Dear colleagues
We, Society for Child Development (SFCD), are a non-profit organization
(established in 1992). We aim to create a world of equal opportunities for
people
with disabilities. Our key projects involve providing mentally handicapped
children with educational and training facilities that will assist them to
acquire
basic living and academic skills. In our efforts to explore and address
contemporary issues related to disability, we also engage in research
activities.
One of our ongoing research projects is directed at addressing the domain of
"Sexuality and Disability". It was motivated from the realization that there
is a general reluctance on the part of the society to address sexual issues,
especially with the mentally disabled. Formal research efforts to explore
the specific nature of sexual issues in the mentally disabled have also been
very limited. The efforts made have largely been in the domain of biological
perspective and rarely in the context of the psychosocial issues.
Realizing that for decades, families of the mentally handicapped and
professionals engaged in the area alike, have been mostly silent about the
sexuality
of the mentally disabled person, our Parent Support Network (a forum for
parents established in 2004) has been conducting Focused Group Discussions and
workshops aimed not only at exploring the emerging issues and concerns in this
area but also aiming to derive ways to cope with and manage the issues.
Similar is the issue of Employment.
We feel that academicians as well as professionals working in this area need to
join hands to address these domains. In line with idea, we are organizing
a National Seminar on the adult needs of people with Mental Retardation on the
8th of November as an effort to look at the two main adult needs of the
Mentally Disabled Sexuality and Employment.
This is the first call for an expression of interest in the Seminar and also
submission of any work done in this area by researchers, academicians and
professionals.
We would appreciate if you could share your experiences in the domain of
"Sexuality and Disability" and/or Employment with us so that, together, we can
arrive at new understandings and solutions. The goal of our seminar is to
derive perspectives that can be of practical use to parents, vocational centers
and special schools that are dealing with these people on an everyday basis.
Please note that the papers presented at the seminar will only be those that
are 'action-oriented' activities or research. The seminar is not planned as
an 'academic' exercise.
IMPORTANT DATES:
30th March, 2008: Expression of interest, along with a brief about the
nature of work to be presented.
15th May, 2008: Submission of Abstract
30th September: Submission of the final paper
Please disseminate this as widely as possible
Contact:
Dr Madhumita Puri, Executive Director, Society for Child Development.
Email:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Lovepreen Kaur, Organizing Secretary, National Seminar on the Adult needs of
people with mental retardation
Email:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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