Blind youth Association Nepal is mobilizing the youths with disabilities to orient and enhance their political rights to increase their political participation. The main objective of organizing the events for youth with disabilities is to bring their confidence and leadership skills for their own development, to promote changes in government policy, educate the population about disability in general and opportunities for PWDs so that it creates leadership opportunities for them on their own in all three tiers governments.

This training mostly focused on youth with disabilities and people who identify themselves on the spectrum of disabilities. The training was held from 3rd Oct to 14th Oct in all seven provinces Jhapa-37, Bara-38, Kathmandu-38, Kaski-45, Rupandahi-31, Surkhet-37, Kailali-37 with collaboration and coordination of BYAN chapters. 270 youths took part as participants and get training and are ready to lead this movement in upcoming days. This training focuses all type of disabilities or cross disabilities because we byan believes that every individual has right to speak for themselves.

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We are excited to announce the contineous program today and like to thank everyone and every chapter members who are making this possible

1. 8 Days professional writing training to chapters - 7am-9 am - Kailali chapter/ Byan Valley Chapter
2. Quiz competition for persons with disabilities regarding inclusion- 10am- 3 Pm- Byan Bara
3. Women empowerment workshop communication, leadership and English Language- 1 pm - 3pm - BYAN Womens working group
4. Online Quiz- preperation for Teachers service comission- Clubhouse - 7-9 PM
5. मनका कुरा काउनसिलर संग - Ep 12: विद्यालय शिक्षा, मानसिक स्वास्थ्यमा प्राथमिकता-8:30 PM onwards

inclusion #leadership #blindyouthnepal

In order to increase the uptake of CSE, SRH, and claim the rights, it is important that individuals with disabilities possess the know-how and develop the confidence to make an esteemed decision. To develop such, they should be provided with opportunities to learn and express their concerns. Right now we are enhancing the capacity of the young person with disabilities (In total selected 24 young people with PD, BPS, HoH, and deaf from 4 different districts: Kathmandu, Kaski, Jhapa, and Rupandehi).

BYAN in collaboration with the National Association of the Sign Language Interpreters Nepal (NASLI) and the National Federation of the Deaf Nepal (NFDN), has been conducting a 4 days workshop on SRHR for the sign language interpreters of Nepal. We realized that there is the existence of a knowledge gap on SRHR among deaf and hard of hearing communities of Nepal. The absence of signs for many of the technical teams related to CSE and SRHR has created serious disadvantages for hearing impaired people and increased their vulnerability and made it difficult for them to claim their SRHR. Consequently, BYAN, NASLI, and NFDN decided to produce a dictionary for people with hearing impairments which includes CSE and SRHR related signs.

नेत्रहिन युवा संघ नेपाल र नेत्रहिन युवा संघ नेपाल रुपन्देहीको संयुक्त आयोजना र शिक्षा विकास तथा संमन्वय ईकाई रुपन्देहीको संमन्वयमा अपाङ्गता मैत्री शासन प्रणाली विकासका निम्ती स्थानिय तहको भुमिका विषयका गोष्ठी सम्पन्न भएको छ । नेत्र हिन युवा संघ रुपन्देहीका अध्यक्ष टिकाराम पौडेलको अध्यक्षतामा भएको कार्यक्रममा नेहिन यु्वा संघ नेपालका केन्द्रीय अध्यक्ष कलाधर भण्डारीको प्रमुख आतिथ्यता रहेको थियो । कार्यक्रममा शिक्षा विकास तथा संमन्वय ईकाई कार्यलय रुपन्देहीका प्रमुख दिपेन्द्र ढकालको विशिष्ठ आतिथ्यता रहेको थियो ।

रुपन्देहीमा जिल्लामा अपाङ्गता विशेष शिक्षा सञ्चालन गरिरहेका विद्यालयका प्रधानाध्यापक तथा संयोजकहरु, रुपन्देही जिल्लाका स्थानिय तह शिक्षा विकास शाखा प्रमुख तथा दृष्टिविहिन विद्यार्थी र सरोकारवालाहलाहरुको सहभागीतामा भैरहवामा कार्यक्रम सम्पन्न भएको हो ।
नेत्रहिन युवा संघ रुपन्देहीका उपाध्यक्ष जीवन पौडेलको स्वागत र अनिता सिग्देलको सञ्चालनमा भएको कार्यक्रममा बोल्दै प्रमुख अतिथि कलाधर भण्डारीले नेहिन विद्यार्थीहरुको लागि विद्यालयमा प्रश्न पत्र निर्माण देखि लिएर शिक्षा प्रदान गर्दा स सानो कुरामा ख्याल गरेरमा उनीहरुको सहभागीता शुनिश्चत हुने बताएका थिए ।
खासगरी गणीत तथा विज्ञानको प्रश्न पत्र निर्माण गर्दा प्रयोग गरिने सांकेतीक कुराहरु दृष्टिविहिनता भएका विद्यार्थीहरुले नबुझ्ने भएको हुँदा उक्त स्थानमा सोही प्रश्न संगै अन्य थप बैकल्पीक प्रश्नहरु समेत समावेश गर्न माग गरे ।
कार्यक्रममा बोल्दै विशिष्ठ अतिथि शिक्षा विकास तथा संमन्वय एकाई कार्यलय रुपन्देहीका प्रमुख दिपेन्द्र ढकालले अपाङ्गता भएका त्यसमा पनि दृष्टिविहनता भएका विद्यार्थीहरुको समस्या समाधानका लागि आफुले हदैसम्मको सहयोग गर्ने प्रतिवद्धता जनाएका थिए । उनले यसको लागि सम्बन्धी पालिकाका शिक्षा विकास शाखा हेर्ने निकायहरुलाई यस विषयमा प्रष्ठ पार्ने र सोही अनुसार परिक्षा प्रणालीमा सुधार ल्याउने समेत बताएका थिए ।
कार्यक्रममा नेत्रहिन युवा संघका केन्द्रीय अध्यक्ष कलाधर भण्डारीले नेत्रहिन युवा संघ गठन, यसको कार्य लगायत नेत्रहिन विद्यार्थीहरुको लागि स्थानिय तहले गर्नुपर्ने काम को विषयमा कार्यपत्र प्रस्तुत गरेका थिए । झापा जिल्लाबाट सुरु भएको नेत्रहिन युवा संघको अहिले देशभरमा कुल ९ वटा जिल्लामा शाखा विस्तार गरिएको उनले जानकारी दिए । उनले अपाङ्गता अधिकारी, मुल प्रवाहमा दृष्टिविहिनहरुको समाहित शिक्षाको विषयमा प्रकाश परेका थिए ।

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अपाङ्गता मैत्री शासान निर्माणमा स्थानिय तहको भुमिका विषयक कार्याशाला सम्पन्न

 

Date: 27th December,2019

A historic event on disability and SRHR was conducted on 27th December,2019. This event was a multi sector event where everyone was gathered to know about the findings and outcomes of the study. Cross disability involved intersectionality to understand about the issues that they are facing in terms of SRHR and family planning. This event was organized by Blind Youth Association Nepal where thematic organization from 5 disabilities i.e. CIL, PFPID, Autism care Nepal society and SHRUTI had put their stalls representing their organization along with books and materials. The main objective of putting up stalls was to aware participants about different types of disability and to aware about the works that they do.

This program was in augurarted  by honorable minister Bhanubhakta Dakal from health and population ministry. He mentioned that these kind of program play a important role for PWDs. He said"  I have come here as representative from the health and population ministry. We will play an effective role to put your concerns and implement it. This document is for everyone and we will try to make this accessible for everyone."

The first part of the program was the dissemination of study reports

The study report focused on existing laws and provisions along with  international conventions such as UN CRPD,ICPD, SDG, etc which were also revised to see whether disability perspective has also been included or not especially SRHR  provisions. In addition to it IEC materials developed by government are also not sufficient and in accessible format for person with disabilities.

Furthermore PWDs are deprived of health services due to various discrimination and superstitious beliefs that are existing in the society. International conventions like CRPD and SDG are progressive and inclusive and along with this ICPD also have included SRHR rights. There is no provision for collecting health information for PWDs and LGBTQI by government. In addition to it collecting data for census should also be disability inclusive. Furthermore private sectors, service providers and stakeholders should provide service without any discrimination and government should also pressurize for disability friendly services.

Furthermore the various experts from disability and SRHR provided their critical comments with following points.

• This report is quite relevant. This kind of study has not been done before. Every human being is sexual and PWDs are not exceptional.
• Theoretical perspective would have made this report more significant and better.
• Detail discussion on topics such as safe motherhood and abortion have not been carried out.
• As women are more vulnerable to sexual abuse this report is lacking to detail the issue of women.
• General secretary of NFDN has emphasized on making separate disability or division under the government because the current focal unit Leprosy control and disability management section is not sufficient to cover the whole disability section.
• Any IEC material that are developed by stakeholders should also be inclusive or accessible for PWDs for learning or disability.

The second presentation was on project implementation, result and learning where a progress report was shared and highlighted the project outcome, learning and information from the need assessment survey which states that IEC materials are not accessible. The demand side from PWDs are low whereas the supply side is high and these supply side are also not disability friendly and they lack process and guidelines.

Another highlight of the program was the launching of IEC materials and videos on sign language. The inauguration as well as launching of IEC materials were carried out in the presence of honorable minster. This program was carried out in 2 phase where in the first phase IEC material related with family planning tools and methods were disseminated and in the second phase videos on sign language for hard of hearing and deaf was disseminated.

The second event of the program was followed by panel discussion with multi sector representatives i.e. from the policy perspective Dr Bimala Rai Paudel who shared policy gaps, Dr Bikash Koirala who shared the programmatic , planning and monitoring part from the health and population ministry, from donor agency we had UNFPA's country representative Lumba Baqi and from the field of PWDs and parents with PWDs we had KP Adhikari, chair of NDFN and Dr Sunita Amatya., chair of Autism Care Nepal.

 

Dr Bimala Rai Paudel shared that while participating in any program she tries to focus on the policy gaps and gives suggestion regarding it. Besides that they provide 3 to 6 months training on sign language course and distributes accessible materials to the children in school such as Braille and large print. She also mentioned about the existing policy gaps that PWDs are facing and in order to fulfill these gaps inclusiveness programs and policies should be passed from the  parliament.

Dr Bikas Devkota mentioned that there 20 documents related with health. He also said that we should focus on attitudinal behavior rather than language translation. We have both access and utilization with us but we are  not able to utilize it properly and it has created a gap for PWDs. Implementation and formulation is possible only when we are able to utilize the opportunities.

 

Ms Lumba Baqui from UNFPA- For UNFPA, our core area of work is reaching 3 zeros i.e. Zero maternal deaths and zero gender based violence. This is not just for UNFPA, this is for all stakeholders, we are working to conduct to address the needs in advocacy for inclusive policy and programs. We are guided by SDGs for inclusive agenda. ICPD had 9500 participants  and it was reenergizing to see government of Nepal to leave no one behind. Making health structures disability friendly, removing attitudinal barriers and introducing prominent technologies is important.It is not just supply and delivery, but also in health seeking behaviors and enabling supportive and inclusive environment is important. Comprehensive sexual education is designed in the curriculum of Nepal, which is among the very few country to promulgate in asia pacific region.

 

KP Adhikari- When we look through deaf's perspective we feel everything is okay but if we do not have words and sign language, how can we communicate? If we go through service provider and interpreters we feel lack of privacy while sharing our problems and especially women face more sexual abuse and rape cases are increasing day by day. Deaf people cannot bring the issues out neither in their classrooms nor in any aspects. Deaf people have not understood about how they should use contraceptives as there are no signs mentioned in it and we have not reached at that level. There is lack in the educational level and I feel that problem arises from this level also. There are laws and provisions but the implementation part is weak.

 

Dr Sunita Amatya-  SRHR is an integral part of human anatomy. If we are emotionally, physically and mentally well than only we can be healthy. People with many kinds of disabilities demand for accessibility but psychosocial disability cannot speak about this and SRHR is also their right. Sexual abuse can happen to both son and daughter but the important thing is to provide access to SRHR knowledge in the school education. We need to teach good touch and bad touch in simplified way. In the case of abuse also it is parents responsibility to teach about close circle and far circle and education is the most important thing.

In this way the dissemination program was successful and this program provided insights for researchers who want to research on health policies and regulations for PWDs.

The First Phase of the training "Disability Inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights and Family Planning" is going to be held on 6th-8th June, 2019 in Kathmandu (Hardik Hotel)  where promoters from Kathmandu and Bara district will be participating. Six different disability group of promoters will be participating in the training which will be based on information dissemination and advocacy and counseling techniques. Each of the promoters will be counseling 8-10 other similar disability categories.