Enable Newsletter, March 2012

[niranth jain p.m]

Dear Friends,

Here is the newsletter from UNCRPD which is self explanatory. Please
take steps to subscribe to the same from rikore and also circulate it
among your Friends.

Regards
Niranth Jain

ENABLE NEWSLETTER

March 2012

The Enable Newsletter is prepared by the Secretariat for the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD) at the
Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) within the United
Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) with input
from UN offices, agencies, funds and programmes, as well as from civil
society. It is also available online at:
http://www.un.org/disabilities.

In this issue:

- Status of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
- Fifth session of the Conference of States Parties to the CRPD
- Highlights from the UN system
- Upcoming events
- Other news

STATUS OF THE CONVENTION (CRPD)

112 ratifications of the Convention
153 signatories to the Convention

Optional Protocol to the Convention:

64 ratifications of the Optional Protocol
90 signatories to the Optional Protocol

Mauritania ratified the Convention and its Optional Protocol on 3 April 2012
Bulgaria ratified the Convention on 22 March 2012

FIFTH SESSION OF THE CONFERENCE OF STATES PARTIES

The fifth session of the Conference of States Parties to the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) will be
held from 12 to 14 September 2012 at UN Headquarters. Prior to the
convening of the Conference, a Civil Society CRPD Forum will be
organized on 11 September by the International Disability Alliance
(IDA) with the support of DESA with a view to engage NGOs and DPOs in
a discussion and promote coordinated civil society involvement in the
Conference of States Parties and in preparation for the High-level
meeting of the General Assembly on disability and development to be
held on 23 September 2013. The Global Partnership for Disability and
Development (GPDD) will also convene a Development Partners Forum in
conjunction with the Conference. More information will be posted at:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=46&pid=1595.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE UN SYSTEM

Experts to meet on accessibility, natural disasters and inclusive-development
Experts from around the world will meet in Tokyo from 19-21 April at
the Nippon Foundation to address critical issues concerning
accessibility. The special focus of the meeting will be on the
promotion of accessible information and communication technologies
(ICTs) and disability-inclusive natural disaster response and
emergency management. The United Nations Expert Group Meeting entitled
"Building an Inclusive Society and Development through Promoting
Accessibility in Information and Communication Technologies: Emerging
Issues and Trends" is organized by DESA, in close collaboration with
the United Nations Information Centre in Tokyo and the Nippon
Foundation. The experts will review current policies and regulations
concerning ICT accessibility, technical standardization and guidance.
They will also exchange innovative ideas and options for promoting ICT
accessibility and disability inclusion, including those related to
situations of natural disasters and emergencies. The meeting will
conclude with recommendations for accessible and disability-inclusive
development policies and guidelines. On the morning of 20 April, a
special session will be held entitled: “Towards inclusive and
disability responsive disaster and emergency response and management”
that will highlight the lessons learned from the recent earthquake and
tsunami in Japan. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1596.

World Down Syndrome Day - 21 March
For the first time on 21 March, World Down Syndrome Day was
commemorated at the United Nations and around the world. In December
2011, the General Assembly declared 21 March as World Down Syndrome
Day (A/RES/66/149). The General Assembly decided, with effect from
2012, to observe World Down Syndrome Day on 21 March each year. An
event entitled: “Building our future” was held at UN Headquarters
co-organized by the Permanent Missions of Brazil and Poland, DESA,
UNICEF, Down Syndrome International and other stakeholders. To mark
the Day, the UN Information Centre in Moscow partnered with the “Best
Buddies” Fund and “Perspektiva”, a leading disability NGO, to organize
a roundtable discussion on “Equal Rights for Persons with Down
Syndrome”. The Secretary-General in his message for the Day said "On
this day, let us reaffirm that persons with Down syndrome are entitled
to the full and effective enjoyment of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms. Let us each do our part to enable children and
persons with Down syndrome to participate fully in the development and
life of their societies on an equal basis with others. Let us build an
inclusive society for all." More information:
http://www.un.org/en/events/downsyndromeday/ and
http://www.worlddownsyndromeday.org.

World Autism Awareness Day – 2 April
In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2
April as World Autism Awareness Day (A/RES/62/139) to highlight the
need to help improve the lives of children and adults who suffer from
the disorder so they can lead full and meaningful lives. In his
message, the Secretary-General said "The annual observance of World
Autism Awareness Day is meant to spur such action and draw attention
to the unacceptable discrimination, abuse and isolation experienced by
people with autism and their loved ones. As highlighted by the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, people with
autism are equal citizens who should enjoy all human rights and
fundamental freedoms”. To observe the Day at UN Headquarters, a series
of commemorative events were held, including the launch of a new
postage stamp by the United Nations Postal Administration (UNPA) in
recognition of World Autism Awareness Day. More information:
http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/.

Silent Shout in New York at UN Headquarters
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the
Department of Economic and DESA in collaboration with the Permanent
Mission of Finland to the United Nations will organize a flashmob
mini-concert by Signmark on 17 April 2012 at the Dag Hammarskjöld
Plaza (1 p.m.) and UN Headquarters Visitors’ Lobby (1.45 p.m.) in
support of the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities. Signmark (a.k.a. Marko Vuoriheimo) is a
deaf rap artist from Finland, who uses his music and positive approach
to change attitudes towards persons with disabilities. He has also
been designated Special Representative of the Foreign Ministry of
Finland in promoting the rights for persons with disabilities. More
information: http://signmark.biz and http://www.signmarkusa.com.

Disability at the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
The 11th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues will be
held at UN Headquarters from 7 to 18 May 2012. The special theme for
this year’s session is "The Doctrine of Discovery: its enduring impact
on indigenous peoples and the right to redress for past conquests
(articles 28 and 37 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of
Indigenous Peoples)". In conjunction with the Session, a panel
discussion will be held on 11 May on the theme “Indigenous Persons
with Disabilities: Overcoming Challenges to Achieving Rights and
Inclusion in Development”. This side event will be organized by the
Disability Rights Fund in collaboration with DESA, and sponsored by
the Government of Australia. More information:
http://social.un.org/index/IndigenousPeoples.aspx

HRC - Annual discussion on the Human Rights of persons with disabilities
During the annual discussion by the Human Rights Council (HRC) on the
human rights of persons with disabilities, the UN High Commissioner
for Human Rights, Ms. Navi Pillay, stated that the speed of the
ratification process demonstrated the strong commitment of the
international community to a society for all, in which persons with
disabilities were entitled to the full enjoyment of all human rights
and fundamental freedoms on an equal basis with others. However,
ratification alone was not sufficient to ensure the removal of
barriers that continued to hinder the full and effective enjoyment of
all civil, cultural, economic, political and social rights by persons
with disabilities on an equal basis. More information:
http://www.ohchr.org/en/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=11886&LangID=E.

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
The 7th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities will be held in Geneva, from 16-20 April. The Committee
will consider the initial report of Peru and adopt lists of issues
regarding the initial reports of China, Argentina, and Hungary. The
Committee will discuss how to strengthen cooperation with United
Nations bodies, specialized agencies, non-governmental organizations,
including disabled persons’ organizations, and other competent bodies,
to enhance the promotion and protection of the rights of persons with
disabilities. The Committee will review the progress of work of the
various task forces established to draft the general comments decided
on by the Committee. To date, the Committee has decided to establish
task forces on accessibility (art. 9) and legal capacity (art. 12).
Another task force on access to public transportation and airline
policies was also established and will report to the Committee. The
Committee will also review the compilation of proposals presented by
States, civil society and other interested parties, and the
recommendations of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human
Rights toward the strengthening of the treaty bodies. Complaints
submitted under the Optional Protocol to the Convention will also be
considered by the Committee, during the session. More information:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/HRBodies/CRPD/Pages/Session7.aspx

ESCAP: Conference on Disability-Inclusive MDGs and Aid Effectiveness
The Conference was held from 14 to 16 March 2012 in Bangkok and was
organized by the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the
Pacific (ESCAP) and Leonard Cheshire Disability. The meeting brought
together experts from Government, the UN system, civil society
organizations, including organizations of persons with disabilities,
academia and other development partners. The policy recommendations
from the Conference will feed into a new Asia-Pacific regional
strategy to support a new decade to promote the rights of persons with
disabilities (2013-2022), and provide actions to guide the remaining
course of the MDGs, as well as contribute to a post-2015 development
framework. In addition, the Conference participants representing a
number of international development agencies discussed
aid-effectiveness and the importance of including disability
perspective in monitoring and evaluation in efforts to mainstream
disability in development cooperation. More information:
http://unlcdcon.tumblr.com and
http://www.lcdisability.org/aideffectiveness.

UNICEF – Promoting children with disabilities in international development
UNICEF has taken steps with its partners to establish a global
partnership to bring children with disabilities (CWD) to the forefront
of the international development agenda. From 17 to 18 March, UNICEF
organized a second consultation with Governments, CSOs, DPOs, academia
and other multilateral agencies in Bangkok, to discuss the formation
of a Global Partnership to ensure the full and equitable inclusion of
children and adolescents with disabilities in all development efforts.
The group agreed that UNICEF will host a Forum focused on advocacy and
raising awareness of the key issues facing CWD from 14 to15 September
2012 in New York, following the Conference of States Parties to the
CRPD. Partners also highlighted the importance of discussing the 2011
Report of the Secretary-General on the Status of the Rights of the
Child that focused on children with disabilities, during the COSP
meetings. More information on the Partnership and outcomes of the
consultation can be obtained from UNICEF at afa...@unicef.org.

UNESCO – Report on accessible ICTs for students with disabilities
UNESCO, along with Microsoft Corporation, launched a report on
“Accessible ICTs and Personalized Learning for Students with
Disabilities” at the International Conference on Assistive Technology
and Persons with Disabilities on 1 March 2012 in San Diego, USA. The
new report summarizes the multi-stakeholder discussion organized at
UNESCO Headquarters in Paris from 17 to 18 November 2011. The
discussion focused on challenges of and practical solutions for
promoting personalization through technology in the classrooms for
students, particularly with learning difficulties and physical
disabilities. The report highlights successful case studies and
provides recommendations on how educators and students could use
existing technological solutions in classrooms, as well as how
UNESCO’s ICT Competences Framework for Teachers could be applied for
teachers’ capacity building on issues related to accessibility. The
key recommendations on practical solutions for the use of accessible
ICTs contained in the report target teachers, policy makers and
administrators. The meeting in Paris had concluded that national
authorities and Governments face significant human rights and
educational specific goals and challenges in relation to the provision
of education for children with disabilities. The major tendency in new
policy approaches is towards inclusive education. Whatever the policy
environment is, accessible ICTs can significantly empower children
with disabilities to participate in lessons, to communicate and to
learn more effectively. More information:
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/communication-and-information/resources/news-and-in-focus-articles/all-news/news/unesco_launches_report_on_accessible_icts_for_students_with_disabilities/

UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2012
(We welcome information from the general public on key international
disability events for inclusion in the list below.)

2 April: World Autism Awareness Day
The United Nations General Assembly unanimously declared 2 April as
World Autism Awareness Day (A/RES/62/139) to highlight the need to
help improve the lives of children and adults who suffer from the
disorder so they can lead full and meaningful lives. More information:
http://www.un.org/en/events/autismday/index.shtml.

16 to 20 April: 7th session of the Committee on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities
(See item above)

9-21 April: UN Expert Group Meeting on ICT Accessibility
(See item above)

23 to 27 April: 45th Commission on Population and Development
The Commission on Population and Development will hold its forty-fifth
session from 23 to 27 April 2012 at United Nations Headquarters in New
York. The theme of the session is "Adolescents and Youth". DESA along
with other stakeholders will organize a side-event on disability
during the session of the Commission. More information:
http://csonet.org/index.php?page=view&nr=48&type=13&menu=14.

7-18 May: 11th session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues
(See item above)

15 May: Interactive session on “Innovative use of ICTs for Accessible Education”
UNESCO will organize and event at the WSIS Forum 2012 in Geneva,
Switzerland, on 15 May from 16:15 to 18:00, Room XI at the ILO
building. More information: http://www.wsis.org/forum.

15 to 18 May: Interdependence 2012 Conference and Exposition
As part of the 25th Anniversary of Rick Hansen’s legendary Man In
Motion World Tour, the Rick Hansen Foundation (RHF) and the Rick
Hansen Institute (RHI) are co-hosting a global conference and
exposition to inspire collaboration in the pursuit of a more healthy
and inclusive world. More information:
http://www.rickhansen.com/en-ca/home/interdependence2012.aspx.

23 to 25 May: ESCIF Congress 2012
The European Spinal Cord Injury Federation (ESCIF) Congress and
Assembly of Delegates 2012 will be held in Lucignano, Italy. The theme
of the Congress is the impact of the on-going economic crisis on the
lives of people with SCI. The aim is to exchange information and to
reach agreement on actions that can be taken in ESCIF member
countries. More information: http://www.escif.org.

6 to 8 June: Beijing Disability Forum
The China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), a Chinese national
umbrella organization of and for persons with disabilities with
Consultative Status with the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC),
will organize the Forum under the theme: "Removing barriers, promoting
social integration". The Forum will work to support the implementation
of the CRPD and further promote disability-inclusive development. The
Forum will provide an opportunity to discuss strategic approaches,
share good practices and options, with a view to advance the
international development agenda towards 2015 and beyond. The outcome
and recommendation of the Forum are expected to contribute to
preparations for the High-level Intergovernmental Conference on the
Final Review of the Implementation of the Asian and Pacific Decade of
Disabled Persons ( 2003-2012) to be convened in November 2012, as well
as the UN High-level Meeting on Disability and Development to be held
in September 2013.

20-22 June: Rio+20 Conference
Organized to mark the 20th anniversary of the 1992 United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), in Rio de Janeiro,
and the 10th anniversary of the 2002 World Summit on Sustainable
Development (WSSD) in Johannesburg, the Rio+20 Conference will include
Heads of State and Government to secure renewed political commitment
for sustainable development, assess the progress to date and the
remaining gaps in the implementation of the outcomes of the major
summits on sustainable development, as well as address new and
emerging issues. Visit the Rio+20 website at:
http://www.uncsd2012.org. SCRPD/DESA has prepared an information brief
that provides options for the inclusion of disability in the Rio+20
Zero Outcome Document. Download a copy of the brief at:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/information_brief_rio+20.doc.

11 to 13 June: Universal Design Conference 2012
Universal design in public spaces is the main focus of the Conference
to be held in Oslo, Norway. The Conference will cover issues related
to universal design in planning, legislation, education, buildings,
outdoor areas, information and communications technologies (ICT) and
public transport. More information: http://www.ud2012.no.

22 to 27 July: XIX International AIDS Conference
The Conference will take place from 2012 in Washington, DC, and will
present scientific knowledge as well as facilitate dialogue on the
major issues facing the global response to HIV. The conference will
include a Disability Zone at the Global Village as well as a skills
building workshop on Disability Inclusive NSPs. The conference will be
preceded by a disability and HIV leadership forum, a full day advocacy
training on 21 July conducted by AIDS-Free World in collaboration with
Disabled Peoples' International and Gallaudet University. More
information: http://www.aids2012.org and http://ww.aidsfreeworld.org.

12 to 14 September: 5th Conference of States Parties to the CRPD
(See item above)

17 to 21 September: TRANSED 2012
The 13th International Conference on Mobility and Transport for
Elderly and Disabled Persons (TRANSED 2012) will be held in New Delhi,
India. More information: http://www.transed2012.in.

17 to 28 September: 8th session of the Committee on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities
(Details forthcoming)

25 to 28 October: Inclusion International Global Inclusion Conference
At this International event to be held in Washington, DC, participants
from all over the world will come together to widely discuss the
implications of Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities: Living independently and being included in the
community. Inclusion International’s two year Campaign to promote
Art.19 will culminate at the Conference with the launch of a Global
Report. More information: http://ww.thearc.org and
http://www.inclusion-international.org.

29 October to 2 November: Rehabilitation International World Congress
The Rehabilitation International (RI) World Congress aims at social
inclusion and implementation of rights for persons with disabilities.
Held every four years, the World Congress seeks to provide a forum for
the exchange of experience and information on research and practice
regarding various disability issues on international and regional
levels. More information at http://www.riincheon2012.org/

8 to 18 November: WBU/ICEVI General Assemblies
World Blind Union (WBU) and International Council for Education of
People with Visual Impairment (ICEVI) will convene joint General
Assemblies and associated events in Bangkok, Thailand. Events include:
African Union of the Blind General Assembly, WBU Diversity Forum, WBU
General Assembly, ICEVI General Assembly and events, and joint
programme days between WBU and ICEVI. More information:
http://www.wbu-icevi2012.org.

26 to 28 November: 1st CBR World Congress
The first Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Congress entitled:
“CBR: The Key to Realising CRPD” will be held in Agra, India. More
information: www.cbrglobal.org or
http://www.apcdfoundation.org/ecafe/en/node/12322.

UPCOMING EVENTS IN 2013

23 September 2013: High-level Meeting on Disability
The UN General Assembly adopted resolution 66/124 and decided to
convene a one-day high-level meeting of the General Assembly on
disability at the level of Heads of State and Government on 23
September 2013, the Monday before the start of the General Debate of
the sixty-eighth session. More information:
http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1590.

16 to 18 October: 2nd International Conference of the World Federation
of the Deaf
The Conference hosted by the Deaf Society of NSW, Australia is themed
“Equality for Deaf People” will be held in Sydney, Australia. More
information: http://www.wfdsydney2013.com.

OTHER NEWS
(DISCLAIMER: The information below is provided by civil society
organizations and others for informational purposes only. This does
not constitute endorsement of, or an approval by, the United Nations
of any of the products, services, or opinions of the organization or
individual. The United Nations bears no responsibility for the
accuracy, legality or content of their statements and opinions.)

“We Know No Barriers” Concert Istanbul/ Turkey
On occasion of Turkey’s National Disability Week from 10 to 16 May
2012, the World Disability Foundation and the World Disability Union
will organize an event in Istanbul on 10 May. The event, the first of
its kind in the world, will feature the visually impaired musician Mr
Metin Senturk, the President of the World Disability Foundation and
the World Disability Union, who will conduct the Cinema Symphony
Orchestra, composed of 60 musicians and will sing all-time favourites
in Turkish, English, Italian and Albanian. The aim of this event is to
raise awareness about disability issues and promote the universal
message of the World Disability Union. More information:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=304909796248677&set=a.221188921287432.54260.210661559006835&type=1&theater.

Transforming Education – 2012 WISE Awards
The annual WISE Awards identify, showcase and promote successful
innovative projects from all sectors and from all regions of the world
in order to inspire change in education. Under the theme “Transforming
Education”, the 2012 WISE Awards will recognize six projects for their
concrete, positive impact upon society. One of the 2012 WISE Awards
will be for a project that has best delivered innovative financing for
primary education, which supports the UN Millennium Development Goal 2
on achieving universal primary education. WISE invites project holders
in any sector and at any level of education to submit applications
that demonstrate the quality and impact of their activities in
accordance with the criteria stated in the regulations. Deadline for
submission: 31 May 2012. More information:
http://www.wise-qatar.org/awards.

International Disability Summer School
The Centre for Disability Law and Policy at the National University of
Ireland, Galway will organise the 4th International Disability Summer
School. Last year, the Summer School attracted over 80 participants
from countries around the world. This year, the curriculum at the
Summer School will enable delegates to translate the generalities of
the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities into
tangible reform for persons with disabilities. More information:
disability...@nuigalway.ie and
http://www.nuigalway.ie/cdlp/summer_school/2012/welcome.html

Young Voices campaign to improve access to Chinese heritage sites
A small group of young people with disabilities in China have made
history by using social media to make parts of the ancient Forbidden
City of Beijing accessible to people with disabilities. During the
Paralympics in Beijing, some provisions and adaptations were made to
make the famous site more accessible for tourists with disabilities.
But the adaptations were seen as a temporary measure. Young Voices
campaigned to retain the adaptations to ensure public access to the
site for all. Young Voices are currently working with the China
Disabled Person Federation to tackle accessibility issues at the Great
Wall of China. More information:
http://www.lcdisability.org/?lid=22355.

Call for participation in the Israel Research Forum on the CRPD
The Research Forum at the University of Haifa has been created to
facilitate the dialogue on research related to the CRPD and its
implementation in the Israeli and international context. The research
forum promotes rigorous, comparable and policy relevant research by:
encouraging and expanding research to include effective,
evidenced-based implementations of the CRPD; collaboration among key
stakeholders in and outside of Israel; encouraging researchers to
address questions relevant to policymakers, practitioners and
advocates; maintaining an online database of recently completed, in
progress, and planned research concerning the CRPD; sharing
information on reports about database projects and other research
efforts; hosting and co-sponsoring national and international meetings
and discussions between researchers and other stakeholders. More
information: rim...@research.haifa.ac.il or amir...@gmail.com.

Indian committee to improve air travel for passengers with disabilities
The Ministry of Civil Aviation in India established a committee on the
“Rights of Passengers with Disabilities and Reduced Mobility” to
review the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in air travel
and provide recommendations to make air travel more accessible. Using
the CRPD as a backdrop, the Committee will review issues beginning
with the booking of tickets; arrival at the airport; checking-in,
issues related to location and design of facilities like toilets,
wheelchair access, check-in counters; issues at security-checks;
boarding of aircraft, seating in aircraft, disembarking, and the
collection of luggage. More information:
http://globalaccessibilitynews.com/2012/03/23/indian-government-sets-up-committee-on-rights-of-air-passengers-with-disabilities/.

Including persons with disabilities in web accessibility development
Involving persons with disabilities from the beginning of a project
helps you better understand accessibility issues and implement more
effective accessibility solutions. W3C WAI resource "Involve Users in
Web Projects for Better, Easier Accessibility” provides pointers on:
finding a range of users; working with users; analyzing accessibility
issues; drawing conclusions and reporting; and notes for usability
professionals. More information:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/users/involving.html.

Celebrating 5 years of Belgium's signing of the CRPD
On 30 March 2012, Light for the World Belgium organized a special
celebration of the 5th anniversary of Belgium's signing of the CRPD
through a "2-minute dance for inclusion" flashmob at the main entrance
of Brussels' Gare Centrale. Belgium ratified the CRPD and its Optional
Protocol on 2 July 2009. More information:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTLVP27vvaA.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Division for Social Policy and Development
United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)
2 UN Plaza, DC2-1306, New York, NY 10017, USA.
Website: http://www.un.org/disabilities
Email: ena...@un.org
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--
With Best Regards
Niranth Jain
Joint city Coordinater of Retina India Bangalore
www.retinaindia.org

E Mail id : nirant...@gmail.com
Mobile: +919964141089