ASEAN festival of disabled artists continues for second day in Yangon

The ASEAN festival of people with disabilitiescontinued for second day in Yangon with 168 disabled artists and performers from nine ASEAN member countries, except Brunei, sources with the festival said Saturday.

Organized by the Myanmar Independent Living Initiative (MILI) in cooperation with three other organizations focusing on the rights of disabled people, the three-day festival will run through Sunday.

The festival will help make disabled artists' amazing performances publicly known and encourage their abilities in arts.

During the festival, visually, physically or hearing impaired performers from nine ASEAN countries, plus Japan with a 10-member team, will present dance and musical performances, talent shows and Myanmar traditional orchestra in combination with a western orchestra.

According to survey conducted in 120 townships in 2008, 2.3 percent of Myanmar's population is disabled and of them 10 percent are deaf.