The Malaysian Information Network on Disabilities (MIND) was first mooted in October 2004,  by the Lembaga Bangunan BAKTI Siti Hasmah (LPBBSH) under the leadership of YABhg. Tun Dr. Siti Hasmah Hj Mohd Ali, as one of its primary welfare activities within the building of BBSH. In keeping with BAKTI's second objective i.e. `TO ORGANIZE SUITABLE CHARITABLE PROGRAMMES', MIND was set up to meet the information needs of people with disabilities (PWD) so they can lead useful lives as Malaysian citizens whilst we progress into a developed nation as envisioned by our leaders. 

Dato’ Dr Zaliha Omar who was then the  Head of the Medical Rehabilitation Unit, University of Malaya Medical Centre was appointed as the Honorary Consultant and project leader, by virtue of her expertise in Rehabilitation Medicine and her extensive experience  working alongside PWD. Information gathering and dissemination had been a regular paired activity at the premier Rehabilitation Medicine Facility for over 20 years. In fact, it had played a very important role in meeting the needs of the exponentially growing population of patients with disabilities who are being managed there. What started off as a hand-written `555’ booklet with oversimplified information on  patients needing rehabilitation aids and assistance, matched against potential donors and volunteers, in 1984, gradually grew into a  hard copy collection of potentially useful information on a wide spectrum of diverse needs of people with disabilities, their families and their carers. 

By 1999, much needed disability-related information had been gathered but it was no longer manageable manually. At that timely moment,  Mr. Liew Chee Keong who was paralysed below the neck, who had acquired computer skills, offered to volunteer and work on a computerised version of an information collection and provision system that would provide opportunities for people with disabilities  to improve and sustain their  quality of life. Persistence, perseverance and patience with the daunting and challenging task  finally paid off when BAKTI appointed Dato' Dr. Zaliha Omar as the project leader. It was then that she rapidly drew on the enthusiasm of her eager volunteers who were of diversed background, to start  building up MIND. 

VISION

The Malaysian Information Network on Disabilities (MIND) is established to enable Malaysians with disabilities and their families to enhance their quality of life through having access to Information and Communication Technology (ICT) related to healthcare, rehabilitation, education, employment, adaptive technologies and equipment, transportation, barrier-free environment, government and non-government assistance, etc. and to contribute to ICT advancement.

MISSION

To promote, participate in and monitor the implementation of the state-of-the-art ICT relevant to people with disabilities (PWD) in Malaysia.

OBJECTIVES

1. Availability - to promote the use of computers amongst PWD for networking within the Malaysian community and beyond
2. Accessibility - to facilitate access to health-care, rehabilitation, education, vocational and social services relevant to the needs of PWD and their families
3. Awareness - to make society at large aware of the existence of PWD amidst them,  who deserve to lead a quality life like everyone else, through ICT
4. Acceptability - to change perceptions and attitudes of members of society on PWD towards acceptance that they are potentially useful members of society, given the opportunity to do so, particularly through ICT
5. Adequacy - to identify relevant international websites suitable for PWD and "glocalise" them to enhance the quality of life of Malaysians with disabilities and their families.

PROJECT GOALS

1. To promote community involvement in enhancing the quality of life for PWD and their families through ICT
2. To support and sustain efforts by MIND to establish a sound computing network system for PWD and their families
3. To increase knowledge on ICT for PWD and their families as well as health-care, rehabilitation and social-care providers
4. To facilitate informational access to health-care, rehabilitation, education, vocational and social services for PWD-related care services
5. To promote linguistic proficiency in  English language so that PWD and their care-providers can effectively access MIND and its linkages which are in the English language.

STRATEGIES

1. To make life for PWD as comfortable and joyful as possible through the  influence of information on relevant authorities e.g. to make public transportation accessible to everyone, regardless of disability
2. To promote MIND activities in the community-based-rehabilitation (CBR) projects
3. To solicit volunteers  of diversed background to join the MIND team  in developing and sustaining the BAKTI-MIND project
4. To sustain the efficient management of MIND which will continue to be relevant to the needs of PWD and their families as well as providers of health-care, rehabilitation, education, vocational, and social-care services.