Thai Social forum

The march marked the end of the three-day Thai Social Forum (TSF) where NGOs and villagers from across the country met to discuss means for achieving greater social justice. The 200 marchers, much less than the 3,000 figure previously expected, were led by a disabled group and followed by labour groups. They didn't shout any anti-coup slogans but did chant their own: "Another World is Possible".

Our awareness of the reality of disability is limited because we live in a society geared towards people whose bodies and minds are fully functioning. This may seem strange when one considers that disability or illness can happen to anyone at any moment of their lives - it is an inevitable part of the human experience. Nevertheless, society is
organised in such a way as to treat disability as an exceptional circumstance that
requires special and, in the main, separate provision which is often inadequate and
Serves only to maintain the divisions and lack of understanding between able-bodied
and disabled people. In recent years, however, many public and private sector bodies have gradually realized that their work practices and policies fall far short of fulfilling the needs, rights and aspirations of disabled people who are their clients, customers and coworkers and that, in order to change this situation, they need to turn to disabled people
for education and guidance. From this realization aims to help people understand the meaning of disability, identify changes in work practice, and plan strategies to implement change.