Social Development Division, United Nations ESCAP

Part 1 of 2

1. National coordination

Critical issues

The achievement of full participation and equality of people with disabilities requires the active collaboration of all ministries, departments and government agencies at central and State/provincial levels whose work affects the lives of people with disabilities, as well as NGOs in all fields of development, including self-help organizations of people with disabilities. That collaboration remains to be realized in many countries of the ESCAP region. There is an urgent need to promote disability concerns and the participation of people with disabilities as an integral part of all development programmes and projects, particularly those directed at poverty alleviation and employment expansion. National coordination committees on disability concerns have a pivotal role to play in achieving that collaboration. However, in many countries of the region, they do not as yet exist. Where they have been established, there is a need to strengthen them.

Targets

1.1 Establishment, by 1996, of a national coordination committee (NCC) on disability concerns with an appropriate mechanism to ensure its accountability to the legislature/head of Government to promote a multisectoral approach to the implementation of the Agenda for Action for the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons, 1993-2002, and with representation at the policy-making level of all State/provincial Governments, and concerned ministries/departments and government agencies, substantial representation of NGOs, including self-help organizations of disabled persons, women with disabilities, as well as with adequate allocation of resources.

1.2 Establishment, by 1996, of an executive committee with appropriate representation from State/provincial Governments, ministries/departments and government agencies, NGOs, including self-help organizations of people with disabilities and women with disabilities, to ensure timely follow-up and monitoring of the implementation of the decisions of the NCC, as well as to facilitate its functioning.

1.3 Formulation, by 1996, of a national plan of action and its incorporation in national development plans with a time-frame and in-built mechanism for monitoring and evaluation, as well as adequate multisectoral allocation of resources for the implementation of the Agenda for Action, and specifically, the targets for national action contained in this document.

1.4 Prioritization, within the national plan of action, of the identification of means of promoting the participation of poor persons with disabilities in all poverty alleviation programmes and projects implemented within the country.

1.5 Specification of the participation of persons with disabilities as a criterion for the approval of funding for poverty alleviation programmes and projects.

1.6 Strengthening, by 2000, of the NCC as a permanent statutory body with adequate resources and infrastructure for its effective functioning.

Recommendations

(1) As a first step towards the formation of a national coordination committee on disability concerns, the national focal point for disability shall organize consultative meetings involving the following:

1. Ministries/departments and government agencies responsible for the formulation of national development plans, NGO affairs, education, human resources development, development of women and children, health and family welfare, rural and urban development, science and technology, labour, employment and training, industrial development, budget and finance, legal affairs, transport and communications, information and broadcasting, sports and culture, as well as foreign affairs;
2. NGOs, including self-help organizations of people with disabilities;
3. Women with disabilities.

(2) The NCC and its executive arm may invite experts from diverse fields for advice.

(3) The executive arm of the NCC may meet at least once in three months and shall be accountable to the NCC.

(4) All NCCs may immediately initiate preparations for participation in a regional mid-Decade meeting to review the progress of implementation of the Agenda for Action, including mobilization of resources for this purpose and collation of information for the preparation by the secretariat of a report on the status of people with disabilities in the ESCAP region.

(5) The national plan of action shall provide for a national mechanism with subnational linkages for:

1.  
2. Monitoring, review and evaluation of the implementation of programmes that benefit persons with disabilities;
3. Setting quantitative targets, in terms of both number of beneficiaries and programme expenditure;
4. Development of indicators to measure the effectiveness of implementation of the plan.

(6) The government agencies and NGOs responsible for the implementation of programmes may submit periodic reports to the concerned ministries/departments for consolidation into sectoral reports to be reviewed by the NCC.

(7) The NCC may disseminate information on the progress made in the implementation of the national plan of action to all concerned ministries/departments at central and State levels, government agencies and NGOs, as well as the ESCAP secretariat.

(8) Adequate national budgetary provision shall be made to facilitate the effective functioning of the NCC, particularly to convene meetings and workshops, monitor the field-level implementation of its decisions, computerize and link up with other NCCs in the region, and disseminate information.

2. Legislation

Critical issues

Many laws and policies tend either to discriminate against or restrict the participation and integration of people with disabilities in society.

Legislation and policies have yet to provide for enabling provisions for people with disabilities, including women with disabilities, to promote their full participation and equalization of opportunities.

Similarly, the majority of countries and areas in the region do not have basic laws that protect the rights of people with disabilities or provide for affirmative action in different areas of their lives. Women with disabilities are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, violence and abuse. They need to be well covered by basic laws.

While some countries have enacted such basic laws, in many cases they have not been implemented, either because implementing rules and regulations have not been framed or because the dates for their coming into force have not been notified.

Targets

2.1 Establishment, by 1997, of a suitable mechanism to examine and identify all substantive and procedural laws, such as those covering inheritance, marriage and properties, as well as criminal and civil procedure codes and policy provisions on various subjects.

2.2 Completion, by 1998, of the process of examination and identification of the above-mentioned laws and policy provisions.

2.3 Amendment, by 2000, of those laws, to include enabling provisions which would provide equal legal protection to persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities and people with intellectual disabilities, repeal provisions that restrict their full participation and equalization of opportunities, or which are discriminatory.

2.4 Enactment, by 2000, of a basic law with an effective in-built implementation and enforcement mechanism to protect the rights of people with disabilities, including women with disabilities and people with intellectual disabilities, to promote affirmative action in their favour and to eliminate discriminatory practices as well as architectural and communication barriers.

2.5 Introduction, by 1998, of a national scheme of social security measures covering financial assistance and subsidies for persons with extensive disabilities and their families living in poverty, as well as primary breadwinners who become disabled and have no other means of income support for their dependants.

2.6 Review of laws relating to customs duties and amendment thereof, with a view to exemption, by 1998, from custom duties on the import of vehicles, assistive devices, equipment and materials, including medical supplies, required to facilitate the daily living of people with disabilities, including women with disabilities.

2.7 Review and suitable amendment, by 1998, of other taxation laws to provide for incentives in the form of tax benefits to persons with disabilities, manufacturers of indigenous assistive devices and employers of disabled persons.

2.8 Enactment and/or amendment, by 2000, of laws/regulations for promoting health and safety in the workplace, in public places, transport and in the home, as well as setting standards for safety of equipment and items for industrial, domestic and personal use.

Recommendations

Governments of the region may:

(1) Involve NGOs, including self-help organizations of people with disabilities, in the process of formulation and implementation of basic legislation to protect the rights of people with disabilities.

(2) Formulate and implement a scheme of paralegal training for NGOs and self-help organizations of persons with disabilities, to enable them to participate effectively in the implementation and enforcement of basic and other related legislation for protection of the rights of people with disabilities.

(3) Provide adequate coverage of persons with disabilities in legal aid schemes, including interpretation and translation facilities, particularly for deaf and blind people.

(4) Provide a mechanism and a time-frame for regular review of legislation concerning people with disabilities, including women with disabilities.

(5) Set up a suitable mechanism in appropriate government agencies to regularly review the impact of general substantive and procedural laws on the rights of people with disabilities, including women with disabilities.

(6) Provide organizations of people with disabilities with adequate resources for self-advocacy training.

3. Information and 4. Public awareness

Critical issues

A major factor restricting the equal participation of people with disabilities is the prevalence of perceptions and practices which prevent them from functioning as full members of society. Often, the abilities of persons with disabilities remain unrecognized. Opportunities are limited for the full development of their potential. To rectify this, it is important that all awareness campaigns for full participation and equality emphasize the abilities of persons with disabilities and their value as productive citizens and members of their communities. In addition, inadequate resources and a lack of a national focal point for the establishment of databases relating to disability issues are the major difficulties encountered in developing information systems in the countries of the region.

Targets

3.0 Information

3.1 Establishment, by 1998, of a national resource centre with an accessible information and database on the disability situation, including demographic data on persons with disabilities, as well as social and economic dimensions, including employment status, educational level, housing and membership in registered organizations of people with disabilities.

3.2 Initiate, by 1998, a national sample survey.

3.3 Immediate action to translate the Agenda for Action into national and local languages for dissemination through the mass media, folk media, government agencies and voluntary organizations.

4.0 Public awareness

4.1 Immediate action to ensure that the national and provincial mass media, including private sector and folk media, feature Decade-related issues through regular and accurate coverage that improves public awareness and attitudes towards people with disabilities.

4.2 Phased action (1995-2002) to encourage all education and training institutions, government agencies and NGOs implementing programmes and projects for children and youth, to identify and provide means of ensuring that children and young persons with disabilities are included, in a sensitive manner, in activities designed for all children and young persons.

4.3 Immediate action to initiate a review of all educational and functional literacy materials in use in the country, with a view to excluding, by 2000, contents that are derogatory towards persons with disabilities and to including illustrations and references that support the integration of persons with disabilities into everyday life.

4.4 Immediate action to ensure the issuance, by the mid-point of the Asian and Pacific Decade (1997), of first-day covers and commemorative stamps promoting full participation and equality of persons with disabilities in the Asian and Pacific region.

4.5 Inclusion, by 1996, of disability issues and policies relating to information and the media, providing in particular for appropriate time and space for disability concerns, prohibiting the depiction of negative as well as inaccurate images of persons with disabilities through performances, especially comedies, films, and cartoons.

4.6 Establishment, by 1998, of an effective monitoring mechanism to assess the impact of campaigns and strategies to generate public awareness and improve attitudes towards persons with disabilities.

Recommendations

The Governments of the region may:

(1) Facilitate electronic networking of the national resource centre with NCCs, NGOs and international agencies in the region.

(2) Promote, with the participation of self-help organizations of people with disabilities, disability simulation exercises for policy makers, children and young people.

(3) Ensure adequate representation of persons with disabilities in decision-making bodies relating to the media, such as the national censorship board.

(4) Provide adequate resources to self-help organizations of people with disabilities and other NGOs to enable them to perform the functions of media watch, i.e. to encourage and give recognition to positive portrayal of persons with disabilities and role models for persons with disabilities, and to discourage negative portrayal.

(5) Establish a fund to promote the creative talents of persons with disabilities and encourage their inclusion in mainstream cultural and entertainment activities.

(6) Commemorate the International Day of Disabled Persons (3 December) by recognizing the country's achievements in the promotion of the Decade.

(7) Undertake steps to include questions on disability in the national population census as a long-term measure.

5. Accessibility and communication

Critical issues

Many societies in the Asian and Pacific region are ageing rapidly. It is estimated that the number of people aged 60 and over in the region will increase from 225 million in the 1990s to 623 million by 2025. The needs of frail and infirm elderly persons for accessible built environments are similar to those of persons with disabilities.

The rapid economic growth in the ESCAP region stimulates rapid infrastructure development. However, new buildings are being constructed without consideration of the needs of people with disabilities and elderly people. The building of mass transport systems in urban areas in the ESCAP region has been initiated or is under consideration. However, most of those systems do not incorporate in their designs the access needs of people with disabilities and elderly people. If those systems are completed without access features, they will remain inaccessible for many decades to come.

The lack of information and technical knowledge concerning barrier-free design among policy makers, urban planners, architects, designers and traffic engineers, particularly in the developing countries of the ESCAP region, hinder the promotion of non-handicapping environments.

The lack of standardized national indigenous sign language prevents communication among deaf people and between deaf and hearing people. To ensure that deaf people are fully integrated into community activities, the establishment of certified sign language interpretation services is required. There is a need for sign language interpretation services at vital public facilities. Braille materials and materials in other formats for those persons who cannot read print materials are required to ensure the full participation of persons with visual impairments in the community.

Targets

5.1 Immediate incorporation of barrier-free features as a standard requirement in designs and plans for all new construction, renovation and expansion of buildings and facilities used by members of the public, including transport, educational facilities and housing schemes as well as theme parks.

5.2 Immediate action to include barrier-free features in all mass transport facilities and systems, particularly rail systems which are to be built.

5.3 Immediate action to make external built environments accessible, including installing pavements with kerb ramps and provision of adequate space for wheelchair users.

5.4 Immediate inclusion of barrier-free design in the curricula for the training of architects, urban planners and engineers.

5.5 Incorporation, by 1997, of access provisions for people with disabilities into existing building by-laws.

5.6 Establishment, by 2000, of standardized indigenous sign languages with mechanisms for certification of sign language interpreters.

5.7 Availability, by 2002, of sign language interpretation services at vital public services and facilities, particularly police departments, hospitals, law courts, and financial institutions.

5.8 Availability, by 1998, of reading material in Braille, large print, computer disk, audio cassette and other suitable formats for people who have difficulty in reading regular print; access to human readers and sign interpreters for people who need them; as well as access to captioning and audio description, radio, telephone and fax machines for information and entertainment for people with sensory disabilities.

Recommendations

(1) The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and official development assistance programmes shall establish funding criteria to ensure that the infrastructure developed by loans and grants from them should be fully accessible.

(2) Access committee at local, regional and national levels may be established.

(3) An access officer, at the provincial level of government, may be appointed.

(4) Awards or public recognition shall be granted to building owners who have made their building fully accessible.

(5) Disability simulation exercises may be used in public awareness campaigns on accessibility, and in the training of personnel to provide first-hand experience of living with a disability.

(6) People with disabilities have valuable insights based on their own experiences of negotiating every day the numerous obstacles in the built environment and shall be fully involved at every stage in the planning, building, monitoring and evaluation process.

(7) Resources for and competence in undertaking research on access issues in the ESCAP region, as well as related exchanges of information, need to be strengthened. In particular, the need for research and exchange of its findings on the provision of accessibility in rural areas should be emphasized, as the normal urban-style planning controls and specific recommendations are not applicable.

(8) Computer software may be developed to translate print materials in the national language into Braille, and vice versa.

(9) A research and development team composed of deaf persons, sign language researchers and other concerned government and NGO personnel may be established for the development of standardized indigenous sign languages.

6. Education

Critical issues:

Ninety-three million (62 per cent) of all children with disabilities who are under 15 years of age live in the Asian and Pacific region. Less than 5 per cent of them receive any education or training. Among adults who are disabled, illiteracy is a problem of a much greater magnitude. Women and girls with disabilities are, even more than boys and men with disabilities, discriminated against.

In view of the lack of information and understanding, children and adults with disabilities are denied opportunity for formal and non-formal education. Schools, colleges and universities are generally most inaccessible for persons with disabilities. In addition, lack of the requisite support services for persons with disabilities to participate in integrated education is a critical problem in the region. There is an urgent need to accelerate schooling by providing early intervention services and training on special needs education for teachers in regular schools. At the same time, the number of specialist teachers has to be increased proportionately. There is a serious lack of appropriate assistive devices, teaching materials and support staff.

Targets:

6.1 Enable, by 2002, at least 75 per cent of all children and adults with disabilities to participate in formal and non-formal education programmes on an equal basis with their non-disabled peers and through progressive enrolment, together with the appropriate support services.

6.2 Inclusion, by 1997, of girls and boys and women and men with disabilities in all policies,plans and programmes to ensure Education for All, with adequate financial allocations as well as appropriate technical and human resources (including Braille textbooks, education material in audio, visual and other [e.g., large print] formats, indigenous sign language, appropriate assistive devices, physical access and support staff).

6.3 Introduction, by 1997, of early intervention programmes for children with disabilities, with provision for the active involvement of their families, in both rural and urban areas.

6.4 Progressive reduction, by 2000, of the drop-out rate of children with disabilities by at least 50 per cent.

6.5 Inclusion, by 1997, of a component on special education and children with special needs in the curricula for regular teacher training, including opportunity for relating directly with such children.

6.6 Promotion, by 1997, of the teaching of science and technical skills at the secondary school level to students with disabilities, including blind students.

6.7 Review and modify, by 1999, of the national/State education curricula to facilitate access to education for children and adults with disabilities, including appropriate provisions for the teaching of language, especially to deaf persons and hard-of-hearing persons, and to redress immediately any deficiency in this regard.

Recommendations

(1) Mobilization of the media to inform and change public opinion by wide use of success stories of people with disabilities.

(2) Involvement of the parents and families of children with disabilities in their education.

(3) Conduct of intensive short-term courses for classroom teachers in regular schools.

(4) Conduct of in-service vacation courses to train and upgrade special teachers of children with disabilities.

(5) Upgrading of special schools by setting up resource centres to support integrated education programmes in inclusive schools and to cater for those children with disabilities who cannot be integrated, either completely or partially, in self-contained classes within regular schools.

(6) Discouragement of the setting up of cross-disability special schools.

(7) Provision of instructional materials, appropriate assistive devices and essential equipment.

(8) Initial emphasis on functional literacy and language skills.

(9) Provision of scholarships and/or transport, where essential.

(10) Inclusion of pre-vocational skills training at the secondary level.

(11) Submission of periodic, substantive and financial reports on progress to achieve the above-mentioned targets.

(12) Monitoring and review of the progress of implementation of programmes to achieve the above targets.

(13) Evaluation of the resource status and augmentation of human, material and financial resources, as required.

Next: Part 2

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