Malaysia's First National Forum on Learning Disabilities

By Anthony Sivabalan Thanasayan, Wheel Power (ant@pc.jaring.my)

Approximately 400 parents, volunteers and service providers from across the country gathered in the beginning of April for the first ever national forum on the needs of people with learning difficulties.

It was the first time that support groups for families of learning disabled people came to the forefront in such an active way, not only organising but also taking part in the forum. Non-governmental organisations representing children with learning disabilities such as Down Syndrome, autism and dyslexia also participated.

"The forum wasn't about solving problems" said Peter Young in an interview with Wheel Power. Young is a director of Dignity & Services, a Klang Valley-based advocacy group which sponsored the forum.

"The main aim was to get parents and families of people with learning difficulties to realise that something has to be done collectively as a national support group.

Advocating for Group Homes

People with learning difficulties who want to live on their own in what Young calls "special group homes" also have a hard time. Such homes abound in Japan and many Western countries, but Malaysia lags far behind in providing them, said Young.

"As parents of learning disabled children advance in years, the inevitable question arises: who will care for their children when the parents are no longer around?"

The only answer to this difficult question, Young believes, is to set up these special group homes nationwide.

The forum has helped put together a pro-tem committee of very enthusiastic parents. The committee's aim is to form a National Council for Families of People With Learning Disabilities, which will be set up before the end of this year.

For further information about the forum and parents' support groups, contact Dignity & Services at (and fax) 03-7783 0849; e-mail: dns_company@mailcity.com.