The 2nd International Conference on Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities
Report of the Organizing Committee
By Senator Monthian Buntan
May 12, 2009
Millennium Resort Patong, Phuket, Thailand

The Minister of Ministry of Information and Communication Technology, Deputy-Governor of Phuket Province, President and key representatives of the DAISY Consortium, Members of the organizing Committee, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen:

　On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to the Minister of Ministry of Information and Communication Technology for kindly coming to preside over The 2nd International Conference on Disaster Preparedness for Persons with Disabilities, hosted by the DAISY Consortium in collaboration with Thailand Association of the Blind, National Office for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Committee on Social Development and Children, Youth, Women, the Elderly, The Foundation of Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (FAPCD) Under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (adpc), the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Thai Meteorological Department, Department of Mineral Resources, National Disaster Warning Center, Thailand National Committee on DAISY Production and Services (TNCD), Thai Autism Society, Council of Disabled People of Thailand and Ratchasuda Foundation

　This historic event is probably the first of its kind when several key people in at least three sectors: disability sector, ICT development sector and disaster management sector, come to address this very important issue concerning disaster preparedness for persons with disabilities, following three major events like the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) phase on in Geneva and phase 2 in Tunis, the Asian Tsunami which took more than 200,000 lives and left millions of people devastated, and most recently, the UN adoption of the International Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which is the first international human rights law of the 21st century. It is, therefore, not just an event when a handful of people come to discuss on a minor issue concerning invisible minority groups, but it is, indeed, to capture one of the most challenging issues, facing the world today. It is one of the core pre-requisites for the world society to move toward becoming more accessible, more inclusive and more humane for all. Despite limited time, limited resource and other difficulty, the DAISY Consortium has strategically chosen Thailand, particularly Phuket, for at least three meaningful reasons:

　(1) Thailand, both GOs and NGOs, a long with disability communities around the world, worked very hard to ensure that all process, including output and outcome of WSIS, must be inclusive and accessible to persons with disabilities;

　(2) Thailand has worked very actively throughout the process of drafting and negotiation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which Thailand, in particular, has ratified since July 2008 and

　(3) Thailand, especially Phuket, was of those countries, badly affected by the Asian Tsunami in 2004.

　It is, therefore, a good news to all of us, GOs and NGOs in Thailand, to be invited by DAISY Consortium to co-host this conference as our country, together with many others in this region and throughout the world, are preparing to ratify and implement the convention on March 30, 2007. It is to remind us that this conference is a result of our long-term commitment, started back in the year 2002 when DAISY Consortium, W3C disability communities and ICT development communities in Thailand and Asia-Pacific region got together in Bangkok to develop a policy guideline for ICT accessibility for PWDs. Such guideline became a core part of the Biwako Millennium Frame work for Action Toward an Inclusive, Barrier-free and rights-based society for Persons with Disabilities in the Asia-Pacific Region. It is also that guideline, which served as backbones, toward all steps and substance of WSIS which is the first-ever mainstreaming world summit, to be disability-inclusive. And most of all, it is the spirit of such guideline which brought the concept of "Universal Design", "Assistive Technologies" and "Accessibility" for persons with disabilities to be integrated throughout the adopted disability-rights convention. This conference is to take the spirit of such guideline further by incorporating the issue of disaster preparedness into it.

Objectives:

　Establishing international networking for Promotion of Disaster Preparedness of Persons with Disabilities in the context of WSIS (United Nations World Summit on the Information Society) Plan of Action implementation by sharing information on;

1. 　Needs of Persons with Disabilities for Disaster Preparedness with special attention to respective components of individual preparedness such as logical understanding on Disaster, accessible communication channel for warning, and planned/confirmed evacuation route,
2. 　Knowledge and experiences on disaster preparedness for persons with disabilities inaugurated and accumulated in various countries.
3. 　Best practices of Disaster Preparedness promotion activities that meet the requirements of Persons with Disabilities,
4. 　On-going Disaster Prevention/Mitigation initiatives at local/international level,
5. 　Local knowledge on disaster preparedness and evacuation that are beneficial for persons with disabilities
6. 　Promotion of social awareness of disaster preparedness system accessible for persons with all types of disabilities.
7. 　Initiatives of Bridging the Digital Divide in the area of Disaster Preparedness of Persons with Disabilities as the implementation of WSIS Plan of Actions, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and other relevant instruments.

Expected Outcome:

　Improvement of Disaster Evacuation Plans around the world to meet the special needs of people including persons with disabilities, old people, patients, children, pregnant, refugees, cultural/linguistic minorities, foreign travelers, etc.

　Number of Participants: 100, including: Those who are involved in or concerned with digital opportunities in the area of Disaster Preparedness of Persons with Disabilities including disability community, policy makers, experts, advocates This conference is made possible by DAISY Consortium, which is the main sponsor, plus some contribution from organizations in Thailand, such as The Foundation of Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (FAPCD) Under the Patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Fund for Empowerment of Person with Disabilities and collective efforts by co-hosts together with staffs and volunteers. On behalf of the organizing committee, I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank every one for such kind contribution.

　At this auspicious moment, I would like to invite Chairman to kindly deliver opening remarks of the conference.

Thank you.