The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology launched the pilot trial of its ASEAN Community e-Classroom project, an initiative under the ASEAN ICT Master plan 2015, which aims harness the ICT skills of people with disabilities.

The ASEAN Community e-Classroom is a virtual classroom featuring several ICT courses aimed at making sure that people with disabilities – whether blind, deaf and mobility impaired — is equipped with the necessary ICT skills to be part of a competitive ASEAN ICT workforce.

Users can simply create an account and choose their desired learning track from the eight course categories which include the following: Smart ASEAN Citizen, Smart ASEAN for the Youth, Smart ASEAN for Women, Smart ASEAN aged citizen, Smart ASEAN with physical disabilities, Smart ASEAN blind, Smart ASEAN deaf, and Learning disabilities guardian.

With the goal of the free movement of labour by 2015, ASEAN hopes that its pool of skilled professionals are equipped with the skill sets needed to facilitate a true regional labour integration - one that results to the development of competitive and productive enterprises, better lives for the people and socio-economic growth.