THE WHO NEWSLETTER ON DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION Issue No. 5, July 2008

The World Health Organization (WHO) Convention on the Rights of Persons with disability and rehabilitation newsletter is Disabilities, and will work to raise the profile produced three times a year and distributed via of disability at WHO. Key tasks will include: e-mail. Subscription/unsubscription requests conducting audits of WHO premises and should be sent to WHO’s Disability and making access improvements; reviewing Rehabilitation Team (DAR) at the following e- websites and printed information to improve mail address: [email protected] their accessibility; promoting employment opportunities for people with disabilities; and IN THIS ISSUE providing disability equality training for staff.

Features The Task Force will also work with the • WHO Task Force on Disability Technical Programmes of WHO to assist • WRDR Regional Consultations them to make their programs inclusive of and • RI World Congress accessible to people with disabilities. For • Wheelchair Guidelines example, what about the needs of people • CBR Congress with disabilities in disaster and emergencies? • New faces at DAR What about the needs of women with disabilities during pregnancy and childbirth? Editorial Task Force focus: Information This month sees the halfway stage of development of the World Report, a moment to So, what is WHO doing to ensure better access to celebrate and take stock of how far we have all the information it produces? Ian Coltart of WHO come and how much more there is to do before Press, responsible for publishing guidelines and we launch the document in eighteen months standards across WHO, writes… time. Another milestone has been the first meeting of the WHO Task Force on Disability, "With a global audience and a mission to part of the Organizations' response to the disseminate WHO's information as widely as Convention on the Rights of Persons with possible, WHO needs to ensure that it's published Disabilities. These are exciting times for information is accessible in appropriate formats for WHO's work in disability and rehabilitation, different audiences, including partially sighted and and we have an expanded and enthusiastic blind people, as well as people with learning team of staff working to deliver change. We difficulties. are particularly grateful to all our collaborators WHO Press has developed and published a large and funders who have worked with us to help print version of the International Classification of us achieve our ambitions to improve the lives Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF). The book of people with disabilities. is produced in A4 size with a clear page layout designed for partially sighted people. The book is Alana Officer, Coordinator available from the WHO online bookshop, at: Disability and Rehabilitation http://bookorders.who.int/bookorders/anglais/detart 1.jsp?sesslan=1&codlan=1&codcol=15&codcch=40 88 . WHO Press also plans to develop a Braille version of ICF for the blind. Task Force on Disability WHO Press is working with WHO’s Disability and WHO Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, Rehabilitation Team (DAR) to develop publishing has set up a Task Force on Disability, chaired guidelines for WHO staff on producing specific by Assistant Director-General Dr Ala Alwan, formats such as large print and Braille, but also to with representation from each regional office improve the general design and layout of WHO's and from each cluster within HQ. This mainstream printed products to accommodate exciting initiative comes in the wake of the partially sighted audiences.

World Report on Disability and Rehabilitation Regional Consultations In May and June 2008, regional consultations on the preliminary draft of the World Report on Disability and Rehabilitation were held in San José, Costa Rica for the Americas Region; Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania for the African and Eastern Mediterranean Regions; Rome, Italy for the European Region; and Manila, the Philippines for the South-east Asian and Participants at the Regional Consultation for Western Pacific Regions. Each consultation Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean . brought together a diverse group of experts with complementary knowledge and Wheelchair Guidelines experience, including people with disabilities. Participants included editors of the Report, The wheelchair is one of the most commonly chapter authors, academics, service providers, used assistive devices for enhancing personal policymakers, government officials, NGO mobility. For many people, an appropriate, representatives, and disability advocates. well-designed and well-fitted wheelchair can be the first step towards inclusion and participation in society. Claudia Sánchez, a Columbian architect and participant in the consultation in San José, felt that the process was vital because "it brings The United Nations Standard Rules on the into the report experiences from around the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons world that come from the real people", i.e. with Disabilities, the Convention on the those who have direct knowledge of the issues. Rights of Persons with Disabilities and While it was most helpful to gather World Health Assembly Resolution constructive criticisms of the preliminary draft, WHA58.23 all point to the importance of it was also encouraging to witness how many wheelchairs and other assistive devices for participants were excited by the potential of the the developing world, where few of those Report to advance work in disability and who need wheelchairs have them, rehabilitation. As Kudakwashe Dube, CEO of insufficient production facilities exist, and all the Secretariat of the Africa Decade of Persons too often wheelchairs are donated without with Disabilities remarked at the Dar-Es- the necessary related services. Salaam event, "the report challenges countries to take serious steps to mainstream disability When the need is not met, people with and capacitate all actors in order to achieve an disabilities are isolated and do not have improvement in the quality of life of persons access to the same opportunities as others with disabilities". within their own communities. Providing wheelchairs with related services not only The participants' feedback, cultural enhances mobility but begins a process of perspectives on the draft and the sources of opening up a world of education, work and regional information they identified, will help social life. The development of national ensure that the final document is relevant in policies and increased training opportunities diverse global contexts. They also proposed in the design, production and supply of recommendations for action and generated wheelchairs are essential next steps. ideas for regional dissemination of the Report and related events. The comments and In the light of the realities of the developing suggestions from the four consultations will be world and the immediate need to develop collated and reviewed by the Editorial functioning systems of wheelchair provision Committee. Lead authors will then use the in less-resourced parts of the world, the input to help guide development of the next World Health Organization (WHO), the US draft.

Agency for International Development with disabilities and their organizations, (USAID), the International Society for human rights activists, experts, rehabilitation Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) and Disabled professionals, government representatives, Peoples' International (DPI), in partnership service providers and leaders of civil society. with the Centre for International Rehabilitation, The vision statement of the Congress is the Motivation Charitable Trust and Whirlwind “Disability Rights and Social Participation: Wheelchair International, have developed the Ensuring a Society for all” and the key areas Guidelines on the provision of manual of discussion are: Human Rights, wheelchairs in less-resourced settings. These Independent Living and Social Participation will assist WHO Member States to develop a and Implementation of the UN Convention. local wheelchair provision system and thereby implement Articles 4, 20 and 26 of the WHO will be launching the new Wheelchair Convention on the Rights of Persons with Guidelines during the plenary session of the Disabilities. first day of the Congress. Additionally, WHO is hosting three sessions during the Update from the WHO Ghana Country Office event and will be supporting the ICF conference, a dedicated two-day track, within As part of measures to strengthen the capacity of the RI conference: the Rehabilitation Services in Ghana, a joint WHO and International Society of Prosthesis and Orthotics 1. CBR Guidelines -- 25 August (Block 63 - (ISPO) mission was carried out. Details of the 2:10 pm) with Barbara Murray (ILO), Karen mission were provided in the fourth Newsletter H. Motsch (CBM), Venus Ilagan (RI), (http://www.who.int/disabilities/publications/newslette Tomas Lagerwall (RI), Alana Officer (WHO) r/en/index.html ). In response to the mission's and Chapal Khasnabis (WHO). recommendations, the Ghana Health Service, the 2. World Report on Disability and Ministry of Health and the WHO Ghana Country Rehabilitation -- 25 August (Bloc 62 - 4:20 office selected two candidates for certificate level pm) with Anne Hawker (RI); Charlotte training in prosthetics and two candidates for McClain-Nhlapo (World Bank); Sebenzile certificate level training in orthotics. The training will Matsebula (RI); Kicki Nordstrom (WBU) be carried out in the WHO collaborating Centre: and Alana Officer (WHO). Tanzania Training Centre for Orthopaedic3. 3. Wheelchair Guidelines -- 27 August Technologies (TATCOT), Moshi, Tanzania. The (Bloc 72 – 10:30 am) with David certificate courses, each of one year duration, Constantine (Motivation); Dan Blocka comprise theoretical, laboratory and clinical practice (ISPO); Rob Horvath (USAID); Anna to prescribe and deliver the appropriate lower limb Lindstrom (Swedish Institute of Assistive prosthesis or orthotic in consultation with the Technology - SIAT); Venus Ilagan (RI) and intended user. This is an important step towards Chapal Khasnabis (WHO). developing prosthetics and orthotics service provision in Ghana. The training has been made 4. International Classification of possible through support from ISPO and full Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) - scholarships from the Leahy War Victim Fund of - August 26 and 27. USAID . The 14th annual North American Collaborating Center (NACC) Conference on the ICF will be hosted by the Canadian RI World Congress Institute for Health Information (CIHI), Statistics Canada and the National Center for Rehabilitation International (RI), a partner of Health Statistics (NCHS) in collaboration WHO, is a global organization bringing with Rehabilitation International. The theme together expertise from all sectors in the is Evaluating Social Participation: disability field advancing the rights and Applications of the ICF and ICF-CY . inclusion of persons with disabilities. RI is st organizing its 21 World Congress in Quebec Conference website: www.riquebec2008.org/ City from 25 -28 August 2008, attended by more than 1000 participants, including people

st 1 CBR Asia-Pacific Congress New faces at DAR This event, taking place on Three short term staff have brought their wit 9-11 December 2008 at the United Nations and wisdom to bear on WHO's projects on Conference Centre (UNCC), Bangkok, disability and rehabilitation. Bliss Temple is Thailand, will be the first meeting of CBR a trainee physician from North Carolina, practitioners from countries in Asia and the USA, and she has been supporting the Pacific. The Asia-Pacific Decade of Disabled development of the World Report. Tom Persons, promoted by ESCAP, has given an Shakespeare is a disability studies academic impetus for Governments and NGOs to create from Newcastle, UK, and has been working an inclusive, barrier free and rights-based for the Task Force on Disability. Veronica society. A regional policy guideline, the Umeasiegbu is a physical therapist from Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF) for Nigeria, currently studying Rehabilitation Action and its supplement, the BMF +5, Counselling at the University of Pittsburgh, promoted a paradigm shift from charity to a USA and has been working on CBR. As rights-based approach to disability. well as their solid academic and professional Meanwhile, the CRPD heralds a new era of credentials, as people with disabilities they state recognition of the human rights of people bring personal experience of the issues. with disabilities. The Congress will bring together key stakeholders to share resources and to be updated on CBR as an effective multi-sectoral strategy for rehabilitation, equalization of opportunity, poverty reduction and social inclusion of people with disabilities. It will promote research and evidence based practice related to CBR, and facilitate the development Bliss Veronica of an alliance and resource base for the Asia- Pacific region – comprising UN, Governments, NGOs, DPOs and others. Satellite workshops pre- and post-conference will be held on CBR and mental health; CBR, human rights and the CPRD; CBR and Leprosy for up to 45 participants each. The Congress is jointly organized by WHO,

UNESCAP and the Government of Thailand Tom and supported by ILO, UNESCO, JICA, CBM, HI, AIFO, NAD, ILEP and others.

Conference Website: www.cbr-asiapacific.org/ E-mail: [email protected]

More information

For further information please contact: Disability and Rehabilitation Team Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, WHO

20 Avenue Appia, CH-1211 Geneva 27, Switzerland E-mail: [email protected] or visit our web site: http://www.who.int/disabilities

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