A number of key issues were identified as being strongly relevant to the integration of disabled persons in agricultural and agro-industry systems.
• Barriers exist through negative attitudes
The prevalence of negative attitudes on the part of non-disabled persons is closely linked with widespread ignorance of the situations, problems and potentials of persons with disabilities in rural society. At the same time, self-advocacy by persons with disability is still very weak in rural areas of the region.
Certain groups of persons with disabilities are even more marginalised than others. Such groups are women and girls with disabilities, persons with hearing and communication disabilities, persons with intellectual disabilities and mental illness, persons affected by leprosy and persons with extensive or multiple disabilities.
• Exclusion of people with disabilities
Disabled people are excluded from the major rural development programmes for skills development, asset creation and access to social services.
• Poor statistics exist on rural disabled persons
Village level surveys in different parts of the countries indicate that between 4–10% of the population are persons with disabilities.
Available figures and disability statistics should however be interpreted with a degree of caution. Many families are reluctant to report disability, particularly in view of the prevailing negative attitudes to disabled persons in most communities. In countries which have been war-torn, the figures are undoubtedly higher.
• Many disabilities are preventable
In Asian and Pacific developing countries, the major causes of disability are malnutrition, communicable diseases, infections in early childhood and accidents at home and at work. Nutritional deficiencies, inadequate sanitation, insufficient or inaccessible health care services, accidents and injuries from poorly-designed equipment and implements, all contributed to a high prevalence of disabilities.
• Rural poor are prone to accidents/disability
It is estimated that about 80% of people with disabilities are in the rural areas. Accidents arising from negligence, ignorance and lack of safety measures at work and in the community are major causes of disabilities.
Disabled people who are members of poor rural families, are therefore marginalized and disadvantaged. Disabled people are further disadvantaged and handicapped when they encounter social, cultural, physical and economic barriers.
• Assistance focuses on urban welfare
It is estimated that only 2% to 3% of persons in need of rehabilitation actually have access to these services. In the absence of critical linkages with other development sectors, little headway has been made in equalization of opportunities for people with disabilities. Rehabilitation is a means of enabling persons with disabilities to reach an optimum level of functioning, which allows them to contribute as active members of their communities.
Nearly 75% of persons with intellectual disabilities are understood to be only mildly to moderately disabled. They can achieve a degree of independence in self-care, learn to relate with other members of their community and can earn a living in supported employment. For example, they can be employed in various household tasks, or in animal husbandry, horticulture seed germination and various non-farm jobs.
Ignorance of and insensitivity to non-typical ways of communication is a root cause of the isolation of rural people with speech, and hearing or other communication disabilities. There is a need to facilitate the formation of village-level mutual support groups of parents and families of persons with multiple disabilities and severe disabilities.
Physical and logistic barriers must be transcended, as well as attitudinal ones
Rural people should ensure they avail themselves of their rights and entitlements
Governments should frame policies and legislation which facilitate the integration of rural disabled people in agriculture and agro industry systems.
NGOs and voluntary organizations have a comparative advantage in improving opportunities for disabled people to participate in rural development
Governments and NGO's should work in partnership for this purpose. International agencies should support the national efforts.
Disabled rural people are citizens and members of their communities as part of the civil society and should be partners in processes of decision making.
The goal of this Strategy is to promote the active participation of poor rural people with disabilities in all rural development programmes of the Governments and voluntary organizations in the Asia Pacific Region.
Goals
Elimination of attitudinal, cultural and physical barriers which limit the access of poor rural people with disabilities to facilities, services, information and development programmes in rural areas.
Provision of local-level support measures to enable poor rural people with disabilities to have full access to rural development programmes.
Encouragement of mutual support and partnerships among agencies and organizations concerned with the rural poor and those concerned with disabled person.
Development and strengthening of self-help movements of people with disabilities in rural areas.
Supporting and strengthening of Community-Based Rehabilitation or CBR projects based on local conditions and cultures, and expansion of CBR coverage as an important means of achieving equalization of opportunities, for people with disabilities in rural communities.
Key Resources
This Strategy is primarily designed to benefit poor rural people with disabilities and is directed at mobilizing joint action by several key groups of people.
Village-level organizations of persons with disabilities.
Women's groups, youth clubs, self-help groups, credit groups, CBR committees, other people's groups at the village level.
Voluntary/non-governmental development organizations working on rural development issues.
Persons and groups working to organize the rural poor, including those addressing labour and land issues.
Government officers and administrators at all levels who are concerned with rural development.
In order to facilitate initiatives that will strengthen the participation of poor people with disabilities in agriculture and agro-industry and related rural development programmes and projects, in consonance with the overall thrust and guiding principles of this strategy; action needs to be taken on one or more of the focus areas detailed below.
6.4.1 Organization Building through projects enabling persons with disabilities in rural areas to form their own organization and join village-level and higher level organizations.
6.4.2 Training and Information through training materials prepared to be easily understandable and usable by rural communities (including persons who are neo-literates or illiterate).
6.4.3 Programme Support through activities to facilitate the involvement of disabled people on policy formulation, design, field support, monitoring and evaluation of programmes, with a view to developing and strengthening approaches to community action around disability issues in agricultural systems.
6.4.4 Increased local availability of appropriate assistive devices through encouraging rural technology projects on low-cost innovations in supply, repair and maintenance of assistive devices, for agriculture and agro-industry.
Extension Workers in government agencies and voluntary organizations should actively include persons with disabilities who should be strengthened to build their self-help capacities to take up various activities.
Training Packages of information materials should be produced in audio and video formats for dissemination through innovative training of rural persons with disabilities. The content areas for these materials and training packages may include types of work in rural areas suited to persons with disabilities.
Community Support through training of CBR workers from rural communities is needed, using networks of village-level trainers, identified by persons with disabilities. Local-level teams of resource workers are needed to provide basic rehabilitation services.
The rural infrastructure includes rural transport systems, schools, health centres, wells, water points and sanitation facilities, also community centres. Emphasis should be on local solutions and materials for barrier-free designs for access by disabled persons.
Low-cost indigenous technologies are needed, appropriate for rural areas, which enable people with disabilities to be physically mobile and acquire skills for economic and social participation in their own agricultural communities.
Technology Exchange Training workshops and exchange visits will enable interaction between rural disabled village carpenters, technicians, mechanics and artisans on local innovations, for the production, repair and maintenance of assistive devices, agricultural tools and implements.
Evaluation of technologies and assistive devices for tools for handicrafts and other non-farm work, also agricultural implements should be evaluated out by the disabled persons.
Rural Community Networks for the disabled should be promoted through training attachments for specific rural, community-based services, and workshops. Promote communication among voluntary and development organizations as well as governments and international agencies.
