Chapter 9: Recommendations

*Mekong Input
According to the key findings of the CLMV Baseline Survey, the Mekong Input on the Non-handicapping Environment (NHE) approach to promote Community-Based Inclusive Development (CBID) was developed in Bangkok, Thailand on 7 June 2013. Since it includes key recommendations to share how the principles on rural accessibility can be applied to develop and support disability-inclusive communities, this baseline survey report echoes the following:

1. Social Model of Disability: The model provides a shift of thinking of disability from the individual to social perspective. The model outlines four barriers in a persons environment as the main causes of disability. The four barriers are: 1) physical environment; 2) information and communication; 3) regulations and systems; and 4) thoughts and attitudes. Removal of these barriers can lead to an accessible, inclusive community for everyone.
	
2. Twin-track approach to disability-inclusive development: Breaking institutional barriers for the participation of persons with disabilities by giving greater prominence to disability perspectives in the development process, and mainstreaming disability into all thematic areas of the post-2015 development agenda. 
	
3. Attitude and behaviour change: Pursue, on a continuous and long-term basis, efforts to change attitudes and behaviour from a charity to a rights-based approach towards persons with disabilities and issues concerning them. In this regard, recognize the contributions that persons with disabilities make to their families, communities and society at large.
	
4. Poverty reduction and employment: Promote decent work and employment for persons with diverse disabilities in all economic sectors in rural and urban areas.
	
5. Participation: Encourage the participation of persons with diverse disabilities, including emerging groups such as persons with intellectual disabilities, autism and those who are hard of hearing, in development projects as an indicator of the inclusiveness of economic growth and social progress. Promote diverse ways of facilitating such participation at all levels, including through community-based inclusive development initiatives.
	
6. Universal design and accessibility: Incorporate universal design in, and ensure the full accessibility of the physical environment, public transportation, knowledge, information and communication infrastructure, and services for the public.
	
7. Self-help Groups: Raise awareness and facilitate the development and support of the creation and sustainability of self-help groups of persons with disabilities in local communities.
	
8. Evidence-based documentation: Provide more evidence-based documentation which can be referred to by other disability and development initiatives in other communities in CLMV, as well as other ASEAN countries.
	
9. Education: Increase access for persons with disabilities, particularly for women and children with disabilities, to all levels of education.
	
10. Financial resource allocations and mobilization: Encourage sufficient financial resource allocations and mobilization for the implementation, monitoring, and review of disability-inclusive development plans, programmes and projects, including disability-inclusive budgeting across national and local governments, and other organizations.

*Perspectives of Persons with Disabilities
The following recommendations have been commonly identified in the response of the survey of persons with disabilities, regardless of their community:
   
1. At least 1 accessible ramp for persons with disabilities should be equipped in any buildings and establishments that were audited through the survey. Such facilities are often utilized by local persons with disabilities as well as other community partners as regular meeting places (e.g. every month).
   
2. At least 1 accessible toilet should be available in any public facilities such as the district office, since there are already many users in the community (e.g. persons with disabilities, the elderly). Some countries need to take immediate actions to ensure compliance with rules and regulations of the government about accessibility. If such rules and regulations are not available yet, it is recommended that local district initiate as a model community. 
   
3. In order to create a favorable learning environment for students with disabilities, ramps and toilets for students with disabilities need to be considered whenever repairing old buildings or constructing new buildings.
   
4. Local markets or any business sites are highly encouraged to be accessible for persons with disabilities as their potential customers. If it is not possible to take immediate actions, temporary movable ramps/other accessible facilities need to be considered so that the local economy could be more energetic and inclusive.
   
5. Cultural activities need to be organized at an accessible venue, so that community people are likely to learn the necessity of accessible environments for those living in the same community.
   
6. Whenever there is new construction in a public place, local persons with disabilities should be consulted to share their expertise on accessibility. The more persons with disabilities are involved in the preparatory process of creating environments, the more friendly communities will become, in a cost effective way.  
   
7. When persons with disabilities are members of disabled peoples organizations (DPOs), it is likely that they can access more opportunities in employment. This viewpoint should be studied further to find a relationship between being a member of DPOs and getting employment, and identifying essential factors for poverty reduction.

*Survey Methodology
1. Data analysis should be congruent among the 4 countries to make it compatible and comparable. Each country should be guided on the aspects of data analysis, for example, which categories of data should be compared with that of non-persons with disabilities, which categories should be compared by gender or types of disabilities, etc. This will make all data comparable across CLMV. 
   
2. The report of each country should be edited by language experts who are skilled on disability terminologies.


image: Baseline Survey Team in Naxaithong District, Laos
