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Mentally challenged individuals,
both children and adults, need rehabilitation services in order to
reintegrate into their families and the community. Experts from Thailand and India have developed a Manual
entitled Intellectual Disability: A manual for CBR workers for
implementation in rural and remote areas for rehabilitation of children who
are mentally challenged. This manual has been printed and a consultant is
available for “Training of Trainers” in Member Countries.
Tamana Foundation, India,
a well known Centre for training of trainers in institution-based
rehabilitation of the mentally challenged is assisting SEARO to develop a
curriculum to set up similar training Centres in other Member Countries.
Unless the
mentally challenged are rehabilitated, they will remain a liability on the
family, community and the state. Thus, this project will have a significant
impact on reducing the burden of caring in the family. The 2nd
International Conference on Intellectual Disabilities/Mental Retardation.
This event, co-sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) was held in
Bangkok, Thailand on November 6, 7 and 8, 2007.
A main event of the Bangkok
Conference will be the launching of the WHO’s Atlas on Country Resources in
Intellectual Disabilities. More than 145 countries representing 90% of the
world population have contributed to this Atlas. The Bangkok Conference will
take place less than one year after the United Nations General Assembly adopted
by acclamation the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Rights
and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities.
All of these recent events
offer wonderful incentives to join together to engage in dialogue, to share
experiences and expertise too often insulated from one another, and to create
new road maps that will make a difference in the lives of persons with
intellectual disability and their families.
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