June 27, 2007:
Presentation of Action Plan
Training Report - Vocational Rehabilitation Course 2007
Ten course participants presented their Action Plan at JICA Tokyo today. They described knowledge and experiences acquired in Japan and what they are planning to do in order to promote employment of persons with disabilities after returning to their countries.
30 minutes presentation (5 min preparation / 15 min presentation / 10 min Q&A)
1. Participant from Sri Lanka
Title: Income Generation Program – for people who have spinal cord injuries
Summary:
The number of people with spinal cord injuries in Sri Lanka is increasing due to road and
worksite accidents, accidents related to Toddy and Palmyra honey making, drinking related problems,
and lack of first aid knowledge. Digana Rehabilitation Hospital provides medical rehabilitation,
physiotherapy, counseling/relaxation, and entertainment to people in Kandy area. However after medical
treatment the patients are sent back to home. This project “Income Generation Program” aims at
economic independence of persons with spinal cord injury and their family. The project targets 12
persons with spinal cord injury of 18 years of age and above who finished the treatment at the
hospital and it consists of three programs; social rehabilitation, vocational rehabilitation, and job
placement.
2. Participant from Philippines
Title: Garment Sheltered Workshop
Summary:
Setting up a sheltered workshop in garments production has been considered as an important innovation
in Area I Vocational Rehabilitation Center located in Dagupan City. "Garment Sheltered Workshop" will
be open for persons with physical disabilities, especially those who finished one year vocational
training course in dressmaking and tailoring. This will provide the opportunities to enhance their
vocational skills while at the same time earning an income. This project will also be their first step
towards employment in a competitive open labor market which is necessary for their economic
independence and also socially satisfying life.
3. Participant from Indonesia
Title: Work Together
Summary:
National Vocational Rehabilitation Center (NVRC) Cibinong Bogor provides vocational rehabilitation
services to persons with physical disabilities, however, after the training persons with disabilities
have limited job opportunities. Job Coach is an effective system to promote employment of persons
with disabilities in open labor market but it is a new concept to the Indonesian society. This
project "Work Together" plans a seminar to disseminate information on Job Coach so that job coaching
system is to be established in local vocational centers, companies are to accept job coach, and as a
result more persons with disabilities to get employed. The project starts in February 2008 and the
seminar is to be held in May and June 2008.
4. Participant from Laos
Title: Job Promotion Center - for persons with physical disabilities
Summary:
Laos has no specific law or policies for persons with disabilities and the environment is not barrier
free. After graduating from school or vocational training, persons with disabilities are unemployed,
therefore feeling lonely and hopeless for independent life. This project "Job Promotion Center"
explore potential workplaces and promote job placement of persons with disabilities at age of 18 to
40 in Capital City of Vientiane. The project consists of three phases, starting from August 2007. It
aims to explore 50 workplaces and place 40 persons with disabilities in jobs within 18 months.
5. Participant from Nepal
Title: Challenger
Summary:
In Nepal, women faces triple discrimination for being women, for poverty and for disabilities, and
therefore even educated and qualified women with disabilities are unemployed. This one year project
"Challenger" aims at job placement of women with disabilities by providing the training in computer
secretariat course to five women with disabilities and find at least two jobs.
6. Participant from Bhutan
Title: Weaving for All
Summary:
In Bhutan, the traditional weaving is disappearing nowadays due to the country's modernization.
Persons with disabilities have not been given the opportunity to weave due to the lack of institutes
and trainers. This project “Weaving for All” provides one year training in traditional Bhutanese
weaving in Thimphu City. It targets 8 persons with physical disabilities from rural areas, aiming for
them to get employed and be self-reliant. The project is expected to start in December 2007.
7. Participant from Pakistan
Title: Care & Hope
Summary:
Government institutions for intellectual disability are not existent in Gujrat City and people with
intellectual disabilities stay in their homes and not exploit their potentials. Vocational
Rehabilitation and Employment of the Disable Persons (VREDP) established one school last year with
the help of an NGO but only daily living skills are being taught in this school. This 12 months
project "Care & Hope" plans to provide vocational training based at this school to 2 to 5 people
with intellectual disabilities in Gujrat City, aims that they get employment opportunities and live
an independent and meaningful life.
8. Participant from Maldives
Summary:
In the Maldives, no mechanism to provide vocational rehabilitation for persons with disabilities
exists. Due to the stigma and the attitudinal barriers in the society, most of persons with
intellectual and psychiatric disabilities are confined to their homes. Employment of persons with
intellectual disabilities is unheard. Persons with psychiatric disabilities are not so difficult to
get employment but continuity is a problem. This three year project "Hope" aims to reintegrate people
with intellectual and psychiatric disabilities in Home for People with Special Needs (HPSN) into the
society through vocational rehabilitation.
9. Participant from Cambodia
Summary:
Watthan Artisans - Cambodia run by persons with disabilities have already started handcraft training
and production. With this two years project "Smile Handicrafts", the target of skill training will
be expanded to persons with physical and intellectual disabilities of 18 years of age and above from
rural areas. It also aims to achieve a sustainable income generation and capacity building of people
with disabilities, ensuring the continuity of training programs and employment.
10. Participant from Kazakhstan
Title: Bridge： From low incomes towards high-quality life for woman with disability
Summary:
The rapidly growing economy of Kazakhstan demands computer related services. Many women with
disabilities have basic computer skills but not in advanced programs and many of them wish to start
their own enterprises but do not have know-how. This project plans to organize 3 trainings in computer
programs and 3 in business management within a year for 24 women with disabilities, to establish a
workshop on web design and computer accounting program and provide 10 trained women with disabilities
with high-quality jobs, and to support other 14 trained women with disabilities in self-employment and
employment in open labor market. Thus a bridge will be built between women with disabilities and their
potential employers or self-employment.
Mr. Maruyama, Mr. Nonaka and Mr. Ogawa, three Planning Committee members were present. Ms. Sadaie, Mr. Saito and Mr. Toya were present from JICA, and Ms. Kosugi and Mr. Shimizu from JICE. Ms. Kato from AAR Japan, Mr. Agus Diono, former participant in Leadership Development Course from Indonesia, Ms. Ueno and Ms. Nomura from JSRPD participated and gave a lot of valuable comments.
