CHANGES IN ASIA PACIFIC DISABILITY REHABILITATION JOURNAL

Over the past 12 years, the Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal developed a readership base in 91 countries that included not only  Asia , but also Africa , North America , South America , Europe and Australia/Pacific. The journal has attracted a wide range of articles on disability and rehabilitation, with an attempt to focus on community-based rehabilitation. Given the increasing importance of disability issues, in particular human rights and community-based rehabilitation, combined with the fact that the majority of people with disabilities live in low and middle-income countries, the time is right for the Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal to have a more global scope; to  continue to be free and openly accessible for readers and free for authors; to reach higher international scientific quality; and to be published more frequently.

The Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal will henceforth be known as Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development.

The journal will address the needs of practitioners in the field (particularly those from developing countries), policy makers, disabled persons’ organisations and the scientific community. The journal will become an open access, on-line publication, which can be freely accessed. The number of print copies will be gradually reduced. Three to four issues will be brought out in a year. The editorial board will be revamped and expanded to include representation from stakeholders with different expertise, from all regions of the world. A secretariat will be established to manage the journal on a day-to-day basis, to reduce delays and speed up the process of review, acceptance or rejection and publication of manuscripts.

The journal will cover the following content themes, with emphasis on perspectives from developing countries:

• Community-based rehabilitation

• Inclusive education

• Women with disabilities

• Inclusive development

• Human rights and self-advocacy

• Disabled Persons’ Organisations (DPOs)

• Policy and legislation related to disability issues

• Health-related rehabilitation and outcomes - perspectives from developing countries

• Assistive devices - perspectives from developing countries

• Accessibility (including inclusive design)

• Disability and HIV/AIDS/reproductive health

• Disability and conflict

• Disability and emergencies

The first issue of the renamed journal is expected to be out by April 2011, with a limited number of print copies. We request readers who are unable to access the journal on the internet, to write to us. Only those who request for print copies will receive them.

The editorial team of the Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal thanks all the authors and readers who have been associated with the journal till now, and looks forward to a continued partnership through the Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development.

Dr. Maya Thomas
Editor
Email:editor.dcid(at)gmail.com