Global Action on Disability (GLAD) network

This side-event, promoted by GLAD focus on improving coordinated efforts to foster inclusion of people with disabilities at the international level (more info on the event here).

Ms Gillian Bird, Ambassador & Permanent Representative of Australia to the UN highlighted 3 overarching goals of Australia's disability-related actions:

1.Inclusive education
2. Social protection
3. Humanitarian action

Gerard Howe, Head of Inclusive Societies, UK Department for International Development (DFID)
called on the need to move from will to action on the ground.n
He also commented on the need to use the Washington group questions set as the golden standard to collect data on disabilities.

Rosangela Berman-Bieler, Senior Advisor on Children with Disability, UNICEF shared impressions from the meeting in Berlin in humanitarian action, discussing key issues on the area and identified priority areas for GLAD network.
She emphasized the need for all countries to support the implementation of the Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action.

Members of the civil society and Canadian government attended this section. The Canadian government was announced as a new member of GLAD network and Senator Jim Munson spoke on behalf of the Minister Carla Qualtrough. He emphasized that Canada is glad to endorse the charter and is committed to not leaving anyone behind, including those with invisible disabilities such as individuals with autism and intellectual disabilities.

 Katariina Sario, Senior Advisor, Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland and Birgitta Weibahr, Senior Policy Specialist, Swedish International Development Agency (SIDA) spoke about the working groups progresses, and examples where joint statements to support policymaking that includes the rights of persons with disabilities in the workforce, and in creating systems that function on a needs-base.

Social protection requires working with government and DPOs. She indicated how the three pillars of the SDGs: social (which includes disability, gender equality, poverty), economic and environmental development are not equally being developed in all spheres of governments and decision-making. More emphasis need to be put in the social pilar.

 Dr. Heike Kuhn, Head of Division 302: Human rights; gender equality; inclusion, German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development outlined the next steps for GLAD network. She indicated 2 major challenges:
1. Tracking and monitoring inclusion and implementing  article 32
2. Improving the livelihood of all individuals with disabilities in promoting the SDGs and especially of those who face multiple layers of discriminations, namely woman and children with disabilities.

Other points presented:

• Access to information (e.g. information about sexual and reproductive rights to woman and girls) was put as an important consideration when addressing multiple discriminations.  
• To create Knowledge Platforms and guidelines to implement the 2030 agenda.
• Strategic partnerships with disability groups.
• Foster agency of woman and girls in advocacy campaigns (e.g.Planet 5050 campaign, violence agains woman campaign).

UN system: how can we learn from and collaborate with senior UN partners?
Programming: Make sure disability aspects are considered (e.g. budgeting and planning, resilience, humanitarian action, etc).


"Leaving no one behind" in the 2030 agenda is a big challenge that we are all committed to move forward!

Media and persons with disabilities

This side event focused on the impact that media can have in implementing article 8 of the CRPD: Awareness raising.

Panelists mentioned the 2014 SCOPE article: Current attitudes towards people with disability (Full article here ) and reflected on the extent to which many negative attitudes are reflected on media, and could be perpetuated OR changed through media.

Suggestions to change those attitudes were that media can foster:

- positive portraits of disabilities
- role model and leadership from individuals with disabilities
- better education

And ways to do that are:

- Support creating media campaigns, cartoon characters, tv shows characters who have disabilities.
Mainstreaming disabilities: having children and people with disabilities as part of regular tv casts.
- Make pressure on government to implement Article 8
- Identify partners interested in disability and media: publicity agencies, etc.

Panelists were members of the Global Alliance for Media and Entertainment (GADIM). Some great resources and more information can be found on their website.

Keiko

Accessibility resources for human rights in action

In this session, members of different European Union (EU) organizations discussed the EU Accessibility Act implementation and other strategies to promote universal accessibility in a human rights perspective.

A few interesting points and key take-home messages from this session:

• One interesting practical point from Austria representative was that their government accessibility committee hosts monthly breakfast meetings with Disability Persons Organizations (DPOs) to discuss key development issues. And 6 months a year with a larger group of experts to benchmark progress and brainstorm solutions for implementations.

• Standardization: DPOs should be involved in developing standards and monitoring implementation, and communicating/participating at accessibility development tables.

• Accessibility creates a competitive advantage and not an economic burden - and work with industry to create products (e.g. accessible tablet or control heating and cooling to cars) that respond to that. Think of the "market" as not only individuals with disabilities but aging population and others. 

• U.S rep mentioned how public procurement can be used towards promoting participation: If a vendor claims they're conformant (with accessibility standards) how do you ensure that these products are indeed conformant? The Mandate 376 was mentioned  21st century communication act that has fines imposed for products that are not made accessible. Social media is also a powerful accountability platform. 

Keiko

Useful links

Here are some useful links and resources that were mentioned at today's session of the Civil Society Forum of the CRPD.

This morning the youth representative, Mariana Camacho, mentioned the project she is working with on raising awareness about rights for youth with disabilities. This project is being done in Costa Rica, and is part of "META" (Movement "We are all in action" - free translation from Spanish), website is in Spanish.

https://metajuvenil.wordpress.com/

This afternoon the UN Refugee Agency rep, Kirstin Lange, mentioned how the IASC guidelines for mental health and psychosocial support in emergencies should be applicable for persons with disabilities

http://www.who.int/mental_health/emergencies/guidelines_iasc_mental_health_psychosocial_june_2007.pdf

Mia Kontianen, from Australia Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade also mentioned the UNICEF - Washington group guidelines on disaggregated data by disability. This guideline had been metioned in the morning, in regards to eliminating multiple discrimination. Collecting quality and disaggregated data (by disability) is perceived to be key to support the Global Sustainable Development Goals.

http://www.washingtongroup-disability.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Joint-statement-on-disaggregation-of-data-by-disability-Final.pdf

Priscillle Geiser mentioned how the International Development and Disability Consortium is working towards the 2030 agenda and integrating the CRPD and the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals). They're developing CRPD perspectives by training DPOs and government in engaging in data collection mechanisms, international accountability mechanisms,

https://www.iddcconsortium.net/

Mohammed Loutfy from the Disabled Peoples' International highlighted how to involve individuals with disabilities in the HABITAT III Urban development agenda. Procurement policies and plans should include that everything is inclusive and accessible.

http://habitat3.org/the-new-urban-agenda/

And finally, I managed to ask my question about best practices in engaging children with disabilities in decision-making and CRPD awareness, monitoring and implementation. Priscille Geiser mentioned that IDDC welcomes creating modules on children for projects like the "Bridge" project, and Dan Seymour mentioned the work done by UNICEF and new initiatives such as engaging speakers under 18th to participate in group-specific ini within gender (UN woman)

What a great day it was today! More to come as the COSP starts tomorrow!

Keiko

Engaging youth with disabilities

Marian Camacho, youth representative emphasized the importance for youth with disabilities to be engaged in policy and decision-making. Importantly, youth should be provided with opportunities to learn about their rights and how to participate, so that new opportunities for engagement are created.

We need to develop participatory methodologies to figure out how to integrate those technologies, Apps, Smartphones to educate, integrate and empower youth to participate.

Family members should also be involved in identifying opportunities. She mentioned a project called "Tell it to me", using an App to inform deaf young people about their sexual and reproductive rights using sign language.

She has also mentioned round tables to break down to young people about the CRPD, understanding what it means "in real life". Children, woman should be enabled to come together to ensure that States are developing initiatives that include them.

Keiko

Leaving no one behind: Addressing multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination

Carlos Rios Espinosa, from Human Rights Watch emphasized issues o multiple discrimination for #children with #disabilities in implementing the SDGs.

Children with disabilities are often forced to live in institutions because families may be poor or are not provided with adequate supports to maintain their child at home.

Children in institutions lack meaningful and inclusive education - being neglected ability to fully develop their capacities.  Legal capacity is denied, often when they reach majority the institutions have their guard.

Once you are in an institution you're not likely to acquire work capacity or receive support in the community, reinforcing a cycle of poverty and exclusion.

Keiko

Nothing about us without us

The first #CSCRPD forum was about practical implementation of article 4.3.

Recognition of the full transversality of persons with disabilities (what a beautiful word!) is needed in the implementation of the CRPD.

Tina Minkowitz from the Center for the Human Rights of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry raises the issue of understanding mental health and the need to understand all rights equally, for example the understanding that legal capacity is as important as accessible physical environments.

She also highlighted that people with psychosocial disabilities must be brought and included in leadership in the CRPD  for a definite paradigm shift out of the medical model.

Keiko