In what might be the most beautiful conference setting, with perfect weather and incredibly uncomfortable chairs, we began the second day with a presentation by Monsur Ahmed Chowdhury from Bangladesh. Mr. Chowdhury, who is blind, is a member of the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
I did a presentation on the implications of Article XIX for families and providers of services. I am concerned that so many are concentrating ont he rights aspects of the CRPD, absent an understanding that the rights translate into laws, policies, regulations and services which may be very different than current practice in many countries, especially in the less developed countries in this region of the world.
There were four presentation groups on the panel after my presentation, from Japan, India, Vietnam and Myanmar. All had good things to say but perhaps the highlight of this trip for me was the presentation by Pramila Baladundaram from India. She has develop a grass roots empowerment strategy for very poor families who have children with disabilities. Working with families and neighbors, she combines micro-enterprise development with support for families. It is a strength based approach, and this quiet dignified woman laid out an approach that has, I think, great potential in the developing world. I encouraged her to write it up and Inclusion International could disseminate it. We then broke into groups and discussed the panel, looking at challenges, solutions and ideas to explore.
Here are some of the ideas, raw transcript, of what the groups came up with during that session:
I did a presentation on the implications of Article XIX for families and providers of services. I am concerned that so many are concentrating ont he rights aspects of the CRPD, absent an understanding that the rights translate into laws, policies, regulations and services which may be very different than current practice in many countries, especially in the less developed countries in this region of the world.
There were four presentation groups on the panel after my presentation, from Japan, India, Vietnam and Myanmar. All had good things to say but perhaps the highlight of this trip for me was the presentation by Pramila Baladundaram from India. She has develop a grass roots empowerment strategy for very poor families who have children with disabilities. Working with families and neighbors, she combines micro-enterprise development with support for families. It is a strength based approach, and this quiet dignified woman laid out an approach that has, I think, great potential in the developing world. I encouraged her to write it up and Inclusion International could disseminate it. We then broke into groups and discussed the panel, looking at challenges, solutions and ideas to explore.
Here are some of the ideas, raw transcript, of what the groups came up with during that session:
What does community mean to you?
1) How do you define community?
a. Included
b. Families supported by the community
c. Living within families
2) Access to facilities
3) Acceptance and learning from community: Works both ways-people learn from the community and the community learns from pwd
4) Teaching and creating awareness
5) Being part of the community in every possible way – activities, roles, responsibilities
6) Living with the family until marriage is tradition (Nepal) – so families supporting people with disabilities miss out on a lot of social activities
7) Communities are constant and regular: e.g. Neighbors provide support
8) Community is the future-what will be there after the parents
a. State support needed
9) Problems: Keeping the children entertained and their safety and protection
a. Suggestion of peer to peer networks in schools
b. Provide teachers with training and support-to recognize and intervene in problem areas
c. Understand abuse in the family: Parent counseling and training
10) Be aware of both risks and opportunities out in community and in the family
11) There are multiple ways of interpretation for the term community inclusion
GAPS
12) How do you prevent violence and abuse – is there a local solution
13) Need to improve the environment for people with disabilities in communities.
14) Communities need to realize they also have a responsibility to their fellow citizens with disabilities
15) Reach out to “All” segments of the community e.g. develop self help groups for sharing support and innovative answers by experienced parents
16) Helping parents to value their children-focus on strengths as well as needs – focus on ability not disability
17) Cultures can change-need strategies
18) Medical personnel not trained in disability issues
19) Support needed for people with disabilities in dangerous/risky situations
20) Negative parental views
21) Government support needs to be increased
22) No access to sports and recreation
23) Provide information on risks and potentially dangerous situations for families and professionals.
24) How do you get rid of barriers in resource poor communities –need replicable strategies
25) State an “initiative” to involve the entire community
a. Start small and with concrete actions
26) How to get government to take action-to cut through delays?
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