DAC-Term_Reference_of_ChwD

Terms of Reference of Children with Disability Committee

Background

The Disability Action Council (DAC) is the national coordinating and advisory body on disability in Cambodia. The DAC was established by Government Declaration ( Prakas ) No. 308 MOSALVY in 1999.

The mission of DAC is DAC promotes, coordinates and strengthens the capacity of its affiliated members to initiate, secure and coordinate through participatory practices the services necessary for people with disabilities and to enable them to enjoy the same rights and obligations, opportunities, and quality of life, as others in society.

Recognizing that children with disabilities are particularly vulnerable, in that they are often excluded from society and from school, which prevents them from getting jobs and becoming productive citizens as adults. Recognizing this, the Children with Disabilities Committee was established in 1999 as a sub component of the DAC. Initial membership consisted of 3 Government Ministry and 31 NGOs.

Vision

To improve the quality of life and ensure the rights of all children with disabilities by participating in an advocacy and advisory role for all educational, health and rehabilitation services for children with disabilities.

Committee management

The Committee will work as a team facilitated by the Chairperson with assistance from the DAC Secretariat facilitator.
The position of Chairperson is decided upon by a majority of votes by Committee members
This position is held for a period of six months
Meetings will be held once per month
Decision making is based on the majority of Committee members
The minute taker will be chosen on a rotation basis, in alphabetical order of the organization represented
The meeting agenda date and venue will be determined by all members

Goals

To promote inclusion of children with disabilities in all aspects of the community and society by

Increasing the opportunities for all children with disabilities to access education in a mainstream school alongside their peers
Supporting the development of disability prevention and rehabilitation programs for children with disabilities;
Increasing family and community awareness of the potential of children with disabilities
Improving collaboration and communication between national and international organisations and the government on issues related to children with disabilities
Supporting the development of referral systems with other stakeholders
Advocating for increased physical accessibility to mainstream schools, health facilities and other public places for children with disabilities;

Roles and responsibilities of the committee

To act as a clearing house for the dissemination of information about new and existing services, resources and activities, including disability awareness, for children with disabilities nationally
To report on member's own work related to children with disabilities in education, health and rehabilitation services
To act as a resource base to other organisations seeking technical assistance on children with disabilities
To participate in an advisory capacity on policy development and implementation relating to the inclusion of children with disabilities in school and society

Roles of Chairperson

To chair monthly meetings
To collect ideas/comments for agendas in the meeting and agree the agenda with the DAC Secretariat facilitator
Represent the Committee in DAC general meetings and other meetings as requested;
To monitor the implementation of the Committee action plan
To check minutes of meetings before they are sent to members
To be actively involved in planning Committee activities, for example, workshop planning

Roles of Facilitator

Act as secretary to prepare the meeting agenda, sending out minutes, invitations for the committee meetings, maintain documentation
Act as coordinator among and between stakeholder to prepare meeting, seminars, training and /or workshops and facilitate new initiatives
Act as coordinator for the implementation of the above activities through consultation with members, Ministries and relevant NGOs
Act as Liaison person and representative on behalf of the committee and maintain the links among and between stakeholders

Roles of Members

Attend regular meetings, inform if unable to attend or send representative
Contribute documents, share knowledge and experiences
Give advice and contribute to decision making on topics raised
Initiate ideas and give comments for agenda items
Share progress reports on their organizational activities
Attend training, seminar and/or workshop if requested
Share information within their organizations and with other stakeholders
Take minutes of meetings and provide these to the DAC Secretariat facilitator
Carry out the actions agreed in Committee meetings