Closing Remarks
Mr. Totok Soegandi Chairman,
ASEAN Subcommittee on Microelectronics and Information Technology (ASEAN-SCMIT)
Friday, 16 July 1999
Distinguished participants, ladies and gentlemen.
We finally have come to the end of our seminar.
May I take this opportunity on behalf of ASEAN-SCMIT (Subcommittee on Microelectronics
and Information Technology) member countries to express our great appreciation to NIDA of
Thailand, especially to Dr. Suchtra Punyaratabandhu, Special Advisor to the President of
NIDA, and her staff for their hospitality and excellent arrangements for this seminar, to
the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability for financing these activities - and to
Mr. Clinton Rapley, of the Division for Social Policy and Development or the United
Nations Secretariat for organizng those matters - and to our lecturers and instructors for
their excellent presentations. We have learned a lot from you all. Our appreciation also
goes to Dr. Linda Posadas of the ASEAN Secretariat for her energetic efforts to realize
this seminar. Although the seminar was attended by only six of the ten ASEAN member
countries, where Brunei, Cambodia, Malaysia and Myanmar were not represented, we found
that this seminar is a successful one of its kind, and we believe it could be beneficial
in increasing our knowledge in this area.
Based upon the country presentations and the advice and comments of the respective
seminar presenter, it is possible to identify three areas where a regional initiative can
be launched by ASEAN-SCMIT. These are in (1) policy advocacy, (2) research and development
and (3) information exchange and dissemination.
Taking into account ASEAN decision-making processes the immediate steps that can be
done include the following:
- ASEAN-SCMIT chairman reports to SCMIT (Subcommittee on Microelectronics and Information
Technology) and COST (Committee on Science and Technology) on the seminar, presents the
recommendations of the seminar and seeks comments and suggestions.
- Recommend that a dialogue be initiated between the Committee on Science and Technology
(COST) and the Committee on Social Development (COSD) to explore the possibility of
setting up a joint COST-COSD Task Force on Internet Accessibility, and to develop joint
programmes. The initiative could build upon ASEAN-SCMIT current work on some computer
access issues.
- Recommend that all ASEAN bodies establishing Internet-based information networks and
developing their respective Web sites take into account the issue of accessibility.
- Consider a collaborative project on developing enabling devices both for older persons
and for persons with disabilities.
- Establish an on-line forum on Internet accessibility for ASEAN.
- Compile a database - or a directory - of bodies and organizations, both public and
private, which are promoting Internet accessibility to be posted on the Internet World
Wide Web.
- ASEAN member countries may wish to conduct local awareness seminars on
disability-friendly Web design, based upon materials gathered from this seminar.
Thank you.
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