ICEVI East Asia Regional Assembly 2001

Comments & Suggestions from Participants
of the ICEVI East Asia Regional Assembly

1) Role of the Parents - participation and involvement of parents is necessary. Training and support should be given to parents.

2) More blind teachers be employed in China.

3) Cooperation of the general public to support visually impaired people be included in the national policies of countries in Asia.

4) Roughly speaking, not more than 10% of blind children are currently in schools in Asia. Inclusive education should be promoted to support visually impaired children to study in regular schools.

5) To ensure that ICEVI is committed to realize resolutions recommended at the Assembly. Blind people should be able to have the opportunity for education and to pursue study in as many subjects as he is qualified for.

6) ICEVI should work harder towards the development of software to facilitate inclusive education.

7) Blind students should be allowed to enroll in science subjects in colleges and universities.

8) Glad to see more commitment in education for the visually impaired and to move from "why to provide education to blind people" to "how to provide good education to blind people". Very pleased to see that the ICEVI East Asia Assembly held in Asia helps to bring forward such a movement.

9) Hong Kong Government has been involved in the development of the areas covered in the 8 sub-themes. Hong Kong is willing to share with Thailand or any country on its experience.

10) A China delegate informed the ICEVI East Asia Assembly of a China website which is accessible to all participants.

11) Summary of Speech of Mr Larry Campbell at the Closing Ceremony:

a) Blind education move from why to how

b) The need to promote higher education for the visually impaired

c) To create partnership among parents/consumers/blind educators

ICEVI policy is to build and strengthen our regions on how to move forward.

1) ICEVI already has very good website which will serve as a continuous exchange forum for blind education experts, specialists, blind students and parents. Willing to link up with websites from different countries.

2) Need for more discussion time, put together some smaller working groups

a) Observe the turning point; integrated and inclusive education now not why but how to share information. Will discuss with Nandini Rawal, ICEVI Secretary to convene working group meetings within the next 6 months.

b) Training personnel - will discuss with Dr Benja from Thailand that through the Asia Pacific Regional Disability Group to provide teachers training program and to share information on training blind people.

3) Accessible to information