Member Projects and News
Every week RI members around the globe are involved in a wide array of outstanding projects which promote the vision and goals of RI. Below are some featured projects carried out by RI members. For more information on the work of RI and its members, read our newsletter Headlines.
If you are an RI member and would like your work to be highlighted on our website, please send a brief description and any high-resolution photos to RI@riglobal.org.Building Support in the United States for CRPD
US International Council on Disabilities (USICD), USA, is building support in the US for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). On April 9, 2007, the disability, human rights and international development communities came together to examine the Convention, its guarantees, and its implications for US law and foreign policy. John Lancaster, both President of USICD and the National Council on Independent Living, was one of the presenters at the event. Participants devised and considered different strategies for encouraging US government and public support for the Convention, and to examine ways to ensure continued US leadership in the international protection of disability rights. For more information about USICD, visit their website: http://www.usicd.org.
Justice Initiative FellosBuilding Support in the United States for CRPD
US International Council on Disabilities (USICD), USA, is building support in the US for the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). On April 9, 2007, the disability, human rights and international development communities came together to examine the Convention, its guarantees, and its implications for US law and foreign policy. John Lancaster, both President of USICD and the National Council on Independent Living, was one of the presenters at the event. Participants devised and considered different strategies for encouraging US government and public support for the Convention, and to examine ways to ensure continued US leadership in the international protection of disability rights. For more information about USICD, visit their website: http://www.usicd.org.
Promoting Participation in Elections and Job Placement Service
National Federation of Persons with Disabilities (FENEDIF), Ecuador, has been carrying out a program with the support of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) to promote the participation of persons with disabilities in elections and a job placement service. The FENEDIF nationwide publicity campaign has resulted in significant media coverage, including 18 television and three radio news stories and 14 newspaper articles. For the November 2006 election, 24,000 Braille ballots were distributed to all polling sites. FENEDIF also conducted training for its association members throughout Ecuador, and reached an estimated 50,000 persons with disabilities through public awareness materials. FENEDIF sensitized an estimated 100,000 members of the Electoral Tribunal, military and police on disability rights and how to make polling stations accessible. As a result of this project, the number of persons with disabilities voting increased considerably. For more information about FENEDIF, email fenedif1@interactive.net.ec.
Establishing a Unified Arab Framework for Policy and Action
National Committee for People with Special Needs, Qatar, is helping to establish a unified Arab framework for disability-related policy and action. Founding member and UN Special Rapporteur on Disability Sheikha Hissa Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani recently participated in a roundtable discussion on this issue organized in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The discussion was intended to create change in the prevailing perception of persons with disabilities and to develop anti-discrimination legislation for inclusive societies. Sheikha Hissa highlighted the international and regional perspectives relating to the UN Convention. Sessions covered awareness, early intervention, training and education, and research and development. Participants generated a series of recommendations on how to formulate a regional plan for disability-related policy and action. For the contact information of the National Committee for People with Special Needs, look in the RI membership directory.
Translating and Distributing Urdu Edition of Disabled Village Children
Swat Youth Front (SYF), Pakistan, with the financial collaboration of the Hesperian Foundation USA and World Bank Islamabad, has translated David Werner's Disabled Village Children into the local language Urdu, and organized orientation sessions to familiarize people with the book. So far, 500 copies of the Urdu Disabled Village Children have been published and distributed free of charge to health workers, other community workers, and public libraries. Demand for the Urdu edition is so high that SYF is printing another 200 copies. SYF is also exploring collaborating with other NGOs and with the Pakistani government to publish another 10,000 copies for nationwide distribution. For more information about SYF, visit http://www.syfswat.org.
Working towards One Employment Law for All
Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA), New Zealand, has been calling for the repeal of the mis-named Disabled Persons Employment Promotion Act in New Zealand, which occurred in March. DPA President Mike Gourley said, “Until now, basic rights such as minimum wages and holidays were denied to those who were in sheltered workshops…The assumption was that disabled people's work was inherently worth less…We have been working towards one employment law for all. We are thrilled to have achieved it.” In addition, CEO Gary Williams attended the March 30th signing ceremony of the UN Convention at UN Headquarters in New York, and witnessed Hon. Ruth Dyson sign on behalf of New Zealand. For more information about DPA, visit the website at http://www.dpa.org.nz.
New Member Spotlight: ISAAC
The EchoVoice/ISAAC Award - deadline for application 15 April 2008: Announcement
International Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Awareness Day: Press Release
iThe International Society for Augmentative and Alternative communication (ISAAC) is a global organization that works to improve the life of children and adults with speech difficulties. Founded in 1983, ISAAC has grown to include thousands of members, with “chapters” or groups of members in 14 countries and members in 50 other countries. ISAAC enjoys special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) describes numerous ways to help people who cannot speak or write, such as the use of electronic talking boxes, computers, books and boards with pictures or letters, or sign language. ISAAC aims to promote AAC through advocacy, research, training, and information exchange, in order to provide equal opportunities for people with speech difficulties to participate in the community, national activities and development. For more information, visit http://www.isaac-online.org
RI Welcomes New Members
At its April 26-27, 2007 meeting in Québec, Canada, the RI Executive Committee approved 14 new members, from 10 countries, expanding RI’s membership to 96 countries. RI welcomes the following members:
Bangladesh - Southern Socio-economic Development Program (SSDP)
Ecuador - Centro Educativo Integral Agora
Ethiopia - Wolita Community Based Rehabilitation Project
Honduras - Fundación Hondureña para la Rehabilitación e Integración del Limitado (FUHRIL)
India - Deprived Child! And You
Nepal - Disabled Rehabilitation Center (DRCN)
Oman - Association for the Disabled
Pakistan - ABLES; All Sanghar Handicaps Association (ASHA); Association of Physically Disabled People (APDP); SDW Pak; Swat Youth Front (SYF)
Sierra Leone - Calvary and Liberation Ministries
International - International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication (ISAAC)