Ontario is working towards being fully accessible by 2025. Meanwhile, it is vital to be aware of the progress of accessibility around the world. There are about one billion people with a disability in the world, and 800 million of them live in developing nations. Thankfully, the Global Disability Summit looks to raise global attention on accessibility.
Here we look at the details of the Summit and how you can become involved.
Goals of the Global Disability Summit
Host UK Department for International Development (DFID) aims to improve accessibility efforts around the world. Also, the DFID has partnered with the Internal Disability Alliance (IDA) to ensure that people with disabilities have a say in the Summit. The government of Kenya is also hosting the event. Furthermore, the group of partners hopes to make this event a celebration of the efforts and rights of people with impairments.
Also, the partners have identified many goals, namely:
- Raising global attention
- Bring in new voices and approaches
- Starting new global and national commitments
- Showcasing best practice and evidence
These are vital goals for the global community. Guests at the Summit will leave with the knowledge to start addressing the issues.
Themes of the Global Disability Summit
The Summit contains a series of sessions. In fact, each session is part of a theme. For instance, the themes are:
- Dignity and respect for all
- Inclusive education
- Economic empowerment
- Technology and innovation
Each theme has a set of pledges or deliverables. For instance, pledges from the economic empowerment theme could be:
- Anti-discrimination laws
- Social protection and training
- Universal design
The goal of these sessions is to create plans that can be put into action.
Also, there are “Spotlight Sessions” throughout the day. These sessions cover many topics, such as gender issues and how to use data on disability.
Participants
The event will be led by people with disabilities. Specifically, guests will include:
- Government members
- Heads of donor agencies and civil society organizations
- CEOs from the private sector
Also, the IDA has chosen reps from the Organisations of Persons with Disabilities.
When and Where
This event takes place in London, England on July 24, 2018, at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.
Your Involvement in the Global Disability Summit
You do not need to go to the Summit to be involved in the talk. If you want to have a voice, click here on any device to go to the website. From here, you can:
- Download presentations
- Text in questions during the event
- Vote in live polls
Ontario has committed to full accessibility in 2025. Still, we should encourage inclusiveness around the world. To that end, the Global Disability Summit is a big step towards global accessibility.