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International Forum on Independent Living

Workshop 4:Independent Living Movement of Persons with Disabilities in Asian Countries

Mr. Kazuhiko Yamaguchi, Tokyo IL Center for the Visually Impaired

  1. Current situation of our support for the visually impaired
    1. Financial Cooperation and Provision of Assistive Devices and Others
      • (1)Cooperation of countries in the South Pacific region In 1995 Japan was requested for possible assistance by countries in South Pacific region at the World Blind Union East Asia Pacific Regional Conference held in Fiji. The Japan Federation of the Blind responded to the request and provided assistive devices such as canes, braille slates (plastic), tape recorders and other equipment worth three million yen.
      • (2)Assistance for persons with visual impairment in the Philippines The Asian Disabled People Assistance Group located in Tokyo has been providing Philippino disabled people and their workshop with used sawing machines for the past several years. The total number of sawing machines donated has reached several thousands. The sawing machines have been used to saw textile goods.
    2. Seminars and Workshops Outside Japan
      • (1)Asian Pacific Massage Seminar
        The Asian Pacific Massage Seminar is one of the activities of the WBU East Asia Pacific Regional Union and is organized once every two years in Asian countries. The seminar has already been held four times in the past in Sian (China), Tsukuba (Japan), Guangzhou(China) and Manila (the Philippines). One of the main objectives is to exchange know-how in massage therapy among the participants.
      • (2)Workshop on anma
        The workshop is organized by the International Association for the Visually Impaired. The workshop has already been held four times in the past: three times in Indonesia and once in Thailand. Teachers in the schools for the blind as well as local masseurs participate in the workshop and learn from the Japanese participants the Japanese anma. The local masseurs can then provide Japanese people living in their country and Japanese tourists with anma services, with which they can earn more income.
      • (3)Workshop on braille transcribing using computers
        The workshop is organized by the Japan Braille Library and has been held once every year in Malaysia. One of the main objectives of the workshop is to train the staff in the schools for the blind and braille libraries in Malaysia with transcribing techniques using computers. When the workshop is over, the computers which have been used in the training program are donated to the trainers to be used in their institutions. The Japan Braille Library has also donated printers to the institutions in Indonesia, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines and Burnei, other than Malaysia.
      • (4)Workshop on floor volleyball and table tennis
        The workshop is organized by the Asian Cultural Exchange Association of the Disabled, although irregularly. It has been held in Malaysia, China and Vietnam so far. Japanese visually impaired players have also participated in the exchange games.
    3. Technical Assistance in Foreign Countries: Education for visually impaired children
      • (1)Assisting education for visually impaired children in Nepal A braille printing plant was established in 1985 by the Tokyo Helen Keller Association. All of the books used in schools (up to high school level) are transcribed into braille, and all visually impaired pupils including those who receive the integrated education are provided with school books in braille. The community based rehabilitation (CBR) programs are also been carried out successfully.
      • (2)Japanese Language School for Visually Impaired Persons in Tientsin This is a school for education by correspondence, established by a Japanese woman with visual impairment in 1995. Students at the school have been working very hard. So far two women have graduated from the school and both are now engaged in their studies at the schools for the blind in Japan: one in Tokyo, the other, in Kanazawa.
    4. Mobile Eye Clinic Unit
      • (1)Activities in Nepal
        The Association for Ophthalmic Cooperation of Asia has been providing eye examination in mobile unit since 1974, and the doctors have examined almost 50,000 patients to date. Furthermore, they have performed surgeries for approximately 20,000 patients. The organization is also engaged in providing technical aids and personnel resources, as well as training Nepal doctors, nurses, and technicians in the field of visual disability to assist and promote the establishment of eye hospitals in Nepal.
      • (2)Activities in South Pacific countries
        Eye examination mobile units, such as the Yomiuri Light and Humanity Association, Dove of Love, and Nippon Television Network, have examined almost 20,000 patients and performed many surgeries so far.
    5. Training Programs in Japan
      • (1)Training courses organized by Japan International Cooperation Agency
        The Vocational Development Center for the Blind in Japan is entrusted with the training programs by JICA since 1995. They have received trainees from Asian and South Pacific countries. The participants are trained in computer technology and will acquire other visual impairment related knowledge and skills. The program allows eight trainees at a time for an eight weeks period.
      • (2)Educational opportunities at the schools for the blind in Japan
    6. The International Aid Association for the Visually Impairment provides assistance for visually impaired students from Asian and African countries to study in education at the schools for the blind in Japan. The length of the curriculum is three-four years. It is hoped that they will become masseurs, independent, and/or play an active role among visually impaired persons in their respective countries upon their return. So far, students from nine countries (32 persons) including Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, 8Kenya, South Korea and China were invited to the program.
  2. FUTURE ACTIVITIES AND PROGRAMS TO BE REQUIRED
    1. Medical care
      In Asian countries, many persons lose their eyesight by the eye-diseases, disasters and injuries from war. Medical cure and care are urgently required to the visually impaired persons.
    2. Financial support and provision of assistive devices
      The assistive devices such as canes for mobility, braille slates, braille textbook and braille typewriter are absolutely in shortage. The educational and training environment should be set up for the independent living for the visually impaired.
    3. Vocational independent living
      Under the current economic recession, the visually impaired persons are very hard to be independent economically. But, it is safely said that the occupation of massage is appropriate for the visually impaired. In this respect, the technical and educational exchange program should be needed regularly from now on.

    Title : International Forum on Independent Living
    Publisher : Japan Council on Independent Living Centers
    Date : 1998/10/20
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    International Forum on Independent Living
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