Table of Contents for Issue no. 8 May-June 2001
Access and Technology
Disabled Tourists Undertake Adventure Trip to Brazil
WOW! This globalized economy thing really works!!!! Here we are down in little Uruguay (gorgeous Punta del Este, to be exact, where we live) and lo and behold we get a message, no, not in a bottle, but on this marvelous communication device, the internet . . .
Making Air Travel Safe for Seniors
If you've ever found yourself packing an overnight bag just for the trip from one airport terminal to another, making sure to bring along your electron microscope so you could read the information on your ticket along the way . . .
Brazil Discusses Strategies for Digital Inclusion
The documents drafted during the workshop will serve as the basis for the Brazilian Federal Government's policies in digital inclusion . . .
Barrier Free Brothel in Australia
An Australian brothel has installed a ramp and made other accommodations for customers with disabilities. The Pink Palace in Melbourne . . .
Internet Access on the New Zealand Agenda
The New Zealand government is considering accessibility issues on its own web sites. It is developing web standards, including accessibility standards, although, as yet, it has not gone as far as either the US or Australia in legislating for access . . .
New International References on Technology
Following are current international reports and journals and announcements of new publications on technology and disability, which were on display at the 2001 RESNA Conference in Reno, Nevada in June . . .
Accessibility in Russia, or the Lack of It
There is an old Russian saying: "The head of the fish spoils first." The Moscow headquarters of the Ministry of Labor and Social Services, and the inaccessibly high level bureaucrats who reside there, embody this saying . . .
South Africa Uses Youth Program to Build Accessibility
In March, South Africa's Public Works Minister Stella Sigcau launched the "Youth for Environmental Accessibility Program" . . .
Access and Technology briefly
New Publications from Royal National Institute of the Blind, Access Exchange International Notes 10 Year Anniversary, Swedish Handicap Institute Publishes Overview of its Role to Ensure Access to High-Quality Assistive Technology, and more . . .
U.S. Federal Government Must Provide Accessible Information
After Thursday, rules for access to information become mandatory throughout the federal government . . .
Arts and Media
Announcing Career in the Arts Internships
Announcing a new initiative - Career in the Arts Internships (CAI) for arts and arts service organizations interested in providing internship opportunities for individuals with disabilities . . .
Canada's First Disability Film Festival
"Picture This" is the theme of Canada's first film festival celebrating disability culture. It will take place October 19-21 in Calgary, Alberta and the organizers have announced that the deadline for entries is August 31 . . .
International Disability Film Festival in Munich Invites Entries by August 1, 2001
"The Way We Live" is the theme of the Third International Short Film Festival organized by the German Society for Disability and the Media . . .
Arts and Media briefly
International Disability Arts Festival, Edinburgh, Scotland, August 2001 and Canon Digital Creators Contest . . .
Children and Youth
Disability And Inclusive Education
Educating children with disabilities is a modern-day challenge for the people of the Americas. Only a small proportion (e.g. from 1% - to- 10%) of the children with special needs have ready access to schooling, and those who do typically must attend a segregated school . . .
Lebanon: Involving Children with Disabilities in Peace Camps
In 1999, the UNICEF-Beirut Office made a conscious effort to enhance the concept of child participation in a variety of ways . . .
Creating a "Disability-Friendly" Childhood Development Program in the Maldives
The Maldives is comprised of approximately 1200 islands, around 200 of which are inhabited. Almost 40 percent of the islands have a population of less than 500 people . . .
Conferences and Events
Update on European Assistive Technology Conference, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2001
The 6th European Conference for the Advancement of Assistive Technology is being held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, September 3-6, 2001
Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) as a Participatory Strategy in Africa
Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) as a Participatory Strategy in Africa, September 10 - 14, 2001, Uganda National Institute of Special Education (near Kampala, Uganda)
RI Arab Regional Conference on Disability, Rehabilitation & Inclusion, Beirut, September 2001
The Rehabilitation International Arab Region is hosting its first international conference in Beirut, Lebanon, September 19-21
Against all odds: Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus in developing countries
13th International Conference for Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 28-29 September 2001
Brazil: 2nd International Seminar on Inclusive Society
Brazil: 2nd International Seminar on Inclusive Society, Pontificia Catholic University, Minas Gerais, Brazil, October 22 to 26, 2001
Second Conference on Universal Design & Home Modifications
Second Conference on Universal Design & Home Modifications, San Diego, California, November 2001
8th National Conference on Abuse and Children & Adults with Disabilities
Call for Papers: The 8th National Conference on Abuse and Children & Adults with Disabilities, February 2002 in Southern California (Riverside)
First International Conference on Symptom, Diagnosis, and Disability Validity: Improving Patient Outcomes
Call for Papers/Posters: First International Conference on Symptom, Diagnosis, and Disability Validity: Improving Patient Outcomes, September 26 - 29 2002, Toronto/Markham, Ontario, Canada
International Course in Disability and Rehabilitation Management
Employment
U.S. President Highlights Plight of Disabled Workers
Until fairly recently, many Americans have never known paydays. . . . They have been denied jobs on account of a disability, and one of the great advances in our time is that persons with disabilities have been more welcomed in the workplace . . .
ILO Requests Examples of Best Practices in Job Creation and Work Place Adaptation
The ILO is currently preparing an update of the two booklets: "Job creation for disabled people - A Guide for Workers' Organisations" and "Job creation for disabled people - A Guide for Employers' Organisations" . . .
Better Employment Prospects for Disabled Japanese?
On 6th January 2001, the Ministry of Health and Welfare and Ministry of Labour were united to become the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, as a result of the Government's reorganization . . .
Norwegian Parliament Adopts Anti-Discrimination Law
Following intensive lobbying by the Norwegian National Disability Council, the Norwegian Parliament has amended its basic law on the work environment to include language against discrimination towards disabled people on the labor market . . .
Disabled South Africans Work on Digital Divide Project
FreeCom is a new company that is tackling the digital divide in South Africa by refurbishing discarded computers from Europe and the USA for resale to low and middle income groups at a fraction of the cost of new equipment . . .
Prime Minister of Uganda Pledges Disability Fund
During the first National Disability Awards ceremony, Uganda's Prime Minister, Prof. Apollo Nsibambi announced that a new governmental fund to support microenterprise would benefit people with disabilities as one of the target groups . . .
UK Disability Rights Commission Works with Employers
On Wednesday 25 April 2001 the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) celebrates its first year. The DRC works with disabled people, employers and service providers to achieve practical solutions that work for everyone . . .
Zambian Blind Federation Charges Education System Has Collapsed
Wamundila Waliuya, interim chair of the Zambian Federation of the Blind, charged in April at a press conference in Lusaka that the government's lack of support had brought about the collapse of the education system for blind persons . . .
Governance and Legislation
Bangladesh Parliament Adopts First Comprehensive Disability Legislation
This plain English translation of a new law adopted on April 4, 2001 by the Parliament of Bangladesh has been provided to Disability World by the Bangladesh Organization of People with Disabilities . . .
U.S. Supreme Court Sides with Disabled Golfer
Casey Martin has won the right to use a golf cart in professional tournaments. In another case based on the Americans with Disabilities Act, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that Martin's use of the cart would not be a "fundamental alteration" of the game . . .
Disability March: 1500 Costa Ricans demand equal oportunity
On Friday 1 June 2001, nearly 1,500 people with disabilities marched on Second Avenue in San Jose, Costa Rica. Our demand: equal opportunity . . .
Euthanasia Opponents React to Holland's New Law
When the Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia, Dutch disability-rights groups remained mostly silent. Internationally, however, other activists are expressing grave concerns about the law's possible impact on people with disabilities throughout Europe and the world . . .
Japan: The Importance of Analyzing the Intent and Impact of Our Discriminatory Laws while Eradicating Them, or, "Straightening Out the True Nature of the Issue"
The review of "Disqualifying Clauses for Disabilities" is about to be put in place. Now that the Government Task Force for the Promotion of Measures for Disabled Persons lay the course and draft amendments of many laws were submitted to the Diet, it seems to be a matter of time . . .
U.S. Disability Community Opposes Bush Nominee for Judgeship
The U.S. disability community has organized to oppose President Bush's nomination of Jeffrey Sutton for a federal judgeship . . .
Koreans Losing Disability Claims against Japanese Government
The claims of two groups of Koreans for compensation and pensions from the Japanese government were recently denied by Japanese courts. . . .
Disability Rights Legislation
At the start of the 21st century, three countries have passed significant disability rights legislation into law: Australia in 1993, the United Kingdom in 1995, and the United States in 1990 . . .
New Human Rights Law for New Zealand
New Human Rights legislation will be introduced in New Zealand later this year . . .
Disability Strategy Launched
New Zealand's Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Helen Clarke, launched the first Disability Strategy - Making a World of Difference Whakanui Oranga, in early May . . .
National Voter Registration Act Implementation Survey
Americans with disabilities are less likely to register and vote than nondisabled Americans. Several recent studies indicate that the registration rate among persons with disabilities is about 15 percentage points lower than among nondisabled citizens. And the voting rate is about 20 percentage points lower among individuals with disabilities . . .
Independent Living
British Project Supports Independent Living Training for Russian Youths
On May 9th, Julia Simonova turned 18. She has spent the past year as a participant in the "Disabled Youth for Social Change" project, led by Perspektiva, and funded by the British Department for International Development . . .
Leprosy Court Case Shakes Japan
Japanese society has been rocked by the claims of former leprosy patients that they were kept institutionalized and enslaved long after medical science had developed treatments that would allow them to live in the community . . .
Learning Peer Counseling and Leadership in Moscow: a Success Story
Irina Krokhinova joined the "Disabled Youth for Social Change" project two months after its beginning. Despite being a very talented and competent person, she was still very shy and afraid to say or do the wrong thing . . .
Interview with Tia Nelis: U.S. Self-Advocacy Leader
Tia Nelis is a leader in the U.S. Self-Advocacy Movement. Currently serving as the president of People First of Illinois, she is also a past president of the national self-advocacy organization, Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered . . .
Russian Project to Train Disabled Youth Activists
The overall goal of the project was to increase the participation of disabled young persons in the civic and social life of their communities . . .
Independent Living briefly
Recent Developments at www.independentliving.org and Italian Woman Wins Court Case Requiring Florence to Pay for Personal Assistants of her Choice
International News and Views
Mental Health in Colombia: a Cause for Concern
Translated by Hernando Ayala (hdoayala@tutopia.com) from Digital Press Agency (DISNET), Bogota, 16 April 2001, I Number 241
Ninety thousand Colombians searched for help in only ten state hospitals of the country during year 2000. Following is a statistical summary of their journey . . .
New International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
The Fifty-fourth World Health Assembly, during its meeting on May 22, 2001, unanimously approved the resolution on the 2nd edition of the classification of functioning, disability and health. . .
Interview with Tomas Lagerwall of Sweden, New RI Secretary General
Recently Tomas Lagerwall was appointed the seventh Secretary General of Rehabilitation International and Kathy Martinez, Deputy Director of the World Institute on Disability, interviewed him in person and by email . . .
Announcing 23 New Activities & Resources of the Latino World
Puerto Rico: Portal for Internet users with disabilities, Mexico: Autism, Nicaragua: Building Low-Cost Wheelchairs, and more . . .
Namibia to Undertake Disability Census in 2001
The government of Namibia is planning to undertake a disability census later this year. In February a preparatory meeting was held to review the findings of a pilot study on people living with disabilities in the Katatura section of the capitol city, Windhoek . . .
Report on Post-Polio Syndrome in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, UK & USA
Up to 20 million polio survivors around the world face the threat of new disabilities 15 to 40 years after their original illness, which could leave them using wheelchairs or ventilators for the rest of their lives, says a new report from the March of Dimes . . .
Crown Princess of Thailand Accepts International Disability Award at UN
In a ceremony at the United Nations July 2, Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess of the Kingdom of Thailand, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, is accepting the fifth annual Franklin Delano Roosevelt International Disability Award on behalf of her country . . .
Superando Barreras
This is to inform that starting April 20th, Federico Montero, a disabled physician and a member of the Forum on Human Rights for People with Disabilities, is conducting a radio program in a FM Costa Rican radio station . . .
The World Bank is Looking For A Full-time Disability Advisor
People with disabilities in developing countries are disproportionately represented among the poorest of the poor. In order to accelerate the infusion of concerns about poor people with disabilities into the World Bank's mainstream poverty alleviation efforts and to continue to encourage disability-specific activities, the Bank is creating a full-time Disability Advisor position . . .
Resources & Book Reviews
Magazine Documents Experiences of Disabled Students at Universities Abroad
The National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) recently published the sixth issue of A World Awaits You (AWAY) . . .
A Review of Inclusion Game Materials: is the future already cancelled?
The inclusion game is as old as the earliest mythology of formal education. When classes of children used to sit on the sands of antiquity, repeating in chorus the words of their teacher, the voices of the stronger covered any problems of the weaker . . .
Cultural Critique Reveals Profound Truths about Disability Experience in America
Reading academic theory sometimes feels like either a chore or a luxury but, either way, an exercise in abstraction -- a good workout for the brain, but hardly necessary for real-life survival. Rosemarie Garland Thomson's book offers a very different experience . . .
Website on International Exchange Opportunities Adds Searchable Database
Finding information about international opportunities just became easier for people with disabilities who want to explore the world . . .
Legal Protections for People with Disabilities in Managed Care
In the U.S., people with disabilities, along with other individuals without disabilities, may receive less than adequate medical care in managed care arrangements . . .
"SCI Life" Addresses Disability Rights Around the Globe
An upcoming issue of SCI Life focuses on disability rights from an international perspective. The journal, a publication of the Spinal Cord Injury Association, will provide a snapshot of efforts which are taking place around the world to protect the rights of people with disabilities . . .
Access-Able Travel Source Newsletter
Accessible RV Rental, 10-Day Accessible Cruise in Canada and New England, The Feast of San Gennaro and Tactile New York City, and more . . .
Global Access Disabled Travel Network E-Zine
London for All, Delaware Seashore State Park, Los Angeles Made Easy, and more . . .
All Abroad: A New Video Available from the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE)
In an ever-changing, interdependent global community, the world needs all its citizens.
All Abroad!
NCDE's new informational video, answers questions related to funding, accommodation and details about the wide range of international exchange opportunities that are available . . .
Women
National Leadership Institute Held for Women with Disabilities in the Philippines
KAMPI (the national federation of 237 grassroots organization of persons with disabilities in the Philippines) otherwise known as Disabled Peoples International (DPI)-Philippines prides itself as one of the few DPI National Assemblies which has had women as its top leaders since the Federation officially organized in July 1990 . . .
$200 Prize for Winning Artwork
I am seeking camera-ready artwork drawn by a woman with a disability to enter a contest for selection to be used for the front cover and a separate entry for a back cover for a special brochure on breast health for women with disabilities . . .
Disability Buzz
Shrinking the Digital Divide in the Americas, No Consensus Yet on UN Special Session on Children, International Information Technology Groups Meet at RESNA, and more . . .
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