Policy paper

Down Syndrome Association of Nepal

Published 23 July 2018

This was published under the 2016 to 2019 May Conservative government

Form for submitting commitments for the Global Disability Summit 2018

Your organisation

Type of organisation: Civil Society Organisation

Name of organisation: Down Syndrome Association of Nepal (DSAN)

Charter for Change

Please read the attached Summit Charter for Change: the principal legacy of the Summit. If your organisation is happy to sign up to the Charter, please confirm by putting a cross in the box below.

My organisation signs up to the Summit Charter for Change: X

Your organisation’s commitments to achieve the rights of people with disabilities in developing countries

A. Commitments to eliminate Stigma and Discrimination

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Representation and empowerment of persons with disabilities

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who has supported its development (75 words limit):

Commit to follow the social model of disability to remove obstacles and cultural barriers and empower population of Down syndrome to exercise their rights. Model primarily developed in Britain by the Union of the Physically Impaired against Segregation (UPIAS) published in the 1970 Develop abilities and skills to strengthen decision making, eliminate myths/misconceptions about the condition.Raise awareness about Down syndrome to start from family going out to community

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Implementation Plan: 1. Eliminate misconceptions 2. Raise awareness about Down syndrome 3. Publish articles 4. Stage street dramas
5. Lobby with Government bodies and stakeholders 6. Formulate programs/ services to showcase inborn abilities/capabilities of people with DS

B. Commitments for Inclusive Education

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Capacity building: teachers and staff

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

We will make the community understand that Inclusive education is the basic right of children with Developmental disabilities and is a core value to be part of society. Help to set guidelines for inclusive education by raising awareness that we should give equal value to pupils and teachers, Increase pupils’ participation; promote change in the educational policies and in the school practices to fit pupils’ diversities; reduce obstacles to learning rather than taking it as problems to be fixed; and disseminate documents and knowledge concerning the existing inclusive practices

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Implementation plan: Bring attitudinal changes and awareness about DS issues through advocacy; Introduce Pedagogical teaching; Pre / In - service trainings and Professional development for teachers and school personnel to inclusive teaching methods; Coordination with the Universities in order to add training competencies in Special / Inclusive pedagogy as a base for every course in the educational field. Educating teachers and staff about the various medical issues and healthcare needs of DS.

C. Commitments for Economic Empowerment

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Skills development for decent work

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Promote employment and livelihood opportunities through skill development training programs and bring awareness in workplaces that they can do what others can if given a chance. Bring positive attitudinal behaviour changes, advocate and convince employers about capabilities of population with Down syndrome and other DDs

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Implementation plan: Employment nil for adults with Down syndrome / other DDS, hence make efforts to search avenues by 1.Lobbying to government and stakeholders to create policies for access and equity for quality paid employment with job creations;2.Work in coordination with The Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training in policy formulation , developing quality, relevant and efficient skill development and other employment-support training programs 3.Assessment /testing the skills of the people with job placement opportunities .

D. Commitments for Technology and Innovation

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: New programmes or services

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Use appropriate to the user and the user’s environment, assistive technology as powerful tool to increase independence and improve participation ; Help individual children with Down syndrome become mobile, communicate more effectively, see and participate more fully in learning activities ; Provide the means of access to and participation in educational, social and recreational opportunities; Empower mental function and improve self-esteem.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Implementation Plan: Work in cooperation with IT companies and engineers to improve quality of existing assistive technology devices to improve vision, communication and cognition; Formulate new Electronic communication device with recorded or synthetic speech in Nepali; GPS –based navigation device; Advocacy for free distribution of Timer, manual or automatic reminder, smartphone with adapted task lists, schedules, calendars and audio recorder Adapted toys and games for cognition

E. Commitments for Data Disaggregation

Please select the category which your commitment most relates to: Commit to use the Washington Group questions

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Commit to abide by the Washington group questions for Improving disability data disaggregation and statistics; Work with close coordination with Nepal Central Bureau of Statistics for data collection; Educate data collectors how to detect/ identify people with Down syndrome; Disaggregating SDG indicators to determine existing gaps to spotlight on people with DS who have consistently been shown to experience higher rates of poverty and exclusion; Formulate questionnaire for data collection and analysis.

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Timeframe: By 2021 the next National Census

Implementation Plan: 1. Disaggregate data by disability; 2. Collect specific indicators for data collection; 3. Training for data collectors on straightforward and simple way to identify persons with Down syndrome, so that the indicator can be disaggregated by disability status; 4. Review and edit a set of questions developed by The Washington Group, in collaboration with UNICEF specifically addressing disability in children tested in both developed and developing countries.

F. Commitments for Women and Girls with Disabilities

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who have supported its development (75 words limit):

Commit to address the intersection of gender and disability; To end violence against women/girls with disabilities; To strengthen the political participation and leadership of women/girls with disabilities; To spread awareness through digital and social media and encourage concrete actions for women’s economic empowerment; Advocate partnering with Human rights organizations for women’s/girl’s rights, including supporting justice for women with disabilities

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Making cities inclusive and accessible for all; Improving disability data and statistics; Advocate for women with disabilities to be included and participate at all stages of recovery and reconstruction efforts ; Share success stories in media ; that priorities and needs of women with disabilities are highlighted in all policies and truly implemented.

G. Commitments for people with disabilities in Humanitarian Contexts

Please enter the exact wording of the commitment/s, including details of others who has supported its development (75 words limit):

Strengthen advocacy and work in coordination with government, NGOs and stakeholders commit to deliver health services to all in times of crises and natural disasters; remove barriers to easy access to healthcare facilities; Make free and easy distribution of essential medicines to all in humanitarian contexts

Timeframe and/or implementation plan (75 words limit)

Implementation Plan: Help in training health care professionals for Disaster and quick response services; Blood bank fortification; make all understand need of food, sanitation and hygiene is essential in crisis and al should with open hands