About 500 with intellectual disabilities holding forum
By Kim Ji-myung
About 500 disabled participants from 24 countries will discuss their issues and hopes at the 20th Asian Conference on Intellectual Disabilities (ACID) 2011. Worth noting is that the intellectually disabled people and their families are active players of the forum.
Organized by the Asian Federation on Intellectual Disabilities celebrating its 40 years of history, the meeting being held from Aug. 21 to 26 at the Ramada Plaza Jeju hotel has the theme “Passing from Freedom to Happiness.” A commemorative exhibition shows 40 years of the association’s endeavors.
More than 1,900 participants, including families of the disabled will listen to presentations on discrimination, integrating the disabled into society and allowing them to pursue happy lives. Keynote speakers include Dr. Kim Bo-kyung of Korea, Prof. Wenjing Zhang from China, Prof. Christina Kimm from the U.S. and Prof. Takeshi Kaneko from Japan.
“In addition to academic programs, we have a unique program this year. Entitled ‘Show us your talent,’ the disabled will demonstrate singing, dancing and origami activities,” said Chairman Kim Yong-wook of the Organizing Committee.
Despite various developmental disabilities, some people show remarkable capabilities beyond conventional expectations.
The disabled participants will talk about compelling and practical issues of their own. Intellectual disabilities, including low IQ level, Down syndrome and other emotional and behavioral disabilities, will not mean much when they try to examine their own problems.
Dr. Kaoru Yamaguchi of Japan and Ireland’s Father Brandon O’Connell in Taipei should be remembered for the past achievements of the Asian federation, according to Kim Won-kyung, president of the Asian Federation on Intellectual Disabilities.
The special exhibition features artifacts collected by Dr. Kim Joung-kwon, an advisor and living witness of ACID.
After the host country Korea, Japan with its 165 participants is the second largest delegation at the conference.
The writer is chairwoman of the Korean Heritage Education Institute. She can be reached at heritagekorea21@gmail.com.