for Grades one to twelve. If each school admits one disabled student, the policy target will be accomplished, and above all, disabled students will enjoy equal education opportunities in an inclusive learning environment.
To support these mainstream schools, the government is urged to set up a few special education centres, which will serve as resource centres for mainstream schools. Again, the advocates tell the government that there is no need to find new money to build these special centres. Because there are already oversupply of primary grade schools as a result of decrease in population growth from three percent to the present one percent. These redundant schools can be converted to special centres and the redundant teachers could find new employment in these centres with additional training.
As a further measure to support disabled graduates from colleges and universities, the government is urged to employ these graduates for special education jobs. These graduates, about forty of them for the current year, will be very helpful peer models for teachers and students alike. The advocates are telling the Ministry of Education of the government that the policy targets of the Year of Education for Disabled People will be accomplished without finding new money and building new structures. Rather what the Government needs are a good management of resources, including physical, financial and human resources, and new thinking.
Human Resources Development
Since the Crisis, opportunities for human resources development in areas of vocational training does not seem to be adversely affected, thanks largely to the lending policies of the World Bank and Asian Development Bank. In order to obtain loans from these banks, the Thai Government has to pledge more concrete support towards development programmes for the poor and the disabled. The government has therefore increased its support for vocational training for disabled people by 10,000 places. The Thai Association of the Blind for example has successfully obtained the government budget for 1,800 vocational training places for blind people. Also, other NGOs are working on programme proposals to take advantage of these new initiatives from the government. Furthermore, the Association of the Blind has also obtained additional government budget for leadership training programmes for disabled people.
Employment
The employment rate of Thai disabled people has always been as low as two percent of the disabled population. Of these two percent, about 80 percent of them are engaged in selling government lottery tickets, and the remainder are mainly in massage work in both cities and countryside. Since the Crisis, there has been an increase of sales of lottery tickets; perhaps more people would wish to try their luck. This has in fact brought a better business for disabled lottery ticket sellers. The Government lottery tickets are sold through licensed sellers. Organizations of people with disabilities are accepted as licensed lottery ticket brokers and are given one percent discount value. Of these one percent, 0.5 percent will go to programme funds of the organization, and the balance 0.5 percent for insurance support for ticket sellers. An average ticket seller may earn a net income of around Baht 10,000 to Baht 50,000 per month. Compared to a general worker's average income of Baht 5,000 per month and the legal minimum wage of around Baht 4,200 per month, the disabled lottery ticket sellers are doing good businesses even after the Regional Crisis.
Disabled people who have obtained high level of training skills are compared favourably with other skilled workers in the open market. Graduates of the Redemptorist Vocational School for the Disabled, for example, can still find jobs in major corporations within six months of graduation, a little longer than before the Crisis. This School has over 200 enrolment in one year or two year courses in computer sciences and information technology.
The Rehabilitation Fund
This Fund was created with a purpose to support income-generating activities of disabled people. Income of the Fund comes from the levy paid by employers who do not comply with the employment quota for disabled people, plus government's general revenue. The Quota system requires that for every establishment of 200 workers, at least one shall be a disabled person. So far the levy collected has not been affected by the Crisis, and remained at around Baht 30 million. Since its formation, the Fund has been set at Baht 85 million. Disabled people may apply for interest free loans from the Fund to set up their businesses, including the businesses to sell lottery tickets, and computer word processing. The level of loan repayment is around 80 percent. Even at times of the present difficult financial years, the government still maintains an annual target of Baht 85 million for the Fund.
Tertiary Education
Disabled advocates are now targeting at universities, some of that have policies forbidding people with disabilities to apply for admission. They are also advocating for the university special admission quota for disabled students. This affirmative policy is deemed necessary so as to bring about a better tomorrow for disabled people.
Wiriya Namsiripongpun
Wiriya Namsiripongpun, a person with visual impairment, the Chair of Disabled People's International Thailand, and a professor in law, maintains a high sense of optimism in dealing with the Financial Crisis. His autobiography tells people how he survives, finding opportunities and seeking out new thinking in times of crises. His book has been sold for over 10,000 copies and he is going to use the proceeds to set up a foundation. The purpose of his foundation is to use radio air time to promote disability awareness in the society.
The recent Financial Crisis has not in any sense weakened the solidarity and determination of the leaders of self-help organizations of people with disabilities and NGOs in search for a better society or all. Rather they have launched campaigns with new initiatives and new thinking, and have found real and practical opportunities from the Crises for the long-term future of disabled people in Thailand.
The author would like to thank Professor Wiriya Namsiripongpun, who provided key information for this article during an interview in April 1999.
Asia and Pacific Journal on Disability
Vol. 2, No. 1, May 1999
Contributed by Mr. Tsuyoshi Takeda, Asahi Shimbum Newspaper
ISSN 1029-4414