Country / Union of Myanmar /
1/ Background Statistics
Human development index rank / 1321
GNI per capita (PPP in US$) / 1,5961
Life expectancy at birth (years) / 62.71
Mean years of schooling (years) / 4.01
Expected years of schooling (years) / 9.2 1
Total population / 47,963,0002
2/ Disability Statistics
Population of persons with disabilities / ..
Proportion of persons with disabilities to total population / 2.32 per cent3
Employment rate of persons with disabilities / According to the Myanmar National Disability Survey 2010, less than 15 per cent of People with Disabilities were engaged in a productive livelihood at the time of the survey. 3
Access to education / ..
3/Definitions
Definition of disability / No4, a
Definition of persons with disabilities / ..
Categories of impairment / ..
4/ Commitment to International Instruments on Disability
Ratification or signatory of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and its Optional Protocol / No5
Ratification of ILO Convention 159 / No6
Ratification or signatory of the Convention on Cluster Munitions / No7
Ratification or signatory of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction / No8
5/Legal Framework
Constitutional provisions / Constitution of the Union of Myanmar (2008, sect. 32 and 344)
Disability-specific laws
Comprehensive / ..
Sectoral / Law on Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities (1958)
Disability-inclusive laws / Child Law (1993)
6/Policy Framework
Disability-specific policies
Comprehensive / National Policy (1975)
Sectoral / ..
Disability-inclusive / ..
7/Institutional Framework
The national coordination mechanism or disability focal point / Department of Social Welfare under the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement
Sources:
1. United Nations Development Programme (2010). Human Development Report 2010 (New York, UNDP).
2. United Nations (2011).World Population Prospects: The 2010 Revision, accessed from http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/index.htm on 27 July 2011.
3. Department of Social Welfare (2010) Myanmar National Disability Survey 2010 (Yangon, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Government of the Union of Myanmar).
4. ESCAP (2006). Questionnaire on the Mid-Point Review of the Implementation of the Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-Free and Rights-Based Society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (BMF), answers from the respective Government on file with ESCAP.
5. United Nations (2011). “Convention and Optional Protocol Signatures and Ratifications”, on the United Nations Enable website, accessed from www.un.org/disabilities/countries.asp?navid=12&pid=166on 17 October 2011.
6. International Labour Organization (2011). “Convention No. C 159”, accessed fromwww.ilo.org/ilolex/cgi-lex/ratifce.pl?C159on 17 October 2011.
7. Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) (2008). “Ratifications and Signatures”, accessed from www.clusterconvention.org/ratifications-and-signatureson 17 October 2011.
8. Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (1997). “State Parties and Signatories”, accessed from www.unog.ch/80256EE600585943/(httpPages)/6E65F97C9D695724C12571C0003D09EF?OpenDocument on 17 October 2011.
Notes:
a. Although there is no official definition of disability in Myanmar as of yet, it is reported that the latest national household survey was based on the definition of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which puts forward the relation between impairments and barriers (ESCAP 2009).
Comprehensive
1.Definitions
a) Disability
..
b) Persons with disabilities
..
c) Categories of impairment
..
2.Legal framework
a) Constitutional provisions
· Constitution of the Union of Myanmar, 2008
[English] – [Burmese]
· “The Union shall: a) care for mothers and children, orphans, fallen Defense Services personnel’s children, the aged and the disabled; b) ensure disabled ex-Servicemen a decent living and free occupational training.” (Myanmar 2008, sect. 32)
· “[A] law shall be enacted to provide assistance and care for disabled Defense Services personnel and the families of deceased or fallen Defense Services personnel.” (Myanmar 2008, sect. 344)
b) Disability-specific laws and regulations
i. Comprehensive disability-specific laws and regulations
..
ii. Sectoral disability-specific laws and regulations
· Law on Rehabilitation and Employment of Persons with Disabilities, 1958
[English] – [Burmese]
According to the JICA Country profile (JICA 2002), the Law is under review to include more provisions and services for persons with disabilities.
c) Disability-inclusive laws and regulations
· Child Law, 1993
[English] – [Burmese]
The Child Law has a section on children with disabilities that education and other assistances should be provided by the Government (ESCAP 2009).
3.Policies and plans
a) Disability-specific policies and plans
i. Comprehensive disability-specific policies and plans
According to the JICA Country Profile (JICA 2002), the Government’s National Policy since 1975 includes provisions for the rehabilitation of persons with disabilities and their reintegration in productive activities after rehabilitation. Rehabilitation programmes are implemented to encourage self-reliance and decrease dependency of persons with disabilities.
The National Policy laid down by the Government since 1975 includes the following statements:
1. Seeking various ways and means for the rehabilitation of disability.
2. Re-integration of persons with disabilities in the production activities after the rehabilitation period.
3. Implementation of the rehabilitation programmes to encourage self-reliance of persons with disabilities and decrease dependency.
Under this policy, the current activities regarding disabilities are as follows:
a. Prevention of disabilities through immunization for polio and other debilitating diseases.
b. Limited special education for persons with disabilities.
c. Limited vocational training opportunities.
d. Lack of national data on disabilities.
e. Small-scale experiments with community-based programmes.
f. Limited job opportunities for persons with disabilities.” (JICA 2002)
ii. Sectoral disability-specific policies and plans
..
b) Disability-inclusive policies and plans
..
4.Institutional framework and Government focal point
· Ministry of Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement
The Ministry of Social Welfare Relief and Resettlement “is responsible for the social rehabilitation, education, vocational training, training for care providers for persons with disabilities, establishment of disability-related laws and committees.” (JICA 2002)
The Department of Social Welfare is the focal point for disability issues. Activities include (1) community based rehabilitation with NGOs and INGOs, including providing technical aids and processing of permissions, (2) institutionalized rehabilitation, including running of six special schools for persons with disabilities, (3) capacity development, including encouraging self-help groups and self-help organizations (ESCAP 2009).
Website: www.myanmar.gov.mm/ministry/MSWRR/main.htm
5. Useful links
Eden Centre for Disabled Children, Myanmar
www.edencentre.org
6. References
Department of Social Welfare (2010) Myanmar National Disability Survey 2010 (Yangon, Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement, Government of the Union of Myanmar).
ESCAP (2009). "Accessibility and challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Myanmar", Mission Report, 3-4 September 2009.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) (2002). "Country Profile on Disability – Union of Myanmar", accessed from http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DISABILITY/Resources/Regions/East-Asia-Pacific/JICA_Myanmar.pdfon 27 July 2011.
Myanmar (1993) The Child Law, accessed from www.blc-burma.org/html/myanmar%20law/lr_e_ml93_09.html on 27 July 2011.
______(2008). Constitution of the Union of Myanmar, accessed fromwww.scribd.com/doc/11977490/Myanmar-Constitution-2008-En on 27 July 2011.
Last updated: 17 October 2011.