Rehabilitation International Asia & Pacific Regional Conference

Rehabilitation International Asia and Pacific Regional Conference held in Macau SAR, China, from 26 to 28 June 2019, and hosted by the Fu Hong Society of Macau SAR, China, was attended by approximately 1,500 disability and rehabilitation stakeholders from 32 countries with a view to exchange information on disability rights and rehabilitation in the region and beyond.  Mr. Zahedi delivered an opening speech, and Mr. Sai On CHUI, Chief Executive, Macao Special Administrative Region Government joined in the ceremony.

The Conference adopted the “Macau Statement” which called Governments and peoples of the region to support inclusive policies and measures, and proactively expedite follow-up efforts on the Beijing Declaration and Action Plan to Accelerate the Implementation of the Incheon Strategy, ensuring “No One is Left Behind.

The theme of Rehabilitation International Asia Pacific Conference 2019 was” Together, leaving no one behind, in disability-inclusive and rights-based progress.”

The sub-themes of the conference were:

• Accessibility in built environment and transport, and information communication technology;
• Community-Based Rehabilitation and community support services;
• Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Incheon Strategy, UN Sustainable Development Goals;
• Disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction, and post-disaster rehabilitation;
• Early assessment and training;
• Gender and disabilities;
• Inclusive school and post-secondary education;
• Long-term comprehensive policy and programme planning;
• Mental Health and Psychosocial Rehabilitation;
• Parents’ movement and Family Care Homes;
• People with dementia;
• Vocational training, work and employment, social enterprise, and income generating strategies;
• WHO ICF;

During the three-day conference the exhibition of Assistive Device and the Art with the Disabled Exhibition was also held simultaneously. The Assistive Device Exhibition invited exhibitors to conduct professional sharing sessions and talks on the venue to showcase and present the latest information on the development of scientific and technological achievements of assistive devices from domestic and overseas, and provide first-hand demonstrations, which allow the assistive devices ‘manufacturer, participants and users to have more understanding on assistive device.

The exhibition of the art with the disabled exhibited over two hundred artworks from Macau and Mainland China. The artworks were made by the persons with intellectual disabilities, autistic persons, persons with ex-mentally illness, persons with physical disabilities, visual impairment and hearing impairment. The main aim of this exhibition was to use art to develop the unlimited potentials of the persons with disabilities, which enables them to learn, share, and cooperate from each other through the process, in order to reveal their creativity and imagination, and to add more colors to their life.

Source: https://www.riglobal.org/rehabilitation-international-asia-pacific-regional-conference-2019/