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Oct 27,1999 International symposium

Summary of ESCAP Activities on Disability

Yutaka Takamine  Project Expert on Disability, UN ESCAP

Introduction of ESCAP
ESCAP's programme in the field of disability
Cooperation with governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the field of disability
Activities and Issues of International Cooperation in the Disability Field
 (a)Recent ESCAP project activities
 (b)Overall development issues concerning persons with disabilities in the ESCAP region.
Conclusion

I.Introduction of ESCAP

 ESCAP is the regional arm of the United Nations secretariat. The headquarters of the ESCAP secretariat is located at Bangkok. ESCAP is a permanent forum for the governments of the Asian and Pacific region. It consists of 60 member and associate member governments and covers approximately 60 per cent of the world population. The main task of ESCAP is to assist the governments of the region in shaping policies and programmes in the fields of economic and social development. ESCAP is not donor agency.


II.ESCAP's programme in the field of disability

 The Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002, was declared by the ESCAP governments in 1992. The ESCAP secretariat implements activities which assist the ESCAP governments in implementing the Decade Agenda for Action. The Agenda for Action contains recommendations in 12 areas of concern. They include national coordination, legislation, information, public awareness, access and communication, education, training and employment, prevention of causes of disability, rehabilitation services, assistive devices, self-help organizations and regional cooperation.

 Some of ESCAP activities include assistance in the development of national action programmes, the production and dissemination of low cost and high quality assistive devices; the promotion of equalization legislation, development and strengthening of self-help organizations of people with disabilities, promotion of non-handicapping environments for disabled persons and older persons. Those activities are not usually covered by other United Nations Bodies and Agencies.


III.Cooperation with governments, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the field of disability

 The ESCAP Disability Programme organizes regional meetings and training workshops. For most ESCAP meetings government representatives and NGO representatives participate as equal partners. ESCAP organizes a regional meeting to review the progress of the Decade once every two years. The Disability Programme often organize training workshops in the above project related areas.
ESCAP is the secretariat for the Regional Interagency Committee for Asia and the Pacific (RICAP) Subcommittee on Disability-related Concerns. The subcommittee consists of 10 United Nations Bodies and Agencies, 18 regional and international NGOs in the field of disability and ESCAP member and associate member governments which wish to participate in the regional endeavours. The Subcommittee plays an important role in coordinating activities in the 12 areas of concern and monitoring the progress of the implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade. The Subcommittee meets twice a year.


IV.Activities and Issues of International Cooperation in the Disability Field

(a)Recent ESCAP project activities

 Recent ESCAP activities concern the development of non-handicapping environments for people with disabilities and older people. In many mega-cities in the ESCAP region, mass transit systems are under construction or being planned. However, usually no considerations are given for the need of persons with disabilities and older persons. As the same token, many high rise building are being erected without accessibility features.

 To address this serious issue, ESCAP initiated a project on the promotion of non-handicapping environments for disabled persons and older persons in 1993. Guidelines on the promotion of non-handicapping environments were developed through discussions of experts from various part of the world at an expert group meeting and the guidelines were adopted by a regional meeting. The guidelines include three main sections: awareness raising; access legislation and technical recommendations.

 To follow up on this project, Phase II of the project was developed to disseminate and implement the Guidelines. This time three cities of the region were involved: Bangkok, Beijing and New Delhi. In each city, a one-square kilometre area was selected as a pilot project site and this area was made as accessible as possible. Bangkok selected commercial and shopping area; Beijing chose a middle-class residential area; an area where many government buildings exist was chosen in New Delhi.

The characteristics of this projects are four-folds:

  1. Visibility;
  2. Multisectoral approach:
  3. Involvement of persons with disabilities:
  4. Policy implication.

(1)Visibility of the project
As the project involved physical structure improvement, e.g., making ramps, side-walk improvements, installing accessible toilets, installing Braille guiding and warning tiles, the outcome of the project was literally visible. Newspaper articles were written and television news covered the projects sites. The donor government was happy with the project, as it generated good publicity at the local level. Many donors are very keen to publicize their project assistance.

(2)Multisectoral approach:
Various sectors were involved in this project, including ministry of urban planning agencies, local city administration, public works department, organizations of people with disabilities and private companies. In particular, the involvement of private companies was significant in Bangkok pilot project. A cement company produced Braille blocks as part of their social contribution at first, but it realize the profitability of Braille block production, as the site of Braille installation has been rapidly expanding. In Beijing, a housing developing company decided to incorporate access features, such as ramps at the entrance into its new housing development site.

(3)Involvement of persons with disabilities
Organizations of persons with disabilities were involved in the pilot project, however the degree of their involvement varied. In Beijing, the China Disabled Persons’ Federation was actively involved throughout the Beijing pilot project. It was the liaison with ESCAP for this pilot project. In New Delhi, a self-help group of disabled persons was an advocate for the New Delhi pilot project when the project was standing still due to various difficulties, e.g., national elections, change of government administrations. Disabled persons in Bangkok were less involved in the pilot project than ESCAP expected. Although initial phase, the national association of blind persons was consulted in the designing of Braille blocks. (Will discuss this matter later in collaboration with other organizations).

(4)Policy implication
The objective of the pilot project was not only to make one site accessible. The main objective of the project was to promote changes in national as well as local government’s policy concerning barrier-free environments. The dissemination of the model barrier-free site to other cities and towns. The Chinese Government will overhaul the accessibility code and access requirements will be mandated by the law. In India, the Ministry of Urban Development will issue a model by-law concerning barrier-free requires so that the state governments will follow the steps. In Thailand, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has adopted access standards. The Thai Government is preparing similar access standards required by the Rehabilitation Action on the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons of 1992.

 To follow up on this initiative, ESCAP implemented another project on training of disabled persons as trainers for the promotion of non-handicapping environments. Under this project, a group of disabled persons (10 to 15 persons) in each of three cities of the ESCAP region (Bangkok, Bangalore and Penang) was identified and the groups underwent training process for seven months. The group consists of persons with diverse disabilities, including blind persons, deaf persons and physically disabled persons, except Bangalore group. The Bangalore group consists of blind persons and persons with physical disabilities.

 The project was successful because the groups undertook a series of activities to promote barrier-free environments through pubic awareness raising activities, seminars, and meetings with influential personnel in the community. They also trained other disabled persons in the promotion of barrier-free environments. ESCAP is finalizing guidelines for the training of disabled persons as promoters for non-handicapping environments.

(b)Overall development issues concerning persons with disabilities in the ESCAP region.

 In the ESCAP region, the majority of persons with disabilities live in the rural areas of developing countries, and many of them do not receive the necessary services and opportunities to participate in community activities. The most urgent issue in the disability field in the ESCAP region is how to address and meet the needs of those majorities of poor disabled persons living in the rural areas of the developing countries.

 *Empowerment of rural poor disabled persons
 Most self-help organizations of persons with disabilities are based on the urban areas and their leaders are not concerned about the issues faced by the rural poor disabled persons or they do not have knowledge and expertise to support these people even if they want to.

 Support for the development of village self-help groups of disabled persons may be one of answers to this hard-pressed issue, but the development process is a long and hard-working process. It requires time and substantive involvement of field workers and trainers and institutional back-ups. Sangham movement started in South India has spread to other parts of the region, including Bangladesh and Cambodia.

 *Mobilization of financial support for self-help organizations of disabled persons
 To allocate more funds to self-help organizations, the approach to issues of disability has to be shifted from the CHARITY approach to the DEVELOPMENT approach. The charity approach focuses on hand-outs and give away, but does not provide systematic support for the development of persons with disability. It does not solve issues from the roots.

 The development approach, on the other hand, focuses on empowerment of persons with disabilities through training, skills development and mutual support and consultation. Self-determination is the key to this approach. This approach requires much time, substantial resources and committed personnel. It focuses on a process, thus requires the above-mentioned elements.


V.Conclusion

 For the twenty-first century, the development of rural poor disabled persons should receive a priority. Rural disabled persons in this region require much more training based on empowerment and mutual support approach. It requires much more time and energy, and human and financial resources. The challenge is with organizations of disabled persons which based on the urban elite constituency, as well as donors which may wish to support the development of persons with disabilities rather than support programmes which may only create dependency among persons with disabilities.