EDITOR'S COMMENT
The end of this millenium has seen some sweeping changes in the world, including changes in economic trends towards globalisation, the tremendous advances in information technology and so on. Along with these major changes, there has also been a less dramatic, though significant change, in the way people with disabilities and their concerns are viewed by society. This change has influenced the lives and thinking of all those who are involved in disability issues, in various ways. For example, in thinking of people with disabilities, one no longer conjures up a vision of a group that is secluded within the confines of an institution, or that remains as peripheral observers in the midst of their communities. Instead, people with disabilities are becoming equal, participating partners in society. These changes are most dramatically reflected in the methods practised in community based rehabilitation today. The last decade has been a significant one for community based rehabilitation. It has evolved from an institutional outreach practice of rehabilitation, with its emphasis on individual-centred interventions, to a method of engineering the society to accommodate people with disabilities in its midst, by providing a barrier-free environment in all spheres of activity. Alongside, community based rehabilitation has grown in many countries from micro-project based experiments to national strategies. It is becoming a mature field with its own specialised methods and skills.
This issue of the Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal is uniquely designed to reflect on the changes in community based rehabilitation through the last few decades. Authors with more than two decades of experience in the field have penned a group of guest editorials to reflect on the changes that they have perceived in their areas of interest. In order to supplement the information on the changes as we enter the new millenium, we have brought out an associate publication, the 'Selected Readings', also dealing with the topic of transition in community based rehabilitation. All these articles together provide a wholistic view of community based rehabilitation in the world today.
This issue has been deliberately delayed by a month in order to avoid any disruptions due to the Y2K problems. The Editorial team of the Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal wishes all its readers a Very Happy New Year !
Editor
ASIA PACIFIC DISABILITY REHABILITATION JOURNAL CORPUS FUND
Action for Disability has established a corpus fund to sustain the Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal. Those who wish to contribute to the corpus fund may please note the following details.
Name of agency :Action for Disability, Hunters Moor Regional Rehabilitation Centre, Hunters Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 4NR, UK Bank details: Co-operative Bank, 53/57 Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne NE99 1AN, UK Bank sort code : 08-90-06, Account number : 50022821, Account name : Action for Disability No. 1 Account (Registered Charity No. 1000471) |
Title:
ASIA PACIFIC DISABILITY REHABILITATION JOURNAL Vol. 11 @ No. 1 @ 2000
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