Delegates from the Lao Disabled People’s Association attended a regional conference on disability rights in Bangkok last week.The conference organized by UN ESCAP was and opportunity for regional members to share experiences regarding the implementation of Biwako. Biwako sets out strategies for a barrier-free society. It urges governments to support the rights of disabled people rights through creating inclusive employment education and healthcare policies.Mr. Somkhouanta SOUVANTHALISITH, disability rights and equality training coordinator for LDPA, said “I am very glad to attend the conference and discuss with Asia nations how to improve opportunities for Lao Disabled people.”The delegates also attended the UN ESCAP conference on an international convention for the rights of disabled people. Over 20 countries attended this conference to discuss the current draft of the convention which is on track to be adopted by UN member in 2007.The Lao Disabled People’s Association also introduced the Draft Disability Rights Law Project for Lao PDR to governments and UN agencies during the conferenceThe project will bring together government ministries, Lao businesses, social organizations, NGOs and disabled peopled to a draft disability rights law for Lao PDR.“We hope to gain support to prepare a draft Disability Rights Law in time for the adoption of the international convention so PWD can enjoy participate in development as equal citizens of Lao PDR.” Mr. Somkhouanta said.

The election of vientiane capital disabled administration committee was taken place at Vientiane prefecture on 04/07/2006. Mr. Bouasy CHANTHAVONG the vientiane social welfare division officer, Mr. Singkham TAKOUNPHAK
the president of Lao Disabled People's Association has also join this election with more than 100 disabled members in Vientiane. 5 people was elected as befollow:
1. Mrs. Phengmany PHENGPHOMKONG.
2. Mrs. Boualiphan VONGPHACHAN.
3. Ms. Monita CHANTHAVONG.
4. Ms. Mookda XAYAVONG.
5. Mr. Bounpheng THAMMAVONGSA.

Mr. Kongsy SENGMANI The head of department high ethnics and vocational Of ministry education give interview to the media relation officer of LDPA The hopeless of the Lao disabled people in their living has a employment, because they can help by themselves and their family and not to become burden of the family and society and they can be also to development the social. For the pas time the Lao disabled people ethnic group was a lack of opportunity. They can not accessible to education, employment and health care. Somebody of the Lao disabled people ethnic group to be come burden of the their family for to check care, somebody to be come the beggar and to become the issue of the society. But now the party and the government had by law of education “Education for all”. It is meaning the government give the Lao disabled people ethnic group to have the opportunity to accessible to education “The inclusive project between the disabled people and non-disabled people”. The children with disabilities can learning at the premier school until high school, college and university or the Lao disabled people can learning the vocational training for the long tern and shot tern. Now the Lao government had a good cooperation with government international and Non-government international to construction the vocational school around the country. For the example: the sikeunt vocational school for disable people had contracted at Vientiane capital, Luangprabang, Khammuane, Savannakhet and Champasack province. For another province is not the vocational school for disable people, they can learn at the poly technique school in this provice. Mr. Kongsy SENGMANI The head of department high ethnics and vocational Of ministry education said that “ For the next plan on2010 the government, ministry education will construct a vocational school every province, because the ministry education had cooperation with Germany government. Both of the government plan to support the project in phase 2 in September. The first phase was implemented in Xiengkhoang, Oudomxay and Bokeo provinces. The project cost about 4,5 million euro with was agreed in April 2006. The vocational school is very completed and full equipment of the teaching and will open to teach many sections to the student. This vocational school at the northern of Lao PDR will train to many group of the Lao people focus the teenage who is not employment, young woman, the student who is finish the secondly school and high school and young ethnic group. The Lao disabled people are also to participated to training. The vocational school will devise to 3 systems for to teach to student:

• Normal system will have to lean for 3 year and finish will receive the certificate from ministry education. It is the long term.
• The Short term , the school can train and practice to the target group for one section about 3 month , 6 month or 1 year.
• The participation training of the community or small factory need the employment have a skill? The teacher will come to community or small factory to teach and focus to practice.

For the building of the vocational school, the project is also think the accessible for the people with disability, the new vocational school will ram, handrail and toilet for disabled people and some the old vocational school will improve. However we will try to do so good for disabled people. For the teacher who will to teach the people with disability, the ministry of education has the plan to development, but the budget is very small for to establish the blind teach and the deaf teacher, so the blind and the deaf is very difficult to access to train at this vocational school. So the ministry of education , ministry of labor and social welfare and the NCDP will talk more how do to establish the blind teacher and the deaf teacher, May be will make the plan together for proposal to Germany government. I believe that the Lao disabled have opportunity to enjoy with the vocational school at another province, on behalf the director of Higher Technical and vocational Education, representatives of the Lao-Germany programme on Human Resource Development for the Market Economy ( HRD-ME ) to make sure opportunity to participate the vocational school.