Statement for the 2nd Asia Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons
2003 ﾐ 2012

ASIA PACIFIC MOVEMENT OF FREEDOM FROM BARRIERS:

Asia Pacific Regional Council of Disabled Peopleﾕs International (DPI)

We DPI welcomes the initiatives taken by the Government of Japan to propose the years 2003-2012 as the 2nd Asia-Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons. The theme for the Decade is the Asia-Pacific Movement of Freedom from Barriers as discussed at the 18th meeting in 1999 of the Regional Interagency Committee for Asia and the Pacific, now called the Thematic Working Group on Disability related concerns in 1999.

The following is DPIﾕs proposal for the decade.

Theme: Asia-Pacific Movement of Freedom from Barriers.

Background:
The current Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons is going to be concluded with greater success than was expected. The following points reflect the most significant successes of the decade for disabled persons.

1. The governments have encouraged disabled persons to participate in policy making processes.
2. The governments have recognized the needs of persons with disabilities to gain access to support services
3. Public awareness on barrier free buildings and transportation systems has been promoted.
4. Cross disability self help groups have been formed in most countries of the region.
5. Persons with disabilities have started to live in communities with confidence and pride.

However, some very significant gaps in development remain outstanding, and there has been uneven implementation of the targets of the decade, with countries experiencing lower socio-economic development lagging behind the more affluent areas of the region.
1. Disabled persons are still not active partners with governments in the development and implementation of legislation and policy that most significantly affect their lives.
2. The majority of disabled persons continue to face significant barriers in respect of their access to the physical environment, educational opportunities and sustainable incomes.
3. The legitimate knowledge and lived experiences of disabled persons remains unacknowledged in most aspects of medical intervention, rehabilitation and support services.

Activities:

In the coming decade therefore, we expect ESCAP to focus on the issues which attained little progress so as to bring about barrier free societies in every aspect. They are:

1. Ensuring Barrier Free Environments including Transportation and Buildings.

As is emphasized in ICF and WHOﾕs new classification of disablement, participation of disabled persons is very much hindered by physical barriers in the first place. The freedom of mobility both outside and inside of buildings should be ensured. According to the Nobel Prize Winner in Economic Science Dr. Amartya Sen, ensuring the right of mobility and freedom of mobility is regarded as economically necessary in order to adjust the experience of social injustice.

In this regard DPI recommends ESCAP in partnership with Disabled People to implement

・ Model project of an accessible town
・ Production of manual to increase accessibility of transportation system
・ Training of transportation providers and agencies on accessibility
・ Training for architects and town planners on accessibility
・ Training for disabled persons on advocacy for physical access.

2. Empowering Persons with Disabilities for Poverty Alleviation

The 21st Century is said to be the ﾒthe century of human development.ﾓ However, 70% of disabled persons with disabilities live in rural areas without access to social services including education and training. They need to be united to provide mutual assistance and support. In addition to economical and social help for each other, it is necessary that each member becomes empowered with confidence to encourage independent living (IL) in his or her own community.

In this regard DPI recommends ESCAP in partnership with Disabled People to implement:

・ Training on peer counseling skills amongst self help groups
・ Training on entrepreneurship for income generation projects.
・ Production of a manual on management of self help groups
・ Independent living skills training programmes
・ Training of CBR providers on inclusion of vulnerable groups among disabled persons including woman with disabilities and persons with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities.
・ Training programmes to foster the empowerment of disabled children within their families.

3. Increasing Communication Access

Communication accessibility is a crucial issue amongst persons with hearing disability, visual disability and intellectual disability. The accessibility to information is not yet assured fully. Information and Communication technology (ICT) also helps solve the problems of persons with mobility difficulities.

In this regard DPI recommends to ESCAP in partnership with disabled people to implement the following:

・ Program to establish measures for the provision of sign language interpretation, hearing aid and other devices for hearing impaired persons.
・ Program to make guidelines to ensure access to information for visually disabled persons.
・ Training for information systems in sign and graphics for persons with cognitive disabilities.
・ Training of trainers for ICT for persons with disabilities
・ Training programmes for children with disabilities and their families to ensure children are supported to access useful and interactive communication strategies

4. Developing Human Resources to Strengthen Barrier Free Societies

All persons with disabilities will be able to build their capacities, if they are given appropriate barrier free environment. It means that enough support based on the needs of persons with disabilities is to be provided.

In this regard DPI recommends to ESCAP in partnership with Disabled People the following:

・ Leadership training of woman with disabilities on their access to education and training
・ Training on disability related international norms and standards
・ ICT training for leaders with disabilities to promote their access to information
・ Program for networking leaders of self help organizations established in category wise
・ Production of a manual for leadership training on how to work with cross disability groups
・ Access to the goods, services and opportunities available to the general community
・ Training for all government officials must include non-discrimination of disabled persons
・ Empowerment of families to pursue a positive future through education for their disabled children.

5. Participation in Decision Making:

Disabled persons have developed a body of expertise and knowledge that is not being fully recognized in public decision making in most of the countries of the Asia Pacific region.

In this regard DPI recommends ESCAP in partnership with Disabled People to promote

・ The active participation of disabled persons and their self help organizations in the development, implementation and amendments process for all policy and legislation that impacts on the lives of disabled persons
・ The active participation of disabled persons and their self help organizations in all national planning and development processes
・ The active participation of disabled persons and their self help organizations in the process of recruitment for government, rehabilitation and human service sector personnel.
・ The active participation of disabled persons and their self help organizations in the allocation of public goods, services and resources.
・ The active participation of children with disabilities and their families in decision making that effects their futures.

6. Development of Self Help Organizations of Disabled Persons.

If Disabled Persons are to develop their ability to take up socially valued roles and responsibilities in their communities and within society in general the organized support available through self help organizations will be essential.

In this regard DPI recommends ESCAP in partnership with Disabled People encourages
・ Member Governments to allocate resources for the intellectual capacity building of disabled people.
・へ Member Governments to support disabled persons to develop self help organizations from the grass roots through to national levels.
・ Member Governments to develop strategies to enhance the employment and skill development of Disabled Persons.
・ The inclusion of children and their families as partners in self help movements of disabled people
・ Inclusion of disability and self help organizations of disabled people in the target group for donor agencies.

7. Human Rights:

We welcome the adoption of the General Assembly resolution 56/168 titled Comprehensive and Integral International Convention to promote and protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities, and its decision to establish an Ad Hoc committee open to the participation of all member states and observers of the United Nations, disabled persons self help organizations and non government organsiations, to consider proposals for a comprehensive and integral international convention to protect and promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities.

Each government be encouraged to involve people with disabilities to fully participate and undertake the initiative in this framework.

In this regard DPI recommend that ESCAP in partnership with disabled people encourages
・ Each country to establish a dedicated committee to establish the purpose and intent of the convention
・ Each government must encourage people with disabilities to be active participants in the Ad Hoc committee