Three hundred of the most practical and useful disability resources
are listed in the Source International Information Centre directory
and CD-ROM, “Disability, development and inclusion: key
information resources”.
The information, compiled as part of the Disability Knowledge
and Research Programme, is aimed at organisations working with
disabled people in developing countries. It covers a wide range
of themes including human rights, gender, poverty and mainstreaming,
as well as planning and management of disability programmes and
service delivery relating to children, community-based rehabilitation,
mental health and HIV and AIDS.
In response to expressed needs, the printed directory and CD-ROM
form a package accessible both on- and off-line. The printed directory
provides a quick reference listing of information resources with
clear abstracts and details of distributors, while the CD contains
many published and un-published full-text documents, as well as
links to websites for those who can access the Internet. The content
of the directory and CD package is mirrored on the Source website:
www.asksource.info/res_library/disability.htm,
where it is periodically updated.
The package comes at a time when disability issues are becoming
well-established in development work in many countries. The resource
aids the sharing of high quality, appropriate and up-to-date information
that reflects developing country experience and trans-national
good practice. It is vital for practitioners, programme managers,
policy makers and other people involved in the disability sector.
Steve Harknett, of Disability Development Services Pursat in
Cambodia, said: “This package is one way to get practical
and often unpublished materials such as evaluation reports and
toolkits to field workers in developing countries. The use of
key lists makes it easy to access information, and by limiting
each list to just 20 resources it avoids information overload.“
The directory and CD-ROM package was produced as part of a two
year project ‘Improving access to disability information’,
managed jointly by Source and Handicap International. The UK Department
for International Development funded the project as part of the
Disability Knowledge and Research Programme. For more information
visit the website at: www.disabilitykar.net/projects/disabilityinfo.html
The full listing of over 4,000 disability information resources,
from which the list of 300 was selected, is available on the Source
database which features a wealth of information relating to the
practice, management and communication of health and disability
issues in developing countries.
The directory is available free of charge from Source. However
contributions for postage costs are required.
For more information contact Deepthi Wickremasinghe at Wickremasinghe.d@healthlink.org.uk
The
directory is available online, where it is regularly updated;
in print, for people with limited Internet access; and as a fully
searchable CD-ROM, which includes a selection of full-text resources.