Roopa Srinivasan

Roopa Srinivasan, Senior Director of Ummeed Child Development Center, is a developmental pediatrician and leader in inclusive early childhood care. She oversees clinical and training programs supporting children with developmental delays and disabilities. Her work involves early identification, family-centered interventions, and inclusive education strategies. Trained in Pediatrics and Developmental Disorders, she has worked across government and private sectors to integrate disability support into mainstream child development programs. Dr.

Abner Manlapaz

Abner Manlapaz is one of the co-founders of Life Haven Living and a Senior Associate Center for Independent Living and a Senior Associate of Center for Inclusive Policy. Abner is also the vice-chair of NCDA's Sub-Committee on Auxiliary Services, member of Sub-committee on Accessibility and the Sub-Committee on training, Employment and Livelihood, DTI-BPS Technical Committee for Road Vehicles. 

Disabilities: Still Misunderstood!

An important concern for most ADB's Developing Member Countries is the issue of disability, which needs to be re-interpreted away from a medical focus. ADB's Claude Bodart discussed the urgent need for ADB sectors to adapt the environment of cities and elsewhere to enable the growing numbers of disabled to live independently and contribute to society.

This event is part of ADB's in-house Insight Thursday lecture series.