[WSIS CS-Plenary] RE: [Pwd] (unicode) [WSIS-CT] RE: [Ct-drafting] URGENT: Please send
COMMENTS on CS declaration
Elizabeth Carll, PhD
ecarll at optonline.net
Sun Dec 7 06:17:30 GMT 2003
Dear Thian and all,
There is no problem with any of the phrases you are suggesting for the
paragraph below which you have suggested. However, I would like to request
that we also include a phrase as an example, such as "Persons with
disabilities, including mental, physical, and other. Is there a problem
with including mental disabilities as an example? In many countries mental
health services are disconnected from health services.
More than 400 million people are known to suffer from mental and brain
disorders and these numbers are expected to rise sharply over the next few
decades, particularly among people in the developing world. Despite, the
enormous social and economic burden so created, more than 40% of the world’s
countries have no articulated mental health policy, and over 30% have no
mental health programs.
I understand your concern, which is why I have suggested using an example
that includes mental disabilities in addition to your phrase. Unfortunately
in many countries it is important to specify so as not to exclude, assuming
that someone else's definition of all disabilities includes mental
disabilities is an assumption that may leave people with out services. When
identifying problems it is also important to keep in mind how the services
may be carried out in different parts of the world and not to inadvertently
leave loop holes.
The following is suggested for the paragraph you have suggested which
includes your description as well as an example following. Is this
acceptable? If not, please clarify the reason. Hopefully this compromise
achieves both our goals to be as inclusive as possible.
3.1.9 Rights of persons with disabilities, including mental, physical, and
other;
In the inclusive information society, the rights of persons with
disabilities, including mental, physical, and other, to have full and
absolute equal access to information and communications including ICTs,
regardless of types and degree of disabilities, must be ensured by laws and
policies at all levels. In order to achieve such goal, Universal Design
principle and the use of assistive technologies must be seriously promoted
and supported throughout the whole process of building and nurturing the
information society in which PWDs and their organizations must be allowed to
participate fully and on equal terms with non-disabled people.
Best regards,
Elizabeth
Dr. Elizabeth Carll
Focal Point
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
Tel: 631-754-2424
Fax: 631-754-5032
ecarll at optonline.net
-----Original Message-----
From: ct-admin at wsis-cs.org [mailto:ct-admin at wsis-cs.org]On Behalf Of
Monthian Buntan
Sent: Saturday, December 06, 2003 9:30 PM
To: Hiroshi Kawamura; pwd at wsis-cs.org
Cc: Sally Burch; ct-drafting at wsis-cs.org; ct at wsis-cs.org;
plenary at wsis-cs.org
Subject: Re: [Pwd] (unicode) [WSIS-CT] RE: [Ct-drafting] URGENT: Please
send COMMENTS on CS declaration
Dear Hiroshi and all:
If Hiroshi has some concern over the term "persons with disabilities",
although it has the broadest meaning, I would like to proposed the possibly
most inclusive and compromising (a bit wordy) term, "persons with all types
of disabilities." I believe such term, as I proposed, will take care of all
concerns we may have.
As far as I know, in Japan, "physical disability" includes mobility,
sensory, intellectual, learning and autistic, but in many countries, such
term is very narrow and includes only mobility impairment.
Best regards,
Thian
At 08:41 AM 12/7/2003, Monthian Buntan wrote:
Dear Hiroshi:
Thank you for your kind imput. However, I have some great concern over
the word mental and physical disabilities. Under many circumstances, the
word "physical disabilities" may not include sensory impairment at all. At
least in thailand, the term "physical disabilities" refer only to persons
with mobility impairment. Therefore, I would prefer "persons with
disabilities" as it speaks for the broadest range of "disabilities"
regardless of types and severity.
Please seriously take it into consideration or otherwise we may end up
exlcuding many people out of different understanding and interpretation.
Again, I confirm that "persons with disabilities" is absolutely broader
than "persons with physical and mental disabilities."
Best regards,
Thian
At 11:14 PM 12/6/2003, Hiroshi Kawamura wrote:
The following text is copied from WSIS-CT mailing list with permission
of
original author. --- Hiroshi
----------------------------------------------------
The paragraph posted by Sally Burch, below is the latest and most
accurate
version of the MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CARE section for inclusion
in the
"PRINCIPLES, GOALS AND CHALLENGES section ( or possibly in Social
Justice
section), which I had submitted.
The section should be titled; MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CARE
The delivery of life-critical mental and physical health information
can be
facilitated and improved through ICT-based solutions. Lack of access
to
information and communication has been identified as a critical factor
in
the public mental and physical health crises around the world. Experts
have
suggested that providing citizens of underdeveloped countries with
community
level points of access to mental and physical health information would
be a
critical starting point for addressing the mental and physical health
care
crises. However, such access points should support more than one-way
flows
of information (for example, from expert to community or patient).
Communities must be allowed to participate in the selection and
creation of
communication flows that they find useful and necessary to address the
prevention, treatment, and promotion of mental and physical health
care for
all people.
In addition, please note the following revisions in brackets, which
were
previously recommended but in latest draft have been omitted. Please
re-insert. Most of these refer to specifying mental and physical
health, as
opposed to only physical, and should be included for consistency and
clarity.
3.2.4 Access to Information and the Means of Communication, paragraph
3
Specific needs and requirements of all stakeholders, including those
with
[mental and physical] disabilities, must be....
3.2.5 Basic literacy, par 1 last sentence
People-centered information technologies can foster eradication of
[mental
and physical] illnesses and epidemics, can help give everyone food,
shelter,
freedom and peace.
3.2.5 Basic literacy, par 3 last sentence
must include a focus on the needs of people who have [mental and]
physical
impairments and all means of transcending those impairments ...
3.3.8 Human development education and training, par 2
Literacy, education, and research efforts in the Information Society
must
include a focus on the needs of people who have [mental and] physical
impairments and all means of transcending those impairments....
In par 4 -
...special needs: those of young and elderly people, of women, of
people
with [mental and physical] impairments, of indigenous peoples, of
migrant
communities, of refugees and returnees in post-conflict situations, in
a
life-long perspective...
3.3.9 Information generation and knowledge development - research, par
1,
sentence 3
Clear principles should be developed for the use and exploitation of
the
body of knowledge produced [e.g. Scientific research data should be
gender
and age disaggregated for mental and physical health.]
4. Conclusion, par 2, last sentence
....the right to a standard of living adequate for the [mental and
physical]
health and well-being of the individual and his or her family,
including
food housing and (delete medical) [mental and physical health]care.
3.1.9 Rights of Persons with Disabilities: recommended by Monthian
Buntan
I also support the inclusion of the section below recommended by
Monthian
Buntan, however, I would recommend the following revisions to be
consistent
with the rest of the document. While it is helpful to specify types
and
degree of disabilities, these can be seen as referring to physical
only as
often mental and physical health care have been disconnected in many
countries.
3.1.9 Rights of Persons with [Mental and Physical] Disabilities:
In the inclusive information society, the rights of persons with
[mental and
physical] disabilities to have full and absolute equal access to
information
and communications including ICTs, regardless of types and degree of
disabilities, must be ensured by laws and policies at all levels. In
order
to achieve such goal, Universal Design principle and the use of
assistive
technologies must be seriously promoted and supported throughout the
whole
process of building and nurturing the information society in which
PWDs and
their organizations must be allowed to participate fully and on equal
terms
with non-disabled people.
Thank you for all your work on this. Look forward to meeting everyone
in
Geneva as hoping to arrive Monday morning, however, there is a huge
blizzard
and snowing now in New York and flights are delayed.
Elizabeth
Dr. Elizabeth Carll
Focal Point
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
Tel: 631-754-2424
Fax: 631-754-5032
ecarll at optonline.net
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