Eden Centre for Disabled Children (ECDC – Eden) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting people with physical and intellectual disabilities in Myanmar. Established on 18 April 2000, Eden has been focused on meeting the needs of disabled children in Yangon. The vision is to expand its services in the coming years to reach all ages, a wider range of disabilities, and more regions throughout Myanmar. The team at Eden emphasises an inclusive approach, providing support services irrespective of gender, race, religion, or nationality.

Eden offers the only place in the country where essential services for children with physical and intellectual disabilities, such as physiotherapy, rehabilitation/occupational therapy, hydrotherapy, early intervention program (EIP), special education, and social care, are available on the same site. (Refer to appendix one for details on Eden’s services.)

In addition to disability support services, the centre aims to raise disability awareness and promote positive attitudes toward people with disabilities in Myanmar. It does this through training, communications, education, and community-based rehabilitation (CBR) projects. Eden is a leader in Myanmar regarding rights-based, inclusive approaches to disability. The team works to change the ‘charity’ mindset common in the disability sector – with families, communities, and those working in the field – to help educate people on the fundamental rights and potential of people with disabilities.

Eden was the first to introduce to Myanmar the Social Model of Disability, which emphasises these beliefs – that disability is a development, political, and human rights issue that needs to be included in the mainstream development program and national agenda. To demonstrate Eden’s commitment to advancing the cause of people with disabilities in Myanmar, it has developed a 10% disability representation policy for its own staff.

Eden took responsibility for translating and publishing the United Nation’s Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) into Burmese and has initiated numerous translations of vital disability resources. It also produces a periodical magazine, information brochures, and training handbooks among a range of resources.

Vision

A Myanmar where all people with disabilities fulfill their potential…empowered in their identity, rights, and capacity, enjoying equal opportunities in communities free of discrimination and dominated by love.

Mission Statements

Eden strives to create a caring, inclusive, and empowering environment for disabled children by:

• - providing services and support which values, respects, and accepts disabled people and supports them to fulfill their lives with dignity, and on equal terms with others
• - providing direct services, Eden also promotes awareness and provides technical support to the community, local, and disability support organizations and advocates for change.

Objectives

• - To ensure disabled children fulfill their potential, by providing them with high-quality therapy and social care, education, and vocational training.
• - To equip families and caregivers with the skills, knowledge, and experience to fully support the development of the child
• - To raise community awareness of the worth and capacity of people with disabilities, leading to their increased inclusion in mainstream life
• - To strengthen the disability support sector (from grass-root to national government level), improving services through awareness, training, evidence-based research, networking & advocacy activities

For Eden to be a benchmark centre and leading resource for people with disabilities, through extensive and sustainable operations

Motto

With LOVE all things are possible.

Approach

ECDC understands disability as the exclusion of people with impairments from family and social life, equal education, employment, and access to basic services because of discrimination. This is also known as the social model of disability. ECDC uses the social model because it has been developed by disabled people, and best represents their experiences and perspectives.

The social model of disability is often contrasted with the medical model, which says that disability is the same as impairment, and so disability can be fixed using medical treatment or therapy alone.

Whilst ECDC is committed to supporting appropriate clinical and therapy services for people with disabilities, they believe that this is not enough on its own. It is essential to address the specific needs people have as a result of their impairment. For example, a Deaf person needs to learn to sign, and a polio survivor may need crutches. However, a Deaf child who can use sign language still cannot communicate if her parents, teacher, and classmates don’t learn it too. A child who has crutches is still unable to benefit from education in a mainstream school if the school and staff do not accept them, understand them, and barriers to entry and participation are not removed.