This message was addressed to PWAG members in October 20, 2006.
Fresh from the Council’s sharing of two best practices on Non-handicapping Environment(NHE) and our Accessible ICT in Bangkok,
hosted by APCD and UN-ESCAP, we shall go again for a refresher course on Accessible Web-based Info Networking(WBIN), with RBI’s
Mayette Regala this Oct. 31 – Nov. 10,2006.
Please note that it was from the 2004 WBIN Part 1 that our Luzon Visayas and Mindanao Workshops were born! We got inspired to advocate the program nationwide,knowing we had Sir Leo to back us up. If we want our PWDs to be part of the growing IT workforce in the country, while the government views it as a prime tool and we have Sir Leo.
Remember, we had things going for us: Sir Leo and Mr. Rapley and Cynthia Wadell helped us and 12 other countries put together the Manila Declaration and Recommendations which became the cornerstone of items in Article 9 of the Convention draft, our very first clear contribution. Two, we have NOVA, ATRIEV,RBI and NCC and MCCID as ICT Sub-committee partners- their wealth of connections and accomplishments in training and employment in the field, unfazed led to over 500 IT-related jobs!
It is now in the NCC pipelines even if it is partial, thrugh a Memorandum of Agreement. All PWAG has to do is not lose the zeal in helping train fellow webmasters from Luzon-Visayas Mindanao workshops and we promise to be in heart and soul.
The recent donation of Church of Latter Day Saints of wheelchairs to those with moving problems is as much a boost as the computers from Holy Angels years ago for training young PWDs. Even the $97,000 worth of Microsoft software/licenses donation to NOVA Foundation is a coup! Certainly, the subCom on ICT, represented by the above partners including Vision Office Support Services, is flying high.
Therefore we should all be there at the CBM/NOVA Foundation’s IT Training Center for PWDs Launch!
Other scoops to cheer us up:
- Confirming Accessible ICT Workshop for DSWD Regional Focal Persons on Disability, using DSWD savings and PWAG or “ASL”(mga Anak
ni Sir Leo) as trainers
- NCC helping out with making NCWDP website fully accessible
- More wheelchairs coming
- Awarding of De La Salle (Lemuel’s turf) and Cebu City Gov’t (Tads’) “disabled-friendly” websites, ASAP
- Working out of NCWDP links with member/partner agencies’sites to be launched on Int’l. Day of Disabled Persons
- Post-Convention on Children with Disabilities May 24-26 Tagaytay to include Accessible ICT items
- NCWDP Puppet Show’s deaf mascot Ate Liza (manned by yours truly) to be introduced as encoder/computer savvy to advocate other related issues.Group’s reaching manu schools nationwide so this is big grassroots publicity.
- Sept 27 Board mtng to tackle UN Mtng Report, South-to-South Cooperation on Disability Report and CLDS wheelchair donation, all
related to our program
Okay, Jojo, pls. share the UN report which is for our Board Meeting also and will share more next time. I am in, yehey!
Don’t forget to pray for Maam Kate, friends!
