The Chiang Mai Disabled Center was established in 1999 in a convenient downtown Chiang Mai location in order to encourage and provide the following:

• Self-employment skills in basic computer, computer graphics, E-commerce, business management, and English language instruction.
• To provide financial and management support as well as a springboard for setting up small-scale, disabled owned businesses.
• To provide a disabled resource and information center for the families of northern Thailand's disabled population.
• To provide a meeting, workshop, and social gathering place for area disabled persons.
• To provide a facility for clinics, health workshops, and rehabilitation programs for disabled persons.
• To provide a retail sales outlet for the art and handicraft of disabled persons.
• To provide a facility which disabled persons can manage for themselves.
• To provide the general public with Internet service, English language instruction, and computer instruction as a means of financial self-support.
• To integrate, rather than isolate disabled persons from the non-disabled Thai population. Our classes and activities are therefore integrated so that disabled and non-disabled can study and learn together.
• To attempt to improve upon the existing negative Thai perception of physically disabled persons by inviting the Thai public to "See what we can do".

The Chiang Mai Disabled Center was established to improve and repair the long neglected void in public consciousness with regard to physical disability.

The Chiang Mai Disabled Center is located on Rajapakinai Road in downtown Chiang Mai, one long block from "Thapae Gate". Hours of operation are from 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Sunday evenings are reserved for social activities such as musical events and sing-a longs. The Center is wheelchair accessible with both interior and exterior ramps as well as a wheelchair accessible toilet.

The Foundation To Encourage The Potential Of Disabled Persons President is disabled. The General Manager of the Chiang Mai Disabled Center and the Internet Shop Manager are also both disabled. At present 4 of 7 Foundation Board members are also disabled.

Disabled enrollment varies from month to month depending upon the availability of volunteer English teachers, but averages from 15-25 disabled persons, as well as from 10-20 non-disabled persons. Disabilities served include polio, muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy, birth defects, burn disabilities, amputations, and also both deaf and blind persons. Our youngest disabled student is age 6 (seen above). Our oldest is age 74. Our English language instruction has also included 17 blind persons and 2 partially deaf persons.

The Chiang Mai Disabled Center is not a static entity. It embraces change, innovation, and creativity. All in the spirit of self and community improvement.

The initial funding for the Chiang Mai Disabled Center came from the Federal Republic of Germany and later from Abilis Foundation. The Center is sponsored by Microsoft Thailand and by Origins Society Global College (a disabled university) at Tucson, Arizona, USA. The Center receives no government funding and is totally dependent upon private support. So Please feel free to offer yours!

Volunteers or guests wishing to visit our Center, please go to Rajapakinai Road 133/1, The Chiang Mai Disabled Center (located directly across the street from Wat Paan Ping).