Press Release No. G/05/2001

23 March 2001

“HRD for the Empowerment of People with Disabilities”

2000 ESCAP HRD AWARD
AWARDED TO THE SPASTICS SOCIETY OF TAMILNADU
 

BANGKOK (United Nations Information Services) -- The Spastics Society of Tamilnadu, India, has been unanimously selected as the recipient of the 2000 ESCAP Human Resources Development (HRD) Award - “HRD for the Empowerment of People with Disabilities.” The Award carries a US$30,000 prize contributed by the Government of Japan.

A jury of experts in HRD and disability concerns met from 21–22 February 2001 at the United Nations Conference Centre in Bangkok to select the winner. The annual ESCAP HRD Award recognizes exemplary work in human resources development by a government agency, non-governmental organization (NGO) or individual in Asian and the Pacific region.

The Spastics Society of Tamilnadu (SPASTN), an NGO, was chosen as the winner of the Award for its rights-based approach to the empowerment of people with disabilities, which truly reflected ‘full participation and equality’ - the spirit of the Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons 1993-2002, and for its wide impact in bridging the gap between grass-root groups and policy makers. The Jury also made special mention of SPASTN’s use of indigenous cultural methods for raising awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities.

In addition to the Spastics Society of Tamilnadu, the jury chose two runners-up:

-- Institute of Research, Empowerment and Development for People with Different Abilities, Indonesia, for mobilizing cross-disability cooperation and partnership with academic institutions and government agencies to remove barriers for the freedom of movement of people with disabilities, and

-- Centre for the Rehabilitation of the Paralysed, Bangladesh, for its work on the rehabilitation and empowerment of persons with spinal cord injuries and its strong focus on women.

The jury also awarded honourable mentions to:

-- New Life Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association, Hong Kong, China, for its advanced services for, and support of, people with psychiatric disabilities;

-- Dignity and Services, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, for its support towards the independence and integration into mainstream society of people with intellectual disability; and

-- Handicaps Welfare Association, Singapore, for its success in breaking physical, economic and social barriers faced by persons with disabilities.

Ten per cent of the world’s people have some form of disability. Many suffer extreme prejudice and are excluded from their communities, and frequently isolated within their own families. SPASTN works to empower people with disabilities so that they can determine their own development, and contribute to the economic, social, and cultural advancement of their communities on an equal basis with others in society.

The Award is given annually by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP). ESCAP received applications and nominations for this year’s Award from 129 individuals and organizations in 21 countries and territories throughout Asia and the Pacific. The Award will be presented to SPASTN during the 57th ESCAP Commission Session to be held in Bangkok in April 2001.

More information on the Award is available from ESCAP’s HRD Website:
http://www.escap-hrd.org

For further information please contact ESCAP’s HRD Section:

Mr. Geoffrey Keele
Telephone: (66-2) 288-1343; Fax: (66-2) 288-3031
E-mail: keele.unescap@un.org
or
Ms. San Yuenwah
Telephone: (66-2) 288-1550; Fax: (66-2) 288-3031
E-mail: san.unescap@un.org

                                                            -- UNIS --