Shivjeet Singh Raghav
Chairperson ASCoN Consumer Network
President Consumer Committee
Spinal Cord Society of India
Oct 2013

ASCoN Consumer Network established during the 9th
ASCoN Conference in New Delhi in 2010 with the goal of:
 improving the levels of participation and quality of life of persons with spinal injury across Asia;
 bringing together existing SCI consumer groups within Asia and to support the establishment of new
SCI consumer organisations.

The World Report on Disability highlights that PWD’s have poorer health outcomes, lower education achievements, less economic participation and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities
Article 33 of the UNCRPD states that “the full participation of civil society, in particular pwds and their representative organisations is essential in the national monitoring and
implementation process”.
Persons with disabilities should be consulted in the development of strategies to eliminate barriers and promote inclusive and accessible health care. (Draft WHO
Action Plan 2014-2021)
The WRD supports the development of networks of disabled people who can campaign for the rights. The report recognises that disabled people often have unique insights about their disability and their situation and should be actively involved in formulating and implementing policy, laws, and services.

 Development of steering group to lead process and increase membership
 Encourage/facilitate establishment of new National
SCI consumer bodies and strengthen capacity of new ones
 Share good practice/learning through networking and linkages nationally, regionally and internationally
 Increase engagement in regional and international policy dialogue and projects
 Organisation of annual meeting and workshop during ASCoN conference

Steering committee tasked with developing and leading the ASCoN Consumer Network:
 Bangladesh: Mr Anwar Hossain
 India: Mr Shivjeet Singh
 Malaysia: Ms Bathmavathi Krishnan
 Nepal: Mr Shiva Neupane
 Sri Lanka: Mr Cyril Siriwardane
 Thailand: Ms Nipapan Tipayajak
Chairperson (annual rotation)
 2013 Mr Shivjeet Singh
 2014 Mr Anwar Hossain
 2015 Ms Nipapan Tipayajak

India – SCI Network India
Nepal – Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports
Association (NSCISA)
Bangladesh – Spinal Cord Injury Development
Association (SCIDAB)
Thailand – Northern SCI Network
Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka Spinal Cord Network

• Setting up SCI Network of India
• Draft on SCI management submitted to the
Government
• Prevention Outreach Programs designed to spread awareness about causes of SCI as well as prevention of complications due to improper evacuation with target audiences: a) School and college students b) Swimming pools and sport complexes c) Traffic police and military police

• Office established and staff employed
• Strategic Plan Developed
• Links for funding, mentoring and organisational capacity development established with Ireland and Denmark
• Database established 100 members
• Promoting and organising sports events
• Supporting members to find and retain employment

• Office established and staff employed
• Strategy document and operational policies published
• Membership Database established 550 members
• Peer Counselling/Support programmes established
• Active in lobbying for rights of PWD

• Office establishd and staff empoyed
• Setting up of two half way homes
• Sports competition with annual meeting
• Awareness Prgram in Schools regarding evacution of accident victims.

• Committee established
• Home visits organised to advise people with
SCI
• Co-ordination with other dpo’s at national and regional level
• Special emphasis on employment of women with SCI

• Facilitation and promotion of linkage and partnership between SCI organisations in different parts of the world
• Nepal Spinal Cord Injury Sports Association and Spinal Injuries Ireland
• Spinal Injuries Association Australia – ASCoN
SCI consumer network

• In conjunction with ESCIF www.escif.org
we are supporting the development of the Global SCI
Consumer Network www.globalsci.net
and increasing participation and representation of SCI consumer groups from Asia in international dialogue, projects and action
• Creating a platform for international agencies to become better informed about the lived experience of persons living with SCI in low resourced countries.

• Malaysia 2012: Workshop participation from Nepal,
Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Australia,
Netherlands
• Agreed to report back on single point agenda relating to country specific issues (i.e prevention; pre-hospital care; rehabilitation protocols; vocational training/economic independence
• Malaysia – First ASCoN games/Tomasz Tasimeski facilitated

• Encourage new members to join
• Regional data collection and feeding into reporting mechanisms with United Nations Convention on
Rights of Persons with Disabilities
• Dissemination of IPSCI Report
• Training and capacity development support programme for members (organisational capacity development; peer support/counselling; UNCRPD monitoring and reporting levels of implementation

• Funding i.e training and capacity development; exchange; participation
• Promotion of sports and recreational activities for people with SCI
• Facilitating increased opportunities for socialeconomic inclusion
• Organisation of annual ASCoN consumer workshop
• Active participation and promotion of Global SCI
Network

• Country specific status and projects
• Implementation of UNCRPD status
• How to promote the development of SCI organizations and establish new ones
• International Cooperation and exchange
WHO, ISCoS
• Global SCI Consumer Network
• Regional ASCoN Consumer Network Strategy and
Planning