| Art form: | Saori |
| Type of disability: | Learning Disabilities |
| Main mission: | Weaving, Saori |
Description
The Healing Family Foundation was first established in Chiang Mai in 2003 under the Siriwattana Foundation and supported by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The organization was registered as foundation in 2005 and has become a self-support foundation since then. The foundation now has 14 persons with intellectual disabilities aged from 15-50 years (men and women). Its main activity is the weaving of so called 'SAORIO'. The weaving pieces have only 1 unique style and cannot be reproduced exactly the same. Their products from the weaving include, to name a few, t-shirts, wallets, clocks, table sheets, scarfs, etc.
Contact details:
| Art form: | Sign songs & theatre |
| Type of disability: | Hearing Impairment |
| Main organisation: | Deaf Ministries International (DMI) |
| Main mission: | Education |
Description
The Deaf Ministries International (DMI) was first established in1990 in Chiang Mai by a group of Christian missionary. DMI itself has an international network in many countries. At the beginning, DMI mission was to only preach to a group of deaf people in Chiang Mai so that they become 'good' people. This is because many deaf people cannot behave morally due inaccessibility to religious teachings, which usually contain difficult terms and sometimes in audible formats.
However, DMI later found that deaf people have a number of problems, especially communication. Consequently, DMI decided to have more programs for deaf people to improve their quality of life by promoting and raising awareness on their human rights. Later, a group of deaf people called 'My Sign' was formed.
They advocate for deaf people by using media and arts. The main activities include TV programs, theatres/plays and 'sign songs'. All of these will be made available in DVDs, which will be distributed directly to deaf people, deaf organizations/schools or interested people throughout Thailand on a monthly basis.
