BACKGROUND

CBR focuses on enhancing the quality of life for people with disabilities and their families, meeting basic needs and ensuring inclusion and participation. CBR is a multi-sectoral approach and has 5 major components: health, education, livelihood, social and empowerment. CBR was developed in the 1980s, to give people with disabilities access to rehabilitation in their own communities using predominantly local resources.

In 2004, after 25 years of the establishment and implementation of CBR programmes in 90 countries, UN agencies (WHO, UNESCO & ILO) worked together on the development of a new CBR Guideline that aims to ensure that “CBR is a strategy for rehabilitation, equalization of opportunities, poverty reduction and social inclusion of Persons with Disabilities” with the flexibility to accommodate different realities and cultures.

The 1st Asia-Pacific CBR Congress held in February 2009 to promote CBR in the Asia Pacific Region, led to the establishment of the CBR Asia-Pacific Network (the Network). Representatives from 18 countries/territories met at APCD on 14-16 December 2009 to discuss key issues to set the Network in motion. Participants ratified the Constitution and agreed on the Plan of Actions. It was agreed that the Network has a vision of inclusive development, inclusive society and a mission to promote, develop and support CBR in the region and globally.

Here below please find a website of the AP CBR Convention which is scheduled on November 13-15, 2010 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

http://apcbrconvention.cbrnetworkmalaysia.org/

Re. the sponsorship, please send your email to Mr. Miki Takafunmi at:  miki@apcdfoundation.or