The best thing you could give someone is a CHANCE
The disability-inclusive 60 Plus+ chocolatier by MarkRin Chocolate is part of the 60 Plus+ Project’s series of activities commemorating Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn’s 60th birth anniversary in 2015. Providing on-the-job-training opportunities for Thai persons with disabilities
The 60 Plus+ Project aims to empower persons with disabilities and promote a barrier-free, inclusive and rights-based society for all.
“60 Plus Chocolatier by MarkRin Chocolate bar”
60 Plus Chocolatier by MarkRin Chocolate is a disabilities-inclusive business collaboration between Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD) and MarkRin Chocolate that aim to provide on-the-job training by person with disabilities in food industry.
From the sweat and hard work of Thai cocoa farmers, the “I.M.1” Fine Cocoa Beans are processed into premium scrumptious chocolates available to all.
Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability Projects and Activities:
A Brief Overview
The Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability (APCD), a regional center on disability and development based in Bangkok, Thailand, continues to perform its mandate in working towards a barrier-free, inclusive and rights-based society for all via various local and regional projects and activities.
In 2018, APCD reached new heights in its focus on disability-related issues based on community-based inclusive development and disability-inclusive business. Currently making waves in Thailand and in the Asia-Pacific region are the 60+ Plus Bakery & Cafe Project and the 60+ Plus Chocolatier by MarkRin. The former is a human resource training center for Thai persons with diverse disabilities where they are trained in all process in the operations of the 60+ Plus Bakery in collaboration with Thai-Yamazaki Co. Ltd. The latter is an ongoing training for persons with disabilities in the production of premium chocolate in collaboration with MarkRin Chocolate. Both are aimed at the creation of jobs in the food business sector for persons with diverse disabilities, and promoting disability-inclusive business in the region.
Thus, APCD is closely cooperating with UN ESCAP through regular participation in the latter’s meetings and activities at the UN Headquarters, as well as supplying premium chocolate products to the UN Shop, thereby increasing awareness about APCD projects in the international community of policy- and decision-makers.
At present, negotiations are being conducted between APCD and Hyatt Regency Bangkok Sukhumvit for a future collaboration in inclusive hotel services training, as well as negotiating to promote disability-inclusive business through a showcase of 60+ Plus bakery and chocolate products with the said hotel chain.
Other major projects that are in full-swing are the ASEAN Hometown Improvement Project (a project held in collaboration with ASEAN Secretariat and Japan-ASEAN Integration Fund), which seeks to promote the livelihood of persons with disabilities in 8 ASEAN Member States. The ASEAN Autism Mapping, formally launched in August 2018 in Indonesia, is a pioneering project that seeks to update information about autism in all 10 ASEAN Member States, resulting in the recognition of the rights of persons with autism and paving the way for national policy changes and the availability of services for persons with autism.
The APCD also continues to conduct its yearly Third Country Training Programme 2018, with special focus on persons with autism developing their skills in sports, recreation, and leisure activities, such as swimming, cycling, and the new autism-friendly sports called Kin-Ball. The training prepared the participants for the upcoming ASEAN Autism Games to be held in Indonesia in October 2018. It is also aimed at encouraging potential athletes with autism to join national and international competitions leading towards the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and Paralympic Games.
APCD acknowledges the importance of focusing on emerging disabilities, such as intellectual disabilities and autism, and has recently conducted a regional training for the capacity-building of leaders who are hard of hearing and the deafened in Asia-Pacific.
Discussions are ongoing in preparation for two significant events: 4th ASEAN Autism Network Congress in Indonesia in October 2018, and the Community-Based Rehabilitation/CBID Congress in Mongolia in 2019. APCD is taking an active role in organizing said regional events in terms of offering its technical and networking expertise.
On the local front, APCD actively and fully supports projects by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities and the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security of Thailand, as evident in its participation at events like Thai Social Expo 2018 and the ‘Friendly Taxi for All’ Project, among others.
APCD also continues to conduct trainings on disability-related issues for various educational institutions in Thailand and the region. To date, APCD has trained more than 7,000 individuals from the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. It continues to pursue collaboration with organizations like JICA, TICA, Korea International Cooperation Agency, Japan Foundation, WAFCAT, AU-Thai, to name a few.
With all of APCD’s visibility in the disability field, the mass media have taken note and have featured its activities in various television programs in Thailand and Japan. For more information, visit www.apcdfoundation.org. and https://www.facebook.com/60PlusBakeryandCafe/ https://www.unescap.org/events/asia-pacific-regional-launch-campaign-good-treatment-girls-boys-and-adolescents-disabilities
