This project implemented a membership recording, tracking and management system for the Lao Disabled People's Association (LDPA). The views and needs of disabled people were regularly canvassed in order to advocate their needs to government, and to convey to disabled people information about their rights.

The development of strong and active disability membership organisations is viewed as vital to the development of civil society in the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

The system will be developed using established database technology. It will ensure that members' details are up-to-date, that their views are canvassed monthly, that information is delivered to them on a regular basis, and that their views are acted upon.

Each member was attached to an individual Cell. A volunteer Cell Secretary visited each member every month to collect views and deliver information. The membership system and the experience gained in this project was disseminated to other disability organisations. POWER intended the project to attract 14,000 members in five years.

The project outputs:

A comprehensive, user-friendly membership registration and management system

Cell Secretaries trained in information gathering from members with disabilities
Provincial Secretaries trained in inputting and analysing the information gathered
LDPA HQ staff trained in compiling results and analysing them for advocacy purposes

New Lao human rights legislation for disabled people promoted in part from this input

The methodology distributed freely to disabled people's organisations around the world.