Abstract: Livelihoods of people with disabilities in Thailand are invisible to Thai society. People who have had disabilities since birth or early childhood are often denied formal education and live in isolated environments. As a result, they have little formal education and difficulties with literacy, social and communication skills. Therefore, the objective of this research was to investigation the potential role and contribution of communication and communication design for developing sustainable livelihoods in disabled communities in Thailand. The methodology of this research was Participatory Action Research (PAR) using a Sustainable Livelihoods Framework. The participants of this research were physically disabled people in the Phrapradaeng community in Samutprakran. They had active roles in the research. Conclusion, communication and communication design have essential roles throughout the research process. The verbal and visual communication enabled the disabled people to share their view, understand complex problems, and develop their capabilities to reach full potential in achieving sustainable livelihoods.
This is the abstract for the Sustainable Development to Save the Earth conference. It was held on April 7-9th, 2009 at Millennium Hilton Bangkok Hotel, Thailand.
