1. Visual Impairment
	(a.)	an individual whose better eye, after using regular eye glasses in able to see less than 6/18 or 20/70 downward until unable to see any light, or
	(b.)	an individual who has a visual field of less than 30
2. Hearing Impairment of Communication
	(a.)	an individual with hearing frequency of 500, 1000, or 2000 Hertz in the better ear under the average audibility as follows
		•	Over 40 decibels up to the point of not hearing at all for child of not older that 7 years of age
		•	Over 55 decibels up to the point of not hearing at all for the average person, or
	(b.)	an individual with an abnormality or malfunctioning of the hearing system to comprehend or use verbal language to communicate with others.
3. Physical or Locomotion Impairment (physically disabled)
	(a.)	a person with obvious abnormality or malfunctioning of the physical condition which makes her/him unable to perform daily routine activities, or
	(b.)	a person who has lost her/his ability to move hands, arms, legs, or body as a result of amputation, paralysis or weakness, rheumatic disease, arthritis or chronic pain including other chronic illness caused by body system dysfunction inhibiting her/him to perform daily routine activities or maintain a living like an ordinary person.
4. Mental of Behavioral Impairment (intellectually disabled)
	(a.)	an individual with psychological abnormality or malfunctioning of certain parts of the brain associated with perception, emotion and thought which causes inability for her/him to control behavior necessary for self-care or living with others.
5. Impairment of Intellectual or learning Impairment (psychologically disabled)
	(a.)	a person with a psychological abnormality or an malfunctioning of the brain or intelligence level so law that inability of the person is unable to study in the regular educational system.

3.2 Government Policy and National Plan towards Persons with Disabilities

Implementation of the 1997 Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand is its implementation which enhances citizen participation, transparency, empowers local communities, and improves the public sector government.

In the ^8th National Economic and Social Development Plan (1997-2001), strategies in providing services and supports for persons with disabilities, aimed to improve the quality of life and expand, the self-reliance potential for persons with disabilities. The plan emphasized that persons with disabilities should be encouraged to participate social development. It also promoted rehabilitation for persons with disabilities such as free medical services, education at all levels, scholarships and job opportunities.

In 1999, the government announced a ministerial regulation on accessibility for persons with disabilities which emphasized easy access to all public facilities.

The ^9th National Economic and Social Development Plan articulates Thailand's development priorities for 2002-2006. Lessons learned from the 8th Plan during 1997-2001 shaped the direction of the plan. One of the objectives of the plan is to provide social security for persons with disabilities. Social service improvement and facilitation with equal access are also emphasized. It also focuses on people-centered development and equality for all.

3.3 Government System for Persons with Disabilities

The Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Public Health are assigned to promote the interests of persons with disabilities. The Office of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has a direct responsibility for disability issues.

The activities and implementation related to disabilities have been transferred to the Office of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities which is under the umbrella of the Bureau of Welfare Promotion and Protection of Children, Youth, Disadvantaged Persons with Disabilities and Older Persons, Ministry of Social Development and Human Security.

Responsible for education for persons with disabilities and related vocational training

Responsible for medical services and rehabilitation for persons with disabilities

Organization chart of the assigned organization (National Level)

3.4 Regional Cooperation

Thailand has been working to provide support for PWDs at the national level as well as the but also, regional and international levels. In June 1993, Thailand signed the Proclamation on the Full Participation and Equality of Persons with Disabilities in the Asia-Pacific Region by ESCAP. Thailand has been playing an active role in the regional programs especially in conjunction with UN ESCAP.

In 1993, Thailand was one of the three countries selected by ESCAP to work on a pilot project of the Promotion of a Non-Handicapping Environment for Disabled Persons and the Elderly. In 1999, Thailand was the host country for a meeting on Education for Youth and Children with Disabilities into the 21st Century. The Council for Disabled People of Thailand in co-operation with a Japanese NGO held training programs on wheelchair production and maintenance. This training program has later developed into a training center under the name of the Wheelchair Maintenance Clinic. The Thai government provided support to this Center in the form of land and construction while the Japanese NGO provided the necessary machinery and equipment.

3.5 Statistics Data

No national census on disabilities has been conducted in Thailand. However, three disabilities-related surveys have been conducted in Thailand.

In 1991, the Ministry of Public Health the National Statistical Office (NCO),and the Office of the Prime Minister first conducted a disabilities survey in the country that gave two classifications, medical and educational. The medical survey classified disability for treatment and rehabilitation purposes, while the educational survey perceived disability as physical and psychological abnormalities that may be a burden or problem for society.

The National Statistical office is regularly conducting a nationwide survey of the disabled population every five years, which is a part of the Health and Welfare Survey. The latest survey, conducted in 2001 discovered a majority of persons with disabilities, nearly 80%, are living in non-municipal area.

The Ministry of Public Health conducted National Health Examination Survey in 1991 and 1996, which contained questions treated to disabilities. However, these surveys are only used internally.

In 1999, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), a government development agency of Japan, in cooperation with the Council of Disabled People of Thailand (DPI-Thailand) conducted a limited survey for persons with disabilities in Thailand.

The office of Empowerment for Persons with Disabilities under the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security has registration service for persons with disabilities. In which, 343,526 persons with disabilities registered as of 31 January 2003.

3.6 Law and Regulations

The main legal instruments for persons with disabilities in Thailand are

1. The Constitution of Thailand
2. the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act A.D.1991
3. Allied Ministerial Regulations.

The Constitution of Thailand A.D. 1997

The 1997 Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand eliminated all restrictions over and removed previous prohibitions regarding persons with disabilities with the following statements.

Section 30 states that all persons are equal before the law and shall enjoy equal rights and that all discrimination based on physical or health conditions is prohibited.

Section 55 states that the disabled or handicapped shall have the right to receive public conveniences and other aids from the State, as provided by law. Section 80 indicates that the State shall ensure a good quality of life for persons with disabilities and improve upon their ability to depend upon themselves for health protection and quality of life.

Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act A.D.1991 (B.E.2534)

Thailand started drafting the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act in 1979 to protect the rights of persons with disabilities and provided a standard for workers. In 1991,12 years later the Act finally became law. This Act enhances and protects the right of person with disabilities and provides development and rehabilitation for them. Furthermore, the Act is particularly focused on employment of persons with disabilities. With this, persons with disabilities have the rights to receive services such as medical, educational, and occupational rehabilitation, employment and community support. Registration must be done in order to receive such services.

Regulations

Regulations were issued subsequently in accordance with the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act.

The initial Ministerial Regulation was issued in response to Section 17 of the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act, stipulating private companies hire disabled persons. Ministerial Regulation 1 establishes a ratio of disabled employees to be hired private companies. Employers with more than 200 employees must hire at least one disabled person, and for employers with more than 200 employees, they must hire one additional disabled person for every additional 100 employees. A financial contribution must be allocated to the fund by employers who do not hire the required number of people with disabilities.

The other regulations and policies for implementation of the Act are shown in the following Table. 5. Other laws dealing with the rights and employment and training for persons with disabilities are in Table 6

The government has plans to enact a "Disability Employment Institute for People with Disabilities Act" in 2003.

3.7 Social Service

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3.8 Medical Service, Rehabilitation, Assistive Devices

In Thailand, there is a rehabilitation policy and a National Rehabilitation Plan for persons with disabilities.

According to the Rehabilitation Act A.D. 1991, registered persons with disabilities are entitled to receive free medical rehabilitation services from hospitals under Ministry of Public Health, Ministry of University Affairs, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, and the Bangkok Metropolis Administration.

In Thailand, only large scale hospitals are able to provide medical rehabilitation services with skilled staff and equipment. The three major hospitals providing medical rehabilitation are 1) Rerdsin Hospital, Ministry of Public Health, 2) King Mongkut and Veterans General Hospital, Ministry of Defense, and 3) Police Hospital, Ministry of Interior.

The Sirindhorn National Medical Rehabilitation Center (SNMRC) is the only a hospital able to provide inclusive rehabilitation services. SNMRC is also providing assistive devices for persons with disabilities and trying to standardize the devices as well.

Assistive devices in Thailand have been primarily provided by NGOs through community-based rehabilitations (CBR). CBR has been playing very significant role in Thailand as an effective approach to improve rural accessibility and provide assistive devices.

The government has been emphasizing the issue of prevention of disabilities from two perspectives, 1) primary health care and 2) safety at work. The Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Labor and the Ministry of Transport and Communication are the principal organizations responsible for addressing the issue of disabilities.

The Ministry of Public Health is in charge of primary health care for the prevention of disabilities. They have several programs to implement this, such as family guidance for married couples, providing information on communicable diseases, and training on maternity and child health care including vaccination.

In 1989, a special plan called the National Master Plan for the Prevention of Mental Retardation was adopted.

3.9 Community Rehabilitation

Community-based Rehabilitation (CBR) in Thailand was initially introduced by NGOs during 1980s. The Foundation for Handicapped Children (HFC), one of the NGOs in Thailand, has been actively involving CBR development since it began. In 1990, the SNMRC introduced CBR to rural areas and set up a specialized CBR unit in the organization.

3.10 Independent Living Center

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3.11 Public Awareness

The recent FESPIC games (Far East and South Pacific Games Federation for the Disabled) created an awareness and showed the abilities of Thai persons with disabilities which was widely recognized by public through public relations activities and press releases done by NGOs and the government.

3.12. Sports

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3.13. Prevention

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Biwako Millennium Framework Seven Priority Areas

3.14 Self-help Organizations of Persons with Disabilities and Related Family and Parent Associations

The Department of Public Welfare together with the Association of the Physically handicapped of Thailand supported the setting up of clubs of persons with disabilities' clubs at the provincial levels around the country. The Thai government has contributed some financial support and resource personnel to these clubs.

3.15 Women with Disabilities

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3.16 Early Detection, Early Intervention and Education

With the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act 1991, persons with disabilities are entitled to receive basic education, occupational education and higher education in accordance with the National Education Plan.

In 1994, the government announced a Special Educational Development Plan for persons with disabilities planned by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education organized a public forum on education management for persons with disabilities in 1998 in order to identify problems, needs, and suggestions of persons with disabilities.

Educational opportunities for persons with disabilities were further confirmed with the new Constitution of Thailand in 1997, which states that all Thai citizens will have an equal right to obtain basic education.

A major turning point of education management for persons with disabilities emerged in 1999, when the Government year 1999 as the "Year of Education for Persons with Disabilities", which was one of the national policies in that year. It clearly confirms "Any disabled persons who wishes to go to school, can do so". In the same year, the Government also announced a new policy on education for persons with disabilities, by stating that persons with disabilities must have the same educational opportunities as others. It is considered a long-term policy and a goal regulation for persons with disabilities for education in Thailand. It can also improve the well-being of families with persons with disabilities.

The National Education Act was enacted in 1999, ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities to be educated in accordance with their rights under the Constitution of Thailand 1997. This Act enables persons with disabilities to have 12 years free basic education.

In Thailand, there are three educational systems arranged for persons with disabilities, which are

1. special schools for persons with disabilities, using a similar curriculum to mainstream schools
2. mainstream schools where persons with disabilities are entitled to participate at all levels of education
3. a non-formal education system with no age limitation on participants and basically initiated by volunteers.Apart from these systems, there areclasses in hospitals for chronically ill children with disabilities.

In 1998 Ratchasuda Colleage, Mahidol University set up higher education persons with disabilities. The College offers programs in certificates, and bachelors and masters degrees in disability related fields and has a special program for the deaf. To date, 18 masters students with disabilities have graduated, some with degrees in rehabilitation counseling and others in access technology. Currently, 58 deaf and hearing-impaired undergraduates are studying at the College. Many of them have already received certificates. On top of this, the College also offers training for sign language instructors.

3.17 Training and Employment

In accordance with the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons Act B.E. 2534 (1991) in 1994, the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare issued a ministerial regulation on employment of persons with disabilities; a quota system of job placement for persons with disabilities to increase job opportunities was applied. Employers who hire more than 200 employees are required to employ one person with disabilities. In another words, one person with disabilities must be employed by every 200 non-disabled employees at each public enterprise and company. Both government agencies and public enterprises must follow this regulation. If organizations fail to hire a suitable number of persons with disabilities or prefer not to employ them, they must pay a fine to the National Fund for the Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons.

According to the Report of Disabled Persons Survey (2001), less than 1 % of all employees were persons with disabilities in the entire country of Thailand.