International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) on December 3rd

International Day of Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) on December 3rd
JICA’s cooperation on PWDs in Malaysia - Towards true realisation of 1 Malaysia concept
 
In the past 34 years, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) has continuous created awareness of the rights of Persons With Disabilities (PWDs) in Malaysia, among others, on independent living movement as well as job promotions.
In terms of volunteers dispatch from Japan to this field, more than 170 volunteers have been sent to Malaysia, which is the largest number in the world. In commemorating the International Day of PWDs on 3rd Dec., JICA features its various disability focused projects in Malaysia.

●JICA’s cooperation policy
JICA provided support for PWDs through the three major cooperation schemes in collaboration with the Government, namely, technical cooperation project, training programme in Japan and dispatching the Japanese volunteers. Based on JICA’s vision as an organisation, “Inclusive and Dynamic Development”, JICA aims towards achieving its target of "participation and equality" of the PWDs who are often left in severe environment of developing countries. In another word, the target of JICA’s cooperation in support of PWDs is towards promoting PWDs’ full participation in the community through development of their living skill and also for the PWDs to enjoy equal opportunities in society.

Since 1983, after the Malaysian Government has adopted the CBR (Community Based Rehabilitation) concept, there has been quite an enhancement and progress of medical and rehabilitation field. From now on, the important objective and approach will be more towards "participation in the society and equal opportunity" for the PWDs. The first comprehensive legislation, the Malaysian Persons With Disabilites Act, was institutionalised in 2008. At the same year, a new PWDs policy and concrete plan for PWDs has been put in place. In addition, Malaysia has ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in August 2010. As such, the environment for PWDs in Malaysia has been improved by reflecting international standard. To promote rights and opportunities of participation in society for PWDs, estimated to be least 1 million in population in this country, is also in line with the government’s effort to promote the “1 Malaysia” concept.

 ●Technical Cooperation Project (dispatch of experts and objective-based trainings)
JICA, in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare under the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development, conducted a technical cooperation project (Phase 1) from year 2005 for three years to promote PWDs’ participation in the society and is continuing the “Project to Support Participation of Persons with Disabilities" (Phase 2) from year 2009 for another three years. These two projects tackle issues from the viewpoint of social model of disabilities, in which removing barriers from the community through providing necessary services as well as empowering the PWDs to participate in society is enhanced. Through the  projects, administration capacity building including better social service by the Malaysian government agencies, employment promotion of NGOs and private companies by conducting trainings and creating awareness of PWDs, have been carried out.
The two projects are the Job Coach project with job promotion activities and Disability Equality Training for PWDs.

 Employment promotion (Job Coach)
JICA introduced the system called “Job Coach”  to enable PWDs to work independently. The role of  the “Job Coach” is to facilitate the sustainability of job placement between PWDs and employer and the human resource development of Job Coach is one of the pillars of the project. An case example is a major supermarket; Giant under the GCH Retail Holdings, that  employs and more than 120 PWDs. Job Coach is now a major concept in Malaysia and the term “Job Coach” is clearly described in government circular in April 2008, in which the one percent quota on employment of PWDs in public sector was introduced. In addition to that, in the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) project conducted in Johor state, “Job Coach ” concept was adopted. This approach is gradually infiltrating Malaysia with its ripple effect.

 Disability Equality Training
The Disability Equality Training called DET, is aimed towards understanding issues from the viewpoint of PWDs’ rights. DET seeks to create public awareness that disability is not an issue of  PWDs but created in society, by society. A total of 75 people from public agencies and NGOs, who are expected to conduct DET, participated in this training course in the Phase 1 and Phase 2 projects.

 AirAsia, a Malaysian airline commencing flight between Kuala Lumpur and Haneda Tokyo on Dec. 9, once used to refuse disabled passengers. However, it has now adopted this DET because of the JICA projects. Now, monthly training is conducted by NGOs, for ground staff  as well as flight attendants of the airline. Such an approach is in line with the airline slogan “Now Everyone Can Fly" which appropriately signifies equal treatment of all passengers.

 ●Training in Japan
 It has been more than 20 years since JICA started receiving government officers and NGOs in the training courses in Japan in the area of support of PWDs.  Since 2005, more than 100 people participated in the relevant training programmes in Japan. The participants have actively contributed to the various fields in PWDs support by using their knowledge and skills which were acquired in the training curriculums in Japan. One of the good examples is that the well known NGO, namely Beautiful Gate Foundation, initiated awareness activities to promote employment and independent living for PWDs through collaboration with private companies like Pizza Hut. This NGO also orgainsed OKU events, comprised of exhibition booths by the PWDs and the performance by the musicians and dancers, in commemorating the International Day of PWDs from 26th to 28th of November, 2010. One of the highlights of the event was the OKU convoy in which a total of 400 wheel chaired persons and supporting volunteers went out in the KL city to demonstrate the PWDs rights and difficulty in getting around in existing conditions.

 ●Volunteers Dispatch in Social Welfare Field especially for PWDs
  Volunteer programme is a unique cooperation scheme of JICA , in which, the Japanese government dispatches young and senior volunteers, eager to make use of their skills and experiences acquired in Japan, to work and live in the developing countries for 2-year service term. The objectives of the scheme are to assist the socio-economic development in these countries and to build friendship between Japan and recipient countries. JICA has been dispatching over 1,400 volunteers to Malaysia for the past 34years. There are now 39 JICA volunteers serving in Malaysia and almost half are contributing to social welfare area.

JICA dispatched its first volunteer to support PWDs to a Malaysian NGO in 1976. JICA then started to dispatch Special Education teachers, Physiotherapists and Occupational therapists to the care centers for PWDs. In 1983, the government of Malaysia introduced CBR Programme (Community Based Rehabilitation). Not too long after that, JICA started to support the activities by dispatching volunteers to CBR centres in 1990. Dispatch of Social Worker Volunteers in the special education started in 2004.

 In 2006, the very first Volunteers with Disabilities, the wheelchair users and totally deaf persons, were dispatched to Malaysia under the JICA Volunteer programme. The total number of volunteers who are working for the social welfare area is over 170. This is the largest number out of approximately 80 countries all over the world.

 

Assisting CBR Programme
Assisting CBR Programme is a main effort to promote social participation of PWDs under the JICA volunteers scheme. Eight volunteers are working with CBR by visiting and developing the activities including promotions of disabled sports and organising workshop at the CBR centres. In addition, six volunteers assist special classes and support elementary and junior high students. The volunteers work with government agencies and NGOs to strengthen vocational training and independent living movement. Recent activities like creating CBR self-advocacy groups and cooperating with formal school work (raising awareness of disability rights) are held at the initiative of the volunteers. In the Malaysia's national convention in February 2010 and in conjunction with the CBR 25th anniversary, the Women, Family and Community Development Minister commended JICA Malaysia Office for the continuous support including the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers with the CBR Centres.

 
Blind Volunteer
JICA also sent a Senior Volunteer of PWDs to Malaysia, who is Mr.Saburo Sasada with visually impaired. It is the second time for him to be assigned to Malaysia and now working for the National Council for the Blind Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur (NCBM), to implement and give guidance for improvement on the massage skill among the blind masseurs through conducting workshops. Before this assignment, Sasada volunteered at St Nicholas Home in Penang for two years until January 2010 as a massage teacher. He is is a role model of independent living of PWDs.　

 National Coach for Asia Paralympics JUDO
  Mr. Shigeru OYAMA, the JICA Senior Volunteer working with the Malaysian Association for the Blind (MAB) in Kuala Lumpur, teaches JUDO to children and people with visual impairments from Sep. 2009. He will participate in the Asian Paralympics JUDO tournament in Guangzhou as a Malaysian National Coach from December 10, 2010. His students represented the Malaysian JUDO team under the categories of 66 kg and over 100kg, respectively.
 

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