Career Development and Business Incubation for People with Disabilities Two Career Training Courses: ‘from Herbal Crude Drugs’ and ‘from Flora and Plants’

Related SDGs

Career Development and Business Incubation for People with Disabilities.

From 18^th-20^th July 2022, The Thai Health Promotion Foundation, Ratchasuda Colleague, and The Project of Institute Establishment for Sireeruckhachati Nature Learning Park of Mahidol University – under the funded project titled “Enhancing learning capacity for sustainable well-being of people with disabilities” with the sub-project (Objective 1.4) involving career development and business incubation for people with disabilities – jointly organized career training in two courses: ‘from Herbal Crude Drugs’ and ‘from Flora and Plants’. Both of the courses were developed in the way of engaging disabled learners in an authentic learning experience through a series of DIY activities, and were delivered both online and onsite at the location of the learners. This sub-project (Objective 1.4) is led by Associate Professor Dr Nuttaneeya Torugsa, Director of the Project of Institute Establishment for Sireeruckhachati Nature Learning Park.

The Course from ‘Herbal Crude Drugs’ consists of the four sets of DIY activities, including: making borneol herb water, making Thai herbal inhalers, making herbal compress balls, and making herbal steam bath. Meanwhile, the Course from ‘Flora and Plants’ consists of the four sets of DIY activities, including: making dried flowers, making flora photo frames, making decorative cards from dried flowers, and making herbal spa salt.

These two training courses were well-received, with 400 disabled people attending the courses. The 400 people with disabilities comprise people with visual impairment from the National Service Center for the Blind (Bangkok / Lower Northern Region from provinces e.g. Tak, Phichit, Phetchabun, Kamphaeng Phet, Phitsanulok, Uttaradit and Sukhothai / Eastern Region from provinces e.g. Prachinburi and Chachoengsao); people with visual impairment from Samphran Vocational Training Center for Blind Women; people with autism and intellectual disabilities from Mahathai Suksa School; and people with psychosocial disabilities from the Living Association. The aim of these training courses is to provide people with disabilities with career options that could help them earn income for themselves and their families, and thereby enhance their well-being and quality of life.