Growing older with a disability in Asia – bridging policies and practices

Abstract

Growing older with a disability in Asia is impacted by environmental and social factors such as diet, type of education, adjustment to family and professional life, and consumption of tobacco and alcohol. Addressing both physical and mental, abilities appear to depend on interest groups who set different agendas. So far, policymakers and other political actors have not adequately reacted to these changing demographics. Knowledge Networks or Communities of Practice (CoPs) have begun participatory governance to allow for personal control and decision making, management and financing. This 'social model of disability' shifts attention from individuals and their impairments to the ways in which society includes or excludes these individuals. The paradigm shift focuses on certain societal groups towards less medication, de-institutionalization, more user involvement and independence thus facilitating active participation in policymaking. This presentation will address efforts to bridge policies and practices and confronted several challenges where windows of opportunity might exist from the systems in place in countries like Singapore and India to others who have not even started to address the issues due to lack of resources human and financial.