TWGDC - Task Force Reports - Draft Plans of Action

• Task Force Reports - Information and Communication Technology / ICT
• Task Force Reports - Entrepreneurial Training, Small Business and Income Generation Activity and Development (Entrepreneurship)
• Task Force Reports - Education of all Children and Youth with Disabilities (EFA)

Task Force: Information and Communication Technology / ICT

Mission Statement

The mission of ICT Task Force is to bridge the digital divide while promoting digital opportunities for persons with disabilities, specially focusing on the rural areas of developing countries.

Objectives of the ICT Task Force

1. Facilitate exchange of ideas and experiences
2. Recommend appropriate ICT resources
3. Coordinate ICT training programs in the region
4. Work closely and share the outcome with Asian Pacific Center on Disability
5. Develop guidelines for access and use of ICT by persons with disabilities

Expected outcomes

1. E-mail list service among Task Force members hosted by Information Center/JSRPD
2. A List of recommended ICT resources on TWGDC web page
3. A List of ICT training programs on TWGDC web page
4. The need and requirements of users to be published both on web, print and DAISY
5. Draft Guidelines on access and use of ICT by persons with disabilities to be submitted to TWGDC

Duration : by the end of 2002

Leader : Hiroshi Kawamura

Members

1. Each member organization of TWGDC is encouraged to nominate at least one representative/focal point.
2. Members are ideally required to have access to e-mail.
3. Users requirements from member organizations that have difficulties with e-mail access need to be considered.
4. Major communication will be via e-mail list service.
5. The first face to face meeting of this TASK FORCE will be held in September in conjunction with DAISY training in Thailand organized by WBU Asia and Pacific. And Basically face to face meetings will take place in conjunction with each TWGDC or annual Decade Campaign meeting.

Useful source for background information

1. Okinawa Charter on Global Information Society [HTML/PDF]
   http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/summit/2000/documents/charter.html
   
   
2. Japan's Comprehensive Co-operation Package to Address the International Digital Divide,
   http://www.mofa.go.jp/policy/economy/summit/2000/it1.html

Task Force: Entrepreneurial Training, Small Business and Income Generation Activity and Development (Entrepreneurship).

This was the first meeting of the entrepreneurship task force, one of three TWG task forces. The group was asked to discuss some of the basic issues related to their topical area and outline activities that could be achieved by the group prior to the end of the Decade. The group began by defining the basic term, entrepreneur and proceeded to discuss related issues prior to identifying actions for the task force. The following are the key points of the meeting.

1. Definition of Entrepreneur: An entrepreneur is an individual who is willing to take risks and invest resources to earn money (or other resources) through the operation of some type of business.
   
   
2. Some Characteristics of Entrepreneurs:
   
       Have an idea
       Have or want to operate a profitable, sustainable business as a way of     earning a living
       Are innovative
       Are willing to take risks
       Have/need access to resources
       Make an investment (of time, money, land, etc.)
       Have desire or motivation, drive
       Tend to be ambitious
       Are able to deal with challenges and failures without giving up
   
   
3. It was noted that the issues, challenges, and needs of rural and urban entrepreneurs and self-employment promotion programs can be different. Further, in defining the term entrepreneur, there was much discussion about whether farmers should be considered entrepreneurs, what constitutes risk, investment, etc.
   
   
4. The group discussed whether entrepreneurs are "born" or taught, an important consideration with regard to selection and training issues. The group came to the consensus that entrepreneurial skills can be taught, although not everyone is cut out to be an entrepreneur.
   
   
5. It was noted that starting businesses is often an alternative work mode suggested for people with disabilities rather than facilitating entry into the formal workplace.
   
   
6. The following issues were discussed; some were resolved, some where not. Often specific case studies where cited with regard to each issue.
   
   
7. Choice: People with disabilities should have entrepreneurship as an option. They should have the full range of employment options that are open to everyone in the context of their community or country.
   
   Selection: Various positions were discussed about selection of individuals for self-employment programs and what criteria should be used. The FAO has a case study based on its mushroom farming work of 8 criteria, which is included in its manual. While everyone seemed to feel that selection was an important consideration, some were concerned about screening people out of programs or having unnecessary criteria.
   
   Alternative Supports: People with disabilities may require supportive environments and alternative structures in order to successfully operate a business. For example, they may operate their business within a family structure where roles and responsibilities are shared and disabilities can be accommodated within that system. Similarly, in community structures or cooperatives, people with disabilities can share in entrepreneurial endeavors according to their abilities. In training and entrepreneurship programs the needs of people with disabilities must be considered.
   
   Access to Credit: People with disabilities are often perceived to be a poor credit risk, lack the needed collateral in order to secure a loan, or may be directly discriminated against for cultural reasons.
   
   Training: Both entrepreneurial training and technical skills training upon which the business is based must be provided. The skills training must meet community market needs. Literacy is an issue with regard to integrating people with disabilities into training programs since people with disabilities are often excluded from basis education programs and therefore may lack necessary skills for integration. Training must also include asset management.
   
   Trainers: Trainers should be experienced entrepreneurs and whenever possible, entrepreneurs with disabilities should be teachers.
   
   Integration: People with disabilities should be integrated into mainstream programs however their special needs must be accommodated and resources provided to address those special needs.
   
   
8. Some of the case studies that were cited included: the FAO's experience with teaching mushroom farming to people with various disabilities as an income generating activity; the ILO's recent field testing of ESCAP's Success Case Replication model with people with disabilities in Cambodia; and India's experience operating entrepreneurial training programs for disabled and nondisabled individuals.

Activities: Some of the activities suggested to facilitate entrepreneurship among people with disabilities, which could be taken up by the Task Force or encouraged among advocates and others in general included the following:

1. The task force group should establish guidelines for encouraging and advocating for the promotion of entrepreneurship among people with disabilities within each country. Increasingly, in many countries, such activities are decentralized and it is necessary to reach local government and NGOs involved in these activities. National level intervention is needed to impact policy and local level intervention to impact practice.
   
   
2. The task force generally reach agreement that people with disabilities should be included in all mainstream programs related to entrepreneurship training, with the full recognition that resources must be allocated to meet their special training, accessibility, literacy and support needs. This was felt to be preferable to separate programs.

Specific Actions:

1. Each member should actively establish partnerships with other entities engaged in entrepreneurial training. Many case studies were offered with regard to how the integration of people with disabilities where achieved through advocacy and partnership development.
   
   
2. Each member should advocate with and sensitize government officials to the inclusion of disabled persons in government sponsored programs within his/her own county.
   
   
3. Each member should use its website to promote these ideas.
   
   
4. We should learn from the example of the women's movement with regard to gender equity issues and advocate for specific statements regarding the inclusion of disabled persons in all programs, even to the points of establishing specific targets. Each funding agency, such as those within the UN systems, development banks and others should specific in the inclusion of disabled persons and require their involvement as part of the funding process.
   
   
5. Each member and the group should advocate for the involvement of entrepreneurship and people with disabilities on agendas of workshops related to employment issues or people with disabilities in general. Specifically, we should include the issue of the agenda of Campaign 2001.
   
   
6. The task force should begin to collect case studies and data related to the success of people with disabilities in entrepreneurial programs and training.
   
   
7. Similarly, the task force should identify successful entrepreneurs with disabilities who can serve as role models to others with disabilities.

Task Force: Education of all Children and Youth with Disabilities (EFA)

Briefing Note:

Recent surveys (UNICEF, 1999 and ESCAP, 1999) on educational access in the ESCAP region for children and youth with disabilities indicate that between 2 to 5 % only are receiving any education.

The Dakar Framework for Action, adopted in Dakar, Senegal, 26-28 April 2000 has called for a commitment to the achievement of education of all (EFA) goals and targets for every citizen and for every society.

It has further committed to ensuring that all children have access to complete, free and compulsory education of good quality by 2015.

Education is a basic human right at the heart of development. It must be a national and international priority, requires strong and sustained political commitment, enhanced financial allocations, and the participation of all EFA partners in the processes that will lead to achievement of the goal of education for all children.

The Dakar Framework for Action does not name, specifically, children with disabilities, among the groups named for special attention eg girls, children with HIV Aids, although it can be assumed that they are included in reference to the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children.

The failure to specify children with disabilities by name, leads to the risk that they will not be included specifically in strategies designed to achieve education for all children by 2015.

One of the key strategies for achieving the goals of the Dakar Framework for Action is the development of National Plans of Action at country level.

The time-frame for the completion of preparation of national plans of action is to complete them by end 2002.

The Thematic Working Group on Disability-related Concerns represents international and United Nations agencies, governmental and non-governmental agencies in the Asian and Pacific region, all concerned with disability, and therefore potential partners in the EFA processes, with the capacity to take a variety of actions to influence the outcome of the EFA initiatives, and to enhance the opportunities for inclusion in national education provisions for all children with disabilities.

Task Force on EFA: Action Strategies/Outcomes

1. E-mail network of concerned Task Force members to be formed
   
   
2. Compile list of contact details for education officials (Ministers, Directors/Secretaries of Education) in all ESCAP countries.
   
   
3. TWG membership to advocate to Ministries of Education in the region, requesting attention to specific inclusion of children with disabilities in National Plans of Action for Dakar Framework for Action, requesting a response detailing the current situation and future action planned. (Questionnaire could be developed).
   
   
4. TWG members to develop a Questionnaire to be sent to Ministries requesting a response giving detailed information on the current situation concerning education of children with disabilities, and future action planned.
   
   
5. Request TWG membership to advocate and to encourage all contacts and networks in governmental and non-governmental agencies, and particularly organizations of person with disabilities, parents and community groups to advocate in-country to Ministries of Education for action to :
   
   
   • Press for representation on the Planning Committee
   • Press for the inclusion of disabled children (and adults) in National Plans of Action.
   
   
6. Prepare and send to governments information sheets containing a list of organizations and other focal points that should be involved in the development of country action plans for EFA, as well as contacts of both international and national resource persons/organizations.
   
   
7. Sharing information on education initiatives in the region that include children with disabilities.
   
   
8. Document case studies of good practices within the region and share them at Campaign 2001 in Hanoi, Viet Nam, December 2001.
   
   
9. Multi lateral lending agencies should share the lessons learned from the experiences of different countries with the TWGDC. The TWG can advocate similar successful practices in other countries. They would be able to provide multiple options to member countries to choose the most suitable option for quality inclusive education in their environment.

Note : (Multilateral lending agencies are implementing a number of projects in different countries on support to children with disabilities. For example, in India, the UN system and the Government of India is running a Project in eight states for integrated education. UNDP is also implementing a Project for support to children with disabilities.

10. Encourage governments and NGO agencies responsible for human resource develoment for preparation of teachers for education which includes education for children with disabilities, to train more deaf and blind teachers, and teachers with other disabilities, to provide strong role models for deaf and blind and other disabled children.
    
    
11. Advocate to governments to consider carefully the needs of specific types of disabilities, particularly deaf children, and to include them in their national country plans for EFA.

Useful source of background information:

1. UNESCO Dakar Framework for Action
   http://www2.unesco.org/wef/en-docs
   http://www.unesco.org/education/efa/ed_for_all/dakfram_eng.shtml
   
   
2. Country Guidelines for preparation of national plans of action
   http://www2.unesco.org/wef/en-docs/angguid.pdf
   
   
3. Brohier, W. "Education For ALL? What Next?"
   Asian and Pacific Journal of Rehabilitation (in press).
   
   
   

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