UnitedoiceV

(1235-05-7)Persatuan-Advokasi Diri Orang Bermasalah Pembelajaran Selangor & Kuala LumpurSelf-Advocacy Society of Persons with Learning Disabilities Selangor & Kuala Lumpur

July 2010 (For Private Circulation only)

Gift Shop

United Voice Building Official Opening, 6th March 2010

continue...Cutting ribbon for Opening Ceremony

United Voice Building

Bakery Art Gallery

by Esther Moo Shook LengAfter many months’ of fund raising activities, United Voice finally managed to purchase and renovated its own office building. On 6th March we held our opening ceremony. Many people including some VIPs were invited. It was a fine day and about 200 guest were present.

I was asked to be the Emcee for the event. I was excited but also nervous. My father encouraged and trained me. Luckily I had Ms Ang Hui Ming as my Assistant Emcee. She actually guided me all the way.

Everything went on smoothly. The sound system was good. Our members were all helping actively. Hooi Ting, our vice-president, Mr Peter Young, Datuk Shamsiah Bt. Abdul Rahman and Johari, our president gave speeches. We presented tokens of appreciation to some important donors, especially the 4 super ladies who helped United

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Voice to raise a lot of money. We also gave tokens of appreciation to the former staff of United Voice. Then Mr. Peter Young together with Johari, Datin Dulcie (wife of the late Datuk Dr Sam Abraham) and Chang Kok Woei (1 of the pioneer members of United Voice) cut the ribbon for the opening ceremony. It happened that Mr. Peter Young’s birthday was a few days away and we also celebrated with a cake and sang the Happy Birthday song.

After the official opening ceremony, guests were invited to have refreshment and to take a tour of our building. Datuk Shamsiah

giving a speechMomentos for VIPs & Donors

Guests visiting the Gift Shop

(L-R) Christina, Lit Whei, Cynthia

& Hooi Hean getting ready to

give door gifts & program to guests

Many guests came including members from Mutiara Voice Club, PenangPeter Young giving his speech with

Hui Ming & Esther helping out

(L-R) Kok Woei, Datin Dulcie, Peter & Johari

Hooi Ting giving out appreciation gifts to Mettilda(Executive Director of Dignity &

Services) & Shahril (former UV staff)

We sold 9 paintings from the Art Gallery

during the opening!

Johari giving momentos to

donors, (L) Mr Liew, Executive

Director of World Vision & Ms Diana from

Hong Leong Foundation

Celebrating Peter Young’s 84th birthdayJohari giving out momentos to the ‘superladies’ - (L-R) Catherine Choong, Datin Joan Hoi, Dr Violet How & Rita Chan

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Inclusion International (II) is a global federation of family-based organizations advocating for the human rights of people with intellectual disabilities worldwide.

I was sponsored by Inclusion International and the Congress organizer to participate as speaker in the Inclusion International 15th World Congress which was held from 16th to 19th June 2010 at the Convention Center of Estrel Hotel, Berlin, Germany. The theme of Inclusion International 15th World Congress “Inclusion – Transforming Global Rights into Action", I like it because it sounds sweet and very powerful.

2300 people and 120 speakers from all over the world were welcomed in this Congress. There were a lot of workshops that covered many issues which are related to persons with intellectual disability such as the UN Convention, Human Rights, economiy, inclusive education, employment, self-advocacy, family and etc. I presented about United Voice and the Self-Advocacy Movement in Malaysia at the workshop on Self-advocacy in developing countries – Examples of Good Practices. Besides, I also shared to other participants about disability movement in Malaysia according to what I know.

I think Inclusion International Congress is a good platform for everybody from disability background or work for the disabled persons such as professors, social workers, supporters, family members and self-advocates from all over the world gather together to share, to discuss, to report the achievements, to learn and to exchange knowledge from each other so that they can provide better services for people with disability in their own country.

15th World Congress of Inclusion International at Berlin, Germany by Teoh Hooi Ting

Hooi Ting & Ingrid Korner (President of Inclusion Europe)

(L-R) Prof. Nagase, Hooi Ting & Shi Wei (support staff of UV)

Hooi Ting sharing about United Voice and Self-Advocacy Movement in Malaysia

Hooi Ting with other speakers who shared about self-advocacy in their respective countries

(L-R) Shi Wei, David Corner(self-advocate from New Zealand) & Hooi Ting

Congress partyGetting to know other delegates

At the opening of the Congress

Hooi Ting with Mia Farah (R) & friend

Group photo with delegates from other countries

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Bengkel Advokasi Diri di SMK Batu Unjur, Klang

dilaporkan oleh Intan Dzulaikah

Saya pergi ke SMK Batu Unjur di Klang bersama Swee Lan dan Shi Wei pada 5hb Mei 2010. Saya kena bangun pagi –pagi untuk pergi kesana. Di sekolah Batu Unjur saya memberi ucapan tentang advokasi diri dan apa yang saya belajar di United Voice. Saya jumpa ramai kawan-kawan di Batu Unjur. Ada yang macam Brieve, Sher Li, Moses, Albert dan ramai. Saya bergaul dan bermain bersama-sama mereka. Saya bersembang bersama kawan-kawan disana. Kemudian saya minum dan makan bersama mereka. Saya beritahu mereka saya membuat kad dan bookmark di United Voice.

I went to SMK Batu Unjur in Klang on 19th May 2010. United Voice is invited by the teachers to conduct a series of training on self-advocacy for the students from the special needs class. This is the 2nd session and the topic for this session is on “Making Choices”. I went with Swee Lan and Moh Foong. Moh Foong did an icebreaker with the students, she asked them to form groups. Then she gives some straws for each group with a scissor and cellophane tape. They have to get ideas on what to make with the straws. Moh Foong and Swee Lan go round and round to see them and encouraged the students to come out with ideas. After the icebreaker I gave a presentation about my working experience. Then Swee Lan talked about self-advocacy and learning how to make choices.

reported by Wendy Yeong

Shi Wei giving a talk about self-advocacy Intan giving a talk

Wendy giving a talk to the students

Learning how to work with other team membersStudents showing ideas to make something

creative with straws

Swee Lan talking about ‘making choices’

Intan getting to know a student

Shi Wei interviewing a student

A student sharing about his dreams and presented a song

Learning to communicate with one another

Supported Employment and Job Coach for Persons with Disabilities

Aslam receiving a token from Dr Kenji

Aslam sharing about his work experience

Employment Project Productsand Festival Cards for 2010/2011

Festival CardsTo order please call us at 03-79540701 or email at unitedvoicemarketing@gmail.com

New!

Egg Tart

Blueberry Cheese Tart

A national seminar entitled “New Era for Employment: Supported Employment and Job Coach for persons with Diabilities” was organized jointly by Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Malaysia and Japan International Cooperation Agency on 4th March 2010 at Hotel Legend, Kuala Lumpur.

The seminar covered a wide spectrum and fruitful discussions were held to clear any doubt on supported employment. It also enhanced the knowledge of the participants who came from JKM, private sector and NGOs involved in organizing and helping persons with learning disabilities to seek employment and be part of the working society. GCH (GIANT) presented its approach in employment of persons with learning

disabilities. I, as a person with learning disabilities, was invited to share about my employment experience with job coach support at the seminar. It was well received by the participants.

The seminar was attended by public and private sectors and NGOs with full enthusiasm and interest. Such seminar should be held throughout the Malaysia

so that all are aware of the guidelines and procedure/system in supported employment.

I hope and pray that both the sectors and NGOs consider the seminar as an eye-opener and play their roles towards employment of persons with learning disabilities in one form or another.

by Aslam Bin Sulaiman & Sulaiman Bin Mohd. Salleh

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Dennis LiewPine Tree

Chinese Brush Painting, 62cm x 96cm

Dennis LiewRambutans

Chinese Brush Painting, 62cm x 86cm

United Voice Art Gallery

To view more artwork please visit our Art Gallery at United Voice office. We are open from Mondays-Fridays, 9am-5pm.

Damien WongTahitian Ladies (2009)

Acrylic on canvas, 91cm x 122cm

Damien WongGolden Flower

Acrylic on canvas, 51cm x 51cm

Ahmad Aizuddin KhairuddinKL Cityscape

Ink on paper, 30cm x 42 cm

Tan Seng KitTwin Tower

Acrylics on canvas, 51 cm x 43 cm

Tan Seng KitFree As Birds

Watercolor on Paper, 42 cm x 54 cm

Nurulakhmal Abdul RahmanPink Lotus (2010)

Acrylics on canvas, 60cm x 60cm

Nurulakhmal Abdul RahmanThe Tower (2009)

Acrylics on canvas, 68cm x 58cm

Yeak Ping LianSultan Abdul Samad

Building (Limited Edition on

Canvas)Ink and Water Colour

on Paper, 52.5cm x 75cm

Clement OoiGarden No.6 (2009)Acrylic on canvas,

48cm x 58 cm

Jeanie Ng Zuan YiScales (2008)

Clay

Nadiah bt Abdul Jalil Animal Sanctuary (2010)

Acrylics on canvas, 45cm x 60 cm

Chee Siew ChongBangkok Wat Arun Temple

Ink on paper, 30cm X 42 cm

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Kesedaran tentang Advokasi Diri untuk Pelawat dari SMK Desa Petaling

oleh Nazmi bin Kamarulzaman

Pada 20hb May 2010 pelawat dari Seko-lah Menengah Kebangsaan Desa Petaling datang ke United Voice menaiki 2 bas. Mereka datang seramai 80 cikgu cikgu, pelajar dan ibubapa. Kami memberi mereka penyampaian tentang apa yang kami lakukan di United Voice seperti job coaching and keyakinan diri. Mereka melawat bakeri United Voice, tempat membuat kad-kad dan gallery lukisan di tingkat atas. Saya memberi taklimat seba-gai pemulaan penggenalan kami. Wendy memberi taklimat tentang United Voice dan advokasi-diri.

Mereka agak gembira juga dengan persatuan kami dan apa yang kami telah beri. Ada juga banyak pelajar yang mendaftar diri menjadi ahli United Voice. Saya mengharapkan suatu hari nanti akan ada banyak kumpulan/kelab Advokasi-diri di sekolah-sekolah di seluruh Malaysia dan di pelusuk-pelusuk kawasan.

Seramai 80 pelajar, cikgu dan ibubapa datang melawat UV

Bakeri

Gift Shop

Arts & Crafts Studio

A visitor from Australia, Kevin Stone from an organization called VALID came to United Voice on Monday 21 June 2010 at 10.30am. He shared about intellectual/learning disabilities and advocacy in Melbourne, Victoria.

He is very experienced and knowledgeable about his organization. He also shared a few important points such as what do the organization do to help the persons with learning disabilities. He elaborated his presentations in a very interesting way and it makes me understand easily.

There are members from Dragon and Friendship club, Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and Japanese Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) who came to attend the talk. He gave his presentation for about one hour and had Q&A session. We ended the presentation with some refreshments before going for lunch.

Kevin Stone is the Executive Officer of VALID (Victorian Advocacy League for Individuals with Disability Inc), which is the peak advocacy and self advocacy group for people with intellectual disability in Victoria, Australia. You can find out more about VALID at www.valid.org.au

by Lo Lit WheiVisitor from Australia

Kevin sharing about VALID About 30 people attended the session

Members of Dragon Club listening to Kevin’s talk

Q & A session

Nazmi(L) & Kevin visiting Johari at his workplace

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Group photo in front of Petrosains

Employment Project Celebration

On 20th April, my friends and I went to Suria KLCC. We took the LRT from Taman Jaya to Suria KLCC. It was an Employment Project day trip.

Our first stop was Petrosains, located on Level 4, Suria KLCC. I had not been there for the past 7 years, and there has been much improvement. There are more things available, such as the Space Exploration, Formula 1, and Oil Rig Simulation (how miners move around). The Space Exploration had a ‘control room’, living in spacesuit, pulse rate, thermal panel, and a screen for space program. It was fun, as we could experience what space life is like in Outer Space.

by Eleanore D’Orville

The ‘singing T-Rex’ is still there, and it frightened a few of my friends. They ran back the way they came, and refused to proceed, until Petrosains personnel accompanied them. I am not afraid of the T-Rex. In the F1 simulation, you get to ‘drive’ a car. We also learnt about the Prehistoric Earth. After Petrosains, we went for our lunch at KFC.

After our hearty lunch, we went to the Aquaria, to see the different sea animals. Aquaria is located in the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center. We saw so many

sea animals such as sea turtle, sharks, eels, sting-rays, clownfish, giant groupers, sea cucumber, etc. At the entrance, there are two display pools. One of the pools contains 1 sea cucumber. The otters will be displayed near these two pools, and there are reptiles, after that. That was the upper level.

At the lower level, there are more fish to be seen. The tunnel section is fun, as there are so many fish to see, of all shapes and sizes. After the tunnel, there is an area to sit down and watch the marine life. At 3:00PM, it is feeding time for the marine life. Two divers would dive into the water with a bucket, full of fish food.

When the divers enter the water, the marine life would be swimming around them. It is fun to watch them feed the sting-ray, as the divers would tease them first before the ray is fed. It was fun to watch the smaller fish eat from the bucket!

After Aquaria, we returned to Suria KLCC, to have a special tea-time: ice-cream. It was an unexpected treat to end our fun-filled day, and then we returned to Taman Jaya LRT Station by the train.

(L-R) Abid, Shikin & Alvin playing with the gravity machine

Alvin having fun with the crane

Lunch at KFC

At the display pool Waiting for feeding time Going through the tunnel at Aquaria

L-R Moses mom, Moses & Albert enjoying the ride at Petrosains

L-R Brieve, Abid, Steven & Aidil playing with one of the interactive machine

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oleh Norhanizan Abdul Ghani

Shikin dan keluarga:(L-R) Siti

Khadijah, Shikin, Norhaniza &

Mohd. Hanizan(Ibu dan Bapa) Pn

Siti dan Encik Abdul Ghani

Nur Ashikin Bte Abdul GhaniNur Ashikin bte Abdul Ghani berumur 22 tahun, dilahirkan pada 20/8/1987. Dia merupakan anak bongsu daripada empat beradik. Bila dia berusia setahun setengah, dia mengidap demam panas dan dari situ dia mula lambat berjalan dan bercakap.

Namun begitu kami sekeluarga tidak pernah mengabaikan dia. Dia bersekolah sehingga berumur 20 tahun. Kami tidak pernah meminggirkan dia malah sangat menyayangi dan mengambil berat tentang diri dia.

Shikin mula menyertai United Voice sejak June 2007 dan dari UV dia belajar banyak perkara. Dia pandai berdikari, bergaul dan bersosial dengan

Shikin bernyani bersama dengan kawan-kawan di UV Bekerja di UV Emploment Project

rakan-rakan dan persekitar, dapat belajar kemahiran kraftangan, rajin membantu ibu membuat kerja rumah tanpa disuruh. Dia juga lebih pandai berjimat dan menabung duit gaji dan hanya diguna pada benda yang perlu sahaja . Dia sangat berterima kasih dan gembira dengan peluang pekejaan yang telah diberikan oleh United Voice. UV telah banyak membantu dan mengubah kehidupan dia. Terima kasih UV.

Konvensyen PDK Kebangsaan 2009oleh Nazmi binKamrulzaman

Dijemput sebagai penceramah

Pada 6hb-7hb Februari saya, mak saya dan Swee Lan telah menghadiri Konvensyen PDK yang telah di adakan di Times Square Kuala Lumpur. Ramai yang telah hadir di konvensyen tersebut, PDK-PDK dari seluruh negeri termasuk Sabah dan Sarawak.

Pada hari tersebut saya agak gembira sebab pertama kali dalam seumur hidup saya bagi ceramah didepan mata mak saya dan juga kepada orang seramai 1,000 lebih orang yang telah hadiri di Konvensyen tersebut

Peserta-peserta di Konvensyen PDKSwee Lan & Nazmi

termasuklah penceramah dari Indonesia.

Saya memberi ceramah tentang Advokasi Diri. Ramai perserta agak terharu dengan kebolehan saya berdikari walau pun bukan sepenuhnya tetapi mampu juga lah berdikari. Dan ada yang menjemput saya untuk datang ke PDK mereka. Terima kasih kepada Swee Lan kerana memberi kepercayaan kepada saya untuk memberi ceramah di konvensyen tersebut.

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We had our Annual General Meeting on March 21 in United Voice office. Hard copies of last year’s AGM minutes, 2009 Annual Report and Audited Accounts had been given out. Meeting started with a welcoming speech by the current president, Johari Jamali. Johari then proceed to read out the 2009 AGM minutes & annual report. Then treasurer, Esther Moo read out UV Audited Accounts. After that we had an election to elect the UV committee for 2010-2012. There was an introduction of Nominees. Every nominee was given a chance to introduce themselves. Then the voting was carried out. Volunteers, Tan Cheng Siong, Aoi, Michiko, Rachel and UV staff, Yeong Moh Foong and Yeo Swee Lan assisted those who need help. Everyone adjourned for tea after voting while the volunteers counted the ballots.

Here are the results: President: Johari Bin JamaliVice-president: Felicia Fang Yann YannSecretary: Teoh Hooi TingAssistant Secretary: Alexander Tang Wing Cheong Treasurer: Moo Shook Leng (Esther)Ordinary Committee Members: Nazmi Bin Kamarulzaman Ordinary Committee Member: Foo Khee Choong (David)Ordinary Committee Member: Chang Kok WoeiOrdinary Committee Member: Cynthia Joann A/P Thomas Raju

Newly elected President Johari Jamali gave a speech to the members to thank them. Then he proceed to hold a meeting with the members to plan out United Voice activities for this year.

UV Annual General Meeting and Elections 2010

by Lo Lit Whei

Johari reading out reports

Cynthia introducing herself as a nominee for the committee

Volunteer, Tan Cheng Siong helping David with the voting

Members waiting for their turn to vote Daisy casting her vote

(L) William & Alvin happy to cast their votes Members selecting the activities they want for this year

Volunteer, Michiko assisting a member

Address: 603, Jalan 17/12, 46400, Petal ing Jaya Tel: 03-79540701 Fax: 03-79588069Email : unitedvoiceinfo@gmail .com Website: http:/ /www.unitedvoice.com.myAll donations made to United Voice are Tax Exempt United Voice

Group photo in front of Jurina Hill Lodge

On the 7th of May Friday 2010 United Voice chartered a bus to Cameron Highlands. A lot of UV members went and we had a great time. We visited some places like the Strawberry Farm, Night market, Bee Farm, and the Tea Plantation. We also visited the Cactus Farm. We stayed at Jurina Hill Lodge at Tanah Rata. We had to pay for our meals. We had our meals at rest stops and restaurants. We stayed for 3 days 2 nights. The friends that went were Johari, James, Nazmi and Wendy just to name a few. The weather there was a bit cold and in the afternoon it was very hot. The trip was good and I like trips like this.

At Bharat Tea Plantation(L-R)Siti, Izzuddin, Intan &

Wendy eating at a cafe

Group photo in front of Cactus Point Visiting Bee Farm

Playing UNO at nightHooi Ting & Siti at Brinchang night market(L-R) Christina, Jennifer & Pavala

enjoying the cool morning air

United Voice Trip to Cameron Highlands, 7th - 9th May by Wong Leong Kit