[WSIS CS-Plenary] RE: [Ct-drafting] URGENT: Please send COMMENTS on CS declaration

[Elizabeth Carll, PhD]

The paragraph posted by Sally Burch, below is the latest and most accurate
version of the MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CARE section for inclusion in the
"PRINCIPLES, GOALS AND CHALLENGES section ( or possibly in Social Justice
section), which I had submitted.

The section should be titled;    MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH CARE

The delivery of life-critical mental and physical health information can be
facilitated and improved through ICT-based solutions. Lack of access to
information and communication has been identified as a critical factor in
the public mental and physical health crises around the world. Experts have
suggested that providing citizens of underdeveloped countries with community
level points of access to mental and physical health information would be a
critical starting point for addressing the mental and physical health care
crises. However, such access points should support more than one-way flows
of information (for example, from expert to community or patient).
Communities must be allowed to participate in the selection and creation of
communication flows that they find useful and necessary to address the
prevention, treatment, and promotion of mental and physical health care for
all people.

In addition, please note the following revisions in brackets, which were
previously recommended but in latest draft have been omitted.  Please
re-insert.  Most of these refer to specifying mental and physical health, as
opposed to only physical, and should be included for consistency and
clarity.

3.2.4 Access to Information and the Means of Communication, paragraph 3

Specific needs and requirements of all stakeholders, including those with
[mental and physical] disabilities, must be....

3.2.5 Basic literacy, par 1 last sentence

People-centered information technologies can foster eradication of [mental
and physical] illnesses and epidemics, can help give everyone food, shelter,
freedom and peace.

3.2.5 Basic literacy, par 3 last sentence

must include a focus on the needs of people who have [mental and] physical
impairments and all means of transcending those impairments ...

3.3.8 Human development - education and training, par 2

  Literacy, education, and research efforts in the Information Society must
include a focus on the needs of people who have [mental and] physical
impairments and all means of transcending those impairments....



In par 4 -



...special needs: those of young and elderly people, of women, of people
with [mental and physical] impairments, of indigenous peoples, of migrant
communities, of refugees and returnees in post-conflict situations, in a
life-long perspective...





3.3.9 Information generation and knowledge development - research, par 1,
sentence 3



Clear principles should be developed for the use and exploitation of the
body of knowledge produced [e.g. Scientific research data should be gender
and age disaggregated for mental and physical health.]





4. Conclusion, par 2, last sentence



....the right to a standard of living adequate for the [mental and physical]
health and well-being of the individual and his or her family, including
food housing and (delete medical)  [mental and physical health]care.





3.1.9 Rights of Persons with Disabilities: recommended by Monthian Buntan



I also support the inclusion of the section below recommended by Monthian
Buntan, however, I would recommend the following revisions to be consistent
with the rest of the document.  While it is helpful to specify types and
degree of disabilities, these can be seen as referring to physical only as
often mental and physical health care have been disconnected in many
countries.



3.1.9 Rights of Persons with [Mental and Physical] Disabilities:


In the inclusive information society, the rights of persons with [mental and
physical] disabilities to have full and absolute equal access to information
and communications including ICTs, regardless of types and degree of
disabilities, must be ensured by laws and policies at all levels.  In order
to achieve such goal, Universal Design principle and the use of assistive
technologies must be seriously promoted and supported throughout the whole
process of building and nurturing the information society in which PWDs and
their organizations must be allowed to participate fully and on equal terms
with non-disabled people.





Thank you for all your work on this.  Look forward to meeting everyone in
Geneva as hoping to arrive Monday morning, however, there is a huge blizzard
and snowing now in New York and flights are delayed.



Elizabeth



Dr. Elizabeth Carll

Focal Point

International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies

Tel: 631-754-2424

Fax: 631-754-5032

ecarll at optonline.net




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