Breaking News! Dates for judicial review of WCA

Mental Health Resistance Network	4:01 PM (20 minutes ago)
to Blue, bcc: me

Hi Everyone,

We have the dates for the judicial review of the WCA for people living with mental health problems.The dates are 15-16, & 18 January 2013. The hearing will be held in the Upper Tribunal Courts in London.

Denise

United Kingdom Government Denounced for Crimes Against Disabled People to International Criminal Court in The Hague

http://blacktrianglecampaign.org/2012/09/23/united-kingdom-government-denounced-for-crimes-against-disabled-people-to-international-criminal-court-in-the-hague/

http://socialwelfareunion.org/archives/2501

CCDS seminar series 2012-13

Culture and Disability: Changing Attitudes.
CCDS Seminar Series 2012-13

Mad in Court: Mentally Disabled Pro Se Litigants and the Complex Embodiment
of Mind.
Catherine Prendergast 3 Oct 2012

The Bhopal Disaster, Literature and Charity Advertising.
Clare Barker 7 Nov 2012

Colonization, Disability, and the Intranet: The Ethnic Cleansing of Space?
Alan Hodkinson 5 Dec 2012

'Lexism' and the Temporal Problem of Defining Dyslexia.
Craig Collinson 30 Jan 2013

Evaluative Criticism in Cultural Disability Studies: Past, Present, or
Future?
Ria Cheyne 27 Feb 2013

Visualizing Disability.
Alice Hall 20 Mar 2013

The Work of Collaborative Illness Narratives.
Stella Bolaki 24 Apr 2013

The Art of Inclusion: Examining the Curious Relationship Between Art and
Design Education, Disability, and Special Educational Needs.
Claire Penketh 29 May 2013

"If We were Cavemen We'd be Fine": Recontextualising Dyslexia in a
Digitally-mediated Social Network.
Owen Barden 19 Jun 2013

This seminar series will run at 2.15pm–3.45pm, in Eden 109, Liverpool Hope
University, United Kingdom.

For more information, please contact:

Dr. David Bolt

Director, Centre for Culture & Disability Studies
ccds.hope.ac.uk

Editor, Journal of Literary & Cultural Disability Studies
http://JLCDS.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk

Lecturer, Education and Disability Studies
http://www.hope.ac.uk/boltd

Founder, International Network of Literary & Cultural Disability Scholars
http://www.facebook.com/pages/International-Network-of-Literary-and-
Cultural-Disability-Scholars/174137315933446
http://twitter.com/#!/INLCDS

Email: boltd@hope.ac.uk

Telephone: 0151 291 3346

Office: EDEN 128

Postal address: Graduate School, Faculty of Education, Liverpool Hope
University, Liverpool, L16 9JD.

Coming soon: The Madwoman and The Blindman: Jane Eyre, Discourse,
Disability, edited by David Bolt, Julia Miele Rodas, and Elizabeth J.
Donaldson
http://www.ohiostatepress.org/books/book%20pages/bolt%20madwoman.html

Fwd: Agenda for National Council this Saturday - Please confirm attendance

Mental Health Resistance Network	6:46 PM (1 hour ago)
to Blue, bcc: me

Hi Everyone,

MHRN is an affiliated organisation of the Coalition of Resistance and we can send someone to their National Council meeting, in fact we can send two or three. I won't be able to go this Saturday but if anyone else wants to go please let them know you are going.

Denise

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Coalition of Resistance <coalitionofresistance@mail.com>
Date: 17 September 2012 12:50
Subject: Agenda for National Council this Saturday - Please confirm attendance
To: coalitionofresistance@mail.com

Dear National Council members and affiliated organisations

See below for the agenda for the National Council meeting this Saturday. Please confirm your attendance by replying to this email. For more information contact Sam on 07872 481769.

Coalition of Resistance National Council
12pm - 4pm, Saturday 22 September
Discus Room, Unite the Union Offices
128 Theobald's Road,
London WC1X 8TN

Agenda:
1) Resolution for building 20 Oct - Introduced by John Rees (resolution attached)
2) Report from the NUT - Introduced by Alex Kenny
3) General Discussion
4) Practicalities for 20 Oct - Introduced by Sam Fairbairn
5) European Anti-Austerity conference - Introduced by Fred LePlat
6) Finance - Introduced by James Youd

In solidarity,

Coalition of Resistance officers group


See what we are up to at www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk
Please also visit the new Greece Solidarity Campaign website www.greecesolidarity.org

Coalition of Resistance motion to National Council.doc 22K   View   Download

UK Workshop on Disability and Austerity THIS FRIDAY

Dear all,

There are still some places available at the following workshop at the University of Birmingham, UK, and some funding available to support travel expenses. To register for the workshop, or for further information, please contact Dr Qulsom Fazil: q.a.fazil@bham.ac.uk.



DISABILITY, AUSTERITY AND INEQUALITY: OVERCOMING DISCRIMINATION IN THE 21ST CENTURY
University of Birmingham, UK
9.30-4pm, Friday 21 September 2012

The impact of the economic downturn and subsequent government policies related to these austere times have been felt by the whole of the UK, but particularly by disabled people. It is well documented that the extra costs of disability are substantial and that disability increases the risk of poverty, while poverty creates the conditions for increased risk of disability. In the UK, the Disability Living Allowance has been cut; statutory, voluntary and private sector organisations are forced to tighten their belts; the NHS and public sector more generally are facing radical transformation; and reforms to Welfare and Higher Education will also affect disabled people disproportionately. Meanwhile, the media's reporting of disability issues has become increasingly hostile, more regularly conflating disabled people with 'benefit cheats' and 'scroungers'.

This workshop will bring together academics, disability activists, arts practitioners and representatives of public and voluntary sector organisations to discuss the urgent, multiple and complex effects of austerity, with a view to establishing connections and networks and determining fruitful directions for further academic research into disability and the austerity regime. Participants are invited, if they wish, to give a short talk (10 minute max) outlining their concerns, ideas, and/or research about any aspect of disability and austerity, and much of the day will be given to following up these ideas in open discussion.

Topics for discussion may include: disabled people's health and wellbeing; challenges to voluntary sector organizations; disability discourse, rhetoric, and representation; disability in Higher Education; the changing nature of discrimination in the 21st century; and the relationship between disability research and activism.

Organisers: Dr Qulsom Fazil (q.a.fazil@bham.ac.uk) and Dr Clare Barker (c.f.barker@leeds.ac.uk).

"How many people have died between being rejected for ESA and their appeal, and how many people have actually committed suicide?"

@Ed_Miliband At the September 4 Atos Parliamentary debate MP Julie Hilling (Bolton West) (Lab) asked:

"How many people have died between being rejected for ESA and their appeal, and how many people have actually committed suicide?"

Her questions went unanswered. Isn't it truly an embarrassment to the Labour Party that a Disability Studies specialist residing in Montreal, Canada is striving to obtain the information that she requested? Why aren't you doing a proper job?


See: http://www.twitlonger.com/show/j63qek

Samuel Miller
E-Mail: disabilityinliterature@gmail.com
Blog: Hephaestus: Disability Studies
http://illnessandcivilization.blogspot.com/
Blog: My Disability Studies Blackboard
http://mydisabilitystudiesblackboard.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Hephaestus7
(Montreal, Canada)

Enable Bulletin from the Conference: 14 September: Implementation of the Convention by the UN system and Closing Session

ENABLE DAILY BULLETIN FROM THE CONFERENCE

Fifth session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 12-14 September 2012, UN Headquarters, New York

14 September: Interactive Dialogue: Implementation of the Convention by the UN system and Closing Session

TODAY’S SUMMARY

Morning session (only): 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Ambassador Marten Grunditz (Sweden) chaired the panel composed of Ms. Cecilia Martínez de la Macorra, Director of UN-Habitat; Ms. Daniela Bas, Director of the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA); Akiko Ito, Chief of the Secretariat of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (DSPD/DESA); Mr. Craig Mokhiber, Chief of Development, and Economic and Social Issues Branch, Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR); and Mr. SelimJahan, Director of Poverty and Practice, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

Ms. Bas outlined some of DESA’s efforts to include disability in the global development agenda at various international fora, including the UN Conference on Sustainable Development in Rio de Janeiro.  She also referred to DESA’s role in linking the normative work of the UN with the operational activities at the country level through technical cooperation that strengthened national capacity to implement the CRPD. Finally, Ms. Bas highlighted the need for data and statistics on disability and development, especially for vulnerable groups such as women, indigenous persons and youth, as well as the importance of a disability-inclusive post-2015 agenda.

Ms. Ito spoke on the promotion of internationally comparable data and statistics for the monitoring and evaluation of disability-inclusive development. She noted that disability statistics are crucial for making persons with disabilities more visible, as they are essential for informing legislation, policies and programmes.  Ms Ito informed the meeting that, of the 119 countries for which data is now available, 82 countries (70 per cent) collected information on disability, compared with 54 per cent from the ten years earlier. The Report of the Secretary-General entitled “Strengthening disability data and statistics, analysis, monitoring and evaluation” provides more details and contains a recommendation to initiate a periodic United Nations global report on disability and development.

Mr. Craig Mokhiber of OHCHR spoke of his organization’s work to promote the ratification and implementation of the CRPD through its country offices, as well as the production of knowledge products, training tools and materials. Hen noted that OHCHR serves as the Secretariat for the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. OHCHR also works on training civil society organizations to monitor progress of the implementation of the CRPD. Mr. Mokhiber highlighted the establishment of the multi-donor, multi-partner trust fund UNPRPD), launched in 2011. Mr. Mokhiber presented several studies and reports produced by OHCHR including the High Commissioner’s thematic study on participation of persons with disabilities in political and public life and a report on violence against women and girls with disabilities. Mr. Mokhiber also discussed the UN’s work on improving standards for accessibility, acknowledging that despite progress, much work has yet to be done for the UN to become fully accessible.

Ms. Martinez (UN-HABITAT) highlighted the issue of disability in the context of cities and the importance of urban planning, noting the call of the CRPD for a supportive environment for persons with disabilities. She stressed the role of advocacy and participation to ensure accessible spaces in cities, also underlining that accessible cities are better cities for everyone. Ms. Martinez emphasized the use of public spaces and inclusive design, calling for collaboration and partnerships at the local, national and international levels. Ms. Martinez underscored the role of data and its use for policy, as well as opportunities for disabled and non-disabled children to learn from each other.

Mr. Selim Jahan (UNDP) highlighted the moral and development implications of focusing on the issues of persons with disabilities. He outlined UNDP’s work at the analytical, programmatic and country levels, facilitating dialogue, supporting the ratification of the Convention and exploring models for delivery of legal services.  UNDP is currently developing an internal guidance note on applying the CRPD in UNDP programming. Mr Jahan provided information about the UN Partnership to Promote the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD), which is a partnership between six UN entities (ILO, OHCHR, UNDP, UNICEF, DESA, WHO). The UNPRPD Fund is aimed at developing capacities of Governments, as well as organizations of persons with disabilities to effectively implement the CRPD.

Ambassador Grunditz then took questions and comments from the delegations of Mexico, Thailand, Sweden, South Africa, Nigeria, Qatar, Egypt, Kenya, the World Health Organization, Civil Society, and the Global Alliance of Accessible Technologies and Environments. Qatar, Egypt and Kenya asked the panel to further elaborate on specific aspects of their programmes and methods to translate policies into concrete actions; Thailand and South Africa expressed concerns over the accessibility of ICT, and numerous delegations requested additional coordination between the UN and State parties to increase the accessibility of UN facilities and all events. Panel members responded to delegates and provided additional resources for information, specifically for UNDP (www.mptf.undp.org) and DESA (www.un.org/disabilities).

There podium was reset for the second panel, consisting of Mr. Ibrahim Salama of OHCHR; Professor Ronald McCallum, Chair of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; Mr. Shuaib Chalklen, UN Special Rapporteur on Disability; Ms. Akiko Ito of SCRPD.

Mr. Chalklen highlighted his commitment to vulnerable groups, especially women and children with disabilities. He then read a statement submitted to him by Women Enabled that underlined the importance of having women with disabilities participate in all UN committees and meetings.  Mr. Chalklen called for a transparent high-level meeting in 2013 inclusive of of persons with disabilities.

Professor McCallum congratulated those elected to the Committee and highlighted the prominent role of persons with disabilities on the Committee, noting that 17 of its 18 members have a disability.  Professor McCallum clarified that the rights of disabled refugees are covered under the CRPD. He stated that he would appeal for additional meeting time for sessions of the Committee at the forthcoming meeting of the Third Committee of the General Assembly.

Mr. Salama highlighted the importance of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, stressing in particular the need to provide the Committee with adequate support, while taking note of the fact that the UN treaty body system has doubled in size since 2004.

During the Q&A session, questions and comments were received from Israel, the Philippines and Panama. Israel confirmed its ratification of the CRPD this week, while the Philippines highlighted the importance of funding towards disability initiatives and requested that they be a priority in national budgets. Panama requested additional time in future meetings to the general debate.

The general debate was resumed where delegates of Turkey, Morocco, Sierra Leone, Peru, Syria and Japan and the ICC took the floor, discussing, interalia, their efforts to implement the CRPD. Summaries were then provided by the Rapporteurs of the sessions of the Conference.

The Chair presented his concluding remarks stating that it was a true privilege for him to chair two sessions of the Conference of States Parties. He thanked the Bureau for their work and Secretariat for their support and facilitation of the Conference.

He called for the universal ratification of the Convention and its Optional Protocol stating that it the Convention was a comprehensive and state-of-the-art instrument. He sated that a common task for the international disability community was to promote a disability-inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond, noting that the Convention and Disabled Persons Organizations (DPOs) would occupy center stage, as it was the magic formula behind the successes scored so far by the global disability movement.

He then closed the fifth session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

LINKS

Conference: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=46&pid=1595

Side-events: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1601

PaperSmart: http://papersmart.un.org/crpd

Live webcast: http://webtv.un.org/

Live CART feed: http://www.streamtext.net/player?event=COSP

CONTACT INFORMATION

Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD), Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), 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: enable@un.org; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Nations-Enable/196545623691523; Twitter: http://twitter.com/UN_Enable. 

Male Perspective on Shoes (Posted with permission of Dan Gilbert)

The following was recently posted on the Disability Studies in the Humanities Listserv as a male perspective to Professor Rosemarie Garland-Thomson's request for stories from disabled women "about shoe selection, wear, or any good information about your shoes, especially designer shoes."

The dialogue about shoes has resonated with me and I want to demonstrate that this is a gender neutral issue.


I am a polio survivor and as a child I wore the same sort of braces as Dr. Saxton with the ugly high top shoes that were attached to the braces, you had only one pair of shoes selected by the orthotist.  When I was about eight, I was thrilled to get one Christmas a pair of what can only be described as Roy Roger spats, they fit over your shoes and were supposed to look like cowboy boots.  I wanted to wear rubber galoshes because they looked better than the corrective shoes.

Later, I considered it a real accomplishment when I was graduated as a teenager to the kind of braces that attached shoes with channels through their heels.  The shoes not only looked better, I could finally have more than one pair.  I persuaded a shoe repairman friend to attach the channels to a good looking pair of boots and even to some tennis shoes, and boy was I proud of those.

Moving on to the modern braces on which your shoes fit over the plastic was a real blessing so I could wear any type of shoe that was wide enough to fit.  Today, I feel like a male Imelda Marcos when I look in my closet at a good dozen pair of shoes and I am careful to pick a pair that matches my outfit.


Dan Gilbert

Enable Daily Bulletin from the Conference, 13 September: Discussions on children and women with disabilities

ENABLE DAILY BULLETIN FROM THE CONFERENCE

Fifth session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 12-14 September 2012, UN Headquarters, New York

13 September: Discussions on children and women with disabilities

TODAY’S SUMMARY

Morning session: 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Mr. Raymond O. Wolfe (Jamaica) announced the continuation of the General Debate. Representatives from India, Spain, and Cyprus spoke about how the CRPD will continue to be used to strengthen national policies, while representatives from Syria, Panama, and Korea highlighted their States’ commitments in protecting the rights of persons with disabilities against discrimination. The representative from the European Union described the planned establishment of a European framework for accessible goods and services.

Round Table 2: Children with Disabilities

Mr. Wolfe opened Round Table 2. The panelists were: Ms. Ms. Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities of South Africa; Mr. Nick Alipui, Director of UNICEF Programmes; Ms. Ximena Rivas, National Service for Disability of Chile; Ms. Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children and Ms. Jenny Nilsson, World Federation of the Deaf - Youth Section.

Ms. Bogopane-Zulu, spoke about the need to strengthen capacity and mechanisms on universal access and design measures and standards. She also called for improved enforcement mechanisms, including putting in place responsive appeal mechanisms for parents. She stated that it is essential to provide support for parents’ and youth organizations, empowering children and youth with disabilities to participate in decision-making. Although progress has been made over the past ten years, education still needed to be made more inclusive. The lack of early interventions, inaccessible transportation, and the shortage of access to justice stand as barriers to inclusiveness for children with disabilities.

Mr. Alipui, spoke about four main themes in his presentation: the importance of the CRDP and especially its effective implementation, the issues at stake, what needs to be done, and the partnership requirements necessary to strengthen programs for children with disabilities. Mr. Alipui noted that UNICEF is actively engaged in utilizing the CRPD to empower children and is using the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey to gather statistical data on the situation of children with disabilities and their families. The 2013 edition of UNICEF’s flagship publication The State of the World’s Children will be devoted to the theme Children and Youth with Disabilities.

Ms. Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children spoke about the pattern of violence against children with disabilities. Children with disabilities do not have the same access to justice as does the general population and violence against children with disabilities is frequently made invisible. The perpetrators of such violence act with impunity, and furthermore, due to stigma and prejudice, violence against children with disabilities is often portrayed as less serious than violence against other groups. Girls with disabilities are particularly vulnerable, suffering physical violence as children and sexual violence, later in life. Despite this bleak picture, there is some cause for optimism, thanks in part to the CRPD and its rapid ratification by many countries. She noted that in order to adequately address violence against children with disabilities the following must be done: make adequate investments in early childhood education, promote public awareness for professionals working with and for children with disabilities, make necessary legal and policy reform, ensure adequate participation of disabled youth and children in decision-making processes, expedite the ratification process of the Optional Protocol on a Communications Procedure of the Convention on the Rights of the Child 

Ms. Rivas noted that states have made progress in securing the rights of children with disabilities, but much more work needs to be done, especially in the field of early childhood learning.  Ms. Rivas also stressed the need for more concrete public policies focusing on children with disabilities.

Ms. Jenny Nilsson, World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section (WFDYS) in her presentation noted that only a small portion of the audience was under the age of thirty; this is problematic, as youth with disabilities should be stakeholders in the decision making process. This pattern extends to the NGO sector as well; the small number of such organizations shows the lack of support for the youth with disabilities to be involved in the disability movement.

Raviat Singh, a 14-year-old boy with a disability also addressed the round-table discussion, sharing his story of attending an inclusive school in India, where teachers had been there to help him “without being overprotective”.  He had made friends, as he was determined not to let his disability slow down his life, he recalled, stressing:  “Fears and inhibitions are in the mind.” He also highlighted the importance of the CRPD in protecting his rights.

Representatives from  Panama, Egypt, Argentina, Kenya, Senegal, Jamaica Guatemala, Sweden, Niger, Nigeria, Peru, Sudan and the Republic of  Korea all posed questions or delivered statements during the interactive exchange. Responding to the questions, Ms. Nilsson reaffirmed that deaf children who use sign language are bilingual and have a right to an education in their native language. Many of the speakers emphasized the importance of providing adequate support to parents of children with disabilities, as well as involving children in decision-making processes that affect their lives.  Mr. Richard Rieser, a representative from UK Disabled Peoples Council, emphasized that all of the articles of the Convention are relevant for children, and not only article 7.

Mr. Wolfe concluded the session by turning the floor over to the representative from Israel who exercised the right to reply to a statement made earlier by Syria.

Afternoon session: 3 to 6 p.m.

Round Table 2: Informal Session: Women with disabilities

Round Table 2, chaired by Adam Kosa (Hungary) and Maryanne Diamond (International Disability Association) had five panelists. They were Ms. Yassine Fall (UN Women), Ms. Rachael Kachaje (Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled), Ms. Myra Kovary (Network of Women with Disabilities), Ms. Erzsebet Foldesi (National Federation of Disabled Persons’ Association of Hungary), and Mr. Carlos Rios (Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities).

Mr. Kosa remarked that women with disabilities lack access to essential services that are critical to the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Mr. Kosa provided a number of examples of how women with disabilities face double discrimination.  The Convention sets out to promote gender equality and empowerment of women with disabilities. Mr. Kosa highlighted Hungary’s new law that protects the rights of all persons without discrimination.

Ms. Yassine Fall stated that it is a known matter that women and girls face discrimination on the basis of disability. This is exacerbated by conflict, age, ethnicity, economic status and multiple disabilities.  She highlighted several projects implemented by UN Women promoting the rights of women with disabilities.  Ms. Fall claimed that more needed to be done and women and girls needed to be a part of this conversation. She also called for increased cooperation between the different entities, suggesting that Commission on the Status of Women could invite members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to attend its sessions.

Ms. Rachel Kachaje explained that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities together provide a comprehensive approach to the rights of women with disabilities. In her presentation, Ms. Kachaje highlighted the text from three CEDAW articles: that state parties should take measures to empower full participation of women and access to education, labour and the political process; that violence that is gender-based is a form of discrimination; and that casual and traditional practices discriminate against women.  Ms. Kachaje placed a particular emphasis on women’s empowerment.

Ms. Erzsebet Foldesi noted that CEDAW is already three decades old and Convention on the Rights of Children (CRC) is two decades old, yet neither has led to significant advances in the promotion and protection of girls with disabilities. There are other human rights mechanisms that are also highly relevant for women with disabilities, such as the Universal Peer Review, the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and the Committee Against Torture. Citing examples from Hungary, Ms Foldesi stressed the need for women with disabilities and their organizations to engage these other instruments when advocating for their rights.

Mr. Carlos Rios highlighted how violence against women and children usually has multiple layers and is difficult to pinpoint or categorize. Mr. Rios highlighted the importance of article 19 of the CRPD on living independently and being included in the community and that many countries have not made significant progress in implementing this article, especially for women and girls. Finally, Mr. Rios urged states to put in place mechanisms that investigate and prosecute violence against women and provide adequate training for hospital and caretaking personnel in hospitals and institutions.  

Ms. Myra Kovary discussed violence against disabled women. Violence is in itself a major cause of disabilities, causing mobility disabilities, blindness, deafness and other forms of disabilities. Violence happens more often to women and it is more likely to happen to persons with disabilities than to persons without disabilities. She highlighted how some States engage in violence against women with disabilities in cases of forced institutionalization or forced psychiatric treatment. Although the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an extremely important instrument, she stressed the importance of the advocacy role of disabled women themselves in pushing for its implementation and that society needed to support them and their organizations. She further stressed the role of women with disabilities in shaping legislation, arguing that a country has most to learn from those who have suffered the most.

The chair opened the floor to questions.  Representatives from Brazil, Kenya, New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Jordan, Israel, Nigeria, Sudan, and civil society posed comments and questions pertaining to the empowerment of young women with disabilities, reproductive rights, proportional representation of women with disabilities in UN committees and programs, the mainstreaming of women-with-disability issues in other women’s programs, and including the perspective of gender in all programs.

Official statements will be available on PaperSmart and the archive of the webcast will be available on the Enable website, shortly. The complete unedited (CART) transcript of the day will also be posted.

TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE: Friday, 14 September (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

Interactive Dialogue: Implementation of the Convention by the UN system

Chair: Bureau (Sweden)

Speakers:

United Nations entities:

-        Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA)

-        Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)

-        UN Statistics Division

-        United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)

-        The United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN Habitat)

Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

UN Special Rapporteur on Disability of Commission for Social Development

Summary of panel discussions:

-        Roundtable One

-        Roundtable Two

-        Informal Session  

Other matters

Closing of the meeting

Side-events:

o       Make the First Five Count

o       Global leadership of women with disabilities

o       Implementing Article 30.5 – The Right to Sport for All Persons with Disabilities

o       Empowering students with disabilities (Article 24) and exhibition of authentic culture of persons with disabilities as tool of promotion CRPD (Article 8)

o       Mental Health Practices and the Rights of People with Psychosocial Disabilities

LINKS

Conference: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=46&pid=1595

Side-events: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1601

PaperSmart: http://papersmart.un.org/crpd

Live webcast: http://webtv.un.org/

Live CART feed: http://www.streamtext.net/player?event=COSP

CONTACT INFORMATION

Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD), Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), 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: enable@un.org; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Nations-Enable/196545623691523; Twitter: http://twitter.com/UN_Enable. 

Coalition of Resistance Meeting

Hi Folks,

MHRN is an affiliated organisation to the Coalition of Resistance. You may want to attend this meeting.

Denise

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Coalition of Resistance <coalitionofresistance@mail.com>
Date: 6 September 2012 12:29
Subject: National Council Meeting 22 September
To: Coalition of Resistance <coalitionofresistance@mail.com>

Dear National Council members and Affiliated Organisations

National Council Meeting

The next National Council of Coalition of Resistance comes just one month before the TUC national demonstraion.

This will be a chance to finalise preparations for the demonstraion and building the demo in the last few weeks. We will also be discussing the plans for the European Anti-Austerity conference on Sunday 21 October and other post-demo events.

A full agenda will be sent out soon. Please send any agenda item suggestions to coalitionofresistance@mail.com

Affiliated organisations are entitled to send a delegate.

Coalition of Resistance National Council
12pm - 4pm, Saturday 22 September
Discus Room, Unite the Union Offices
128 Theobald's Road, London WC1X 8TN

Please confirm your attendance by emailing coalitionofresistance@mail.com

Order Publicity for the TUC demonstraion

We have produced a range of publicity to help build for the demonstraion.

Click on the link below to order online or phone Sam on 07872481769.

http://www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk/2012/08/order-publicity-for-the-tuc-demonstration/


In solidarity,

Sam Fairbairn
Coordinator, Coalition of Resistance
07872 481769

See what we are up to at www.coalitionofresistance.org.uk
Please also visit the new Greece Solidarity Campaign website www.greecesolidarity.org

Cuts Cafe (Message From Mental Health Resistance Network)

HI Folks,

See message below from Andy at DPAC.

Denise

please see the message below for details of the 'cuts cafe' , in the run up to the TUC march on october 20th. 

please contact them directly if you would like to get involved. 

please circulate through your networks.

andy
DPAC

Cuts Cafe is Go!

The government tells us that cuts to public services and social security are needed to save an economy in crisis, but in reality the crisis is capitalism.
For the two weeks leading up to the Trade Union Congress demonstration on October 20th, Cuts Café will provide a radical space in Central London to build resistance to these devastating cuts, and to explore the real alternatives to austerity.
It will be open for all of us who are affected, whether we are people with disabilities, women, migrants, workers, pensioners, students, unemployed,... or anyone else not part of the privileged elite who are enriching themselves in this 'crisis'.
By sharing this reclaimed space, we hope people working in their community, local anti-cuts, student, or autonomous groups, as well as the trade unions, will be able to collectively and democratically build positive alternatives with which to challenge the 'politics as usual' forced upon us.
This will be an opportunity for connections to form outside of those groups that we may already be involved with, and to reinvigorate the anti-cuts movement at the grassroots level.
Cuts Café, being part of a movement for creating equality and real democracy, will be organized without discrimination and, as much as possible, without hierarchy. We welcome you to come and participate in the running of the space.
If you or your group would like to facilitate a workshop or skillshare, screen a film, hold a discussion, or use the space in any other way please get in touch! You can also contribute by helping to provide some of the more material resources needed for the day-today running of the space, or just by coming down to share a bit of your time.
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Enable Daily Bulletin from the Conference, 12 September: Opening session, elections, and Roundtable 1

ENABLE DAILY BULLETIN FROM THE CONFERENCE

Fifth session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, 12-14 September 2012, UN Headquarters, New York

12 September: Opening session, elections, and Roundtable 1

TODAY’S SUMMARY: Wednesday, 12 September

Morning session (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

Chairperson H.E. Ambassador Marten Grunditz (Sweden) opened the session, highlighting the fact that 119 countries are signatories to the Convention, with 16 additional signatories and 9 ratifications since the last Conference in 2011. He then introduced the other speakers:, H.E. Lenín Moreno Garcés, Vice-President of Ecuador, Mr Wu Hongbo, Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Mr Craig Mokhaiber Chief Mr. Craig Mokhiber, Chief, Development and Economic and Social Issues Branch, OHCHR and Mr Yannis Vardakastanis, Chair of the International Disability Alliance .

Mr Wu celebrated the accomplishments of persons with disabilities, their determination and resolve. He highlighted the role of technology on accessibility and praised the choice of theme for this session on women and children for this conference, stating that investment today in children with disabilities promotes progress for whole societies. The Mr. Wu also remarked on the inclusion of issues for persons with disabilities in other forums such as the Rio+20 Summit and stressed the importance of the Conference as a unique forum to share ideas and as an input into the post-2015 development agenda.

Vice-President of Ecuador, Mr. Lenin Moreno spoke about his personal commitment to persons with disabilities as a result of his own physical challenges.  He highlighted initiatives for housing and employment in even the most remote areas of the countries.  Mr. Moreno spoke of collaboration between the Government, civil society, foundations, NGOs and the private sector, where there is a mandate that 4% of staff must include persons with disabilities.  Mr. Moreno stated that Ecuador was working hard to import or manufacture assistive devices to help those with disabilities actively participate in life and provide assistance to caretakers.  Finally, Mr. Moreno emphasized that solidarity is not charity and that in a world of diversity, all persons regardless of their physical condition, should be celebrated and acknowledged.

Mr. Mokhaiber noted that persons with disabilities are too often “invisible” and that the Convention was established to address this. The Convention encourages a paradigm shift from a medical and charitable view of disability to one that espouses dignity and equality, celebrating human diversity.  He also recognized the new signatory and ratifying countries to the Convention and stressed the need to focus on implementation. Remarking on the theme of women and children with disabilities, Mr. Mokhaiber highlighted a major literacy and education gap, especially experienced by girls with disabilities. He also raised the issue of older persons with disabilities that is frequently overlooked.

Mr. Vardakastanis described the work of his organization and discussed the theme of the Conference. He identified five crucial themes, namely: Incorporate CRPD principles into UN conferences and meetings as well as its human resources policies, saying the UN should lead by example; Involve persons with disabilities at all stages of a project or legislation, from design to implementation; Provide more time to meet and more logistical support for the CRPD committee; Promote the CRPD so that it does not disappear from the collective consciousness and finally, that the forthcoming High-level meeting on disability be guided and driven by the CRPD.

The Conference adopted the provisional agenda submitted by the Secretary-General (CRPD/CSP/2012/1) and accepted the ten applications for NGO accreditation. During this session, the following candidates were elected as members of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to replace those members who terms will expire on 31 December 2012: Ms. María Soledad Cisternas Reyes (Chile), Ms. Ana Pelaez Narvaez (Spain), Ms. Diane Mulligan (United Kingdom), Ms. Safak Pavey (Turkey), Mr. Monthian Buntan (Thailand), Mr. László Gábor Lovászy (Hungary), Ms. Silvia Judith Quan Chang (Guatemala). A second round was conducted during the afternoon session, to elect the final two members.

While awaiting the results of the elections, the Chairperson opened the general debate where representatives of Burkina Faso, Mauritius, South Africa, Thailand, Egypt, Nicaragua, Indonesia, Austria, Jamaica, El Salvador and Jordan all highlighted the efforts made by their Governments to implement the Convention and providing specific examples of how the Convention has impacted their national policies and programmes. They all emphasized the importance of the theme, stressing the double, if not multiple, discrimination experienced by women with disabilities.

The results of the second round of Committee elections were announced by the Chair, as follows:  Mr. Martin Mwesigwa Babu (Uganda) and Mr. Mohammed Al-Tarawneh (Jordan) were elected as the final 2 members of the CRPD committee with terms beginning in January of 2013. 

Afternoon session (3 to 6 p.m.)

The general debate continued with delegates from Costa Rica, Germany, Columbia, the United Kingdom, Chile, and Canada all highlighting the efforts made by their governments to implement the Convention and providing specific examples of how the Convention has affected their policies and programmes.

Round Table 1: Accessibility and Technology

The discussion was chaired by Sirithon Wairatpanij (Thailand). Speakers included: Mr. Hiroshi Kawamura (DAISY International), Ms. Frances West (IBM), Ms. InmaculadaPlacencia-Porrero (European Commission) and Mr. Sean Cruse (United Nations Global Compact).

Mr. Kawamura, made two presentations that illustrated DAISY (Digital Accessible Information Systems) technologies (e.g. enlarging font size, adjusting reading speed, highlighting the text as the screen reader reads, easy to understand text). DAISY was described as useful in the context of education; synchronized multimedia components as useful in assisting all types of learners. DAISY can also be used for disaster risk reduction for people who cannot read printed materials or when materials are written in a foreign language.

Ms. West spoke about the topic of accessibility and technology from a market perspective, where ageing societies as well as persons with disabilities can be seen as emerging markets. Creating accessible solutions is thus not only good for persons with disabilities, but is good for business as well, as the market for accessible goods is expanded. Ms West said that at IBM there is a need for assistive technologies for both its customer base and its workforce. Accessible workforce collaboration applications have been created by IBM that can be used by people with all types of disabilities.

Ms. Placencia-Porrero began by describing the relationship between the European Union (EU) and the CRPD (the EU and its member states share responsibilities for implementation of the CRPD). Currently, 18 legal acts illustrate EU competencies regarding accessibility/rights of persons with disabilities. A number of recent developments were highlighted by Ms. Placencia-Porrero, including the “EC Work Programme 2012” that is aimed at improving the accessibility of goods and services within the EU. However a lack of data is a long-standing obstacle to understanding what is needed to improve accessibility.

Mr. Cruse provided an overview of the Global Compact, a strategic policy initiative within the UN that has elaborated ten principles (human rights principles, labour standards principles, etc.) that businesses commit to. The Global Compact conducted a recent study that examined the work that its business partners had done relating to persons with disabilities. Mr Cruse stated that businesses could benefit greatly from hiring and retaining persons with disabilities, and that this should be promoted. He further stated that companies should also be encouraged to engage in private-public practices and the Global Compact website (unglobalcompact.org) serves as a resource for companies to engage in such activities. Mr Cruse also emphasized the role that Governments play in creating an enabling environment that facilitates such positive actions by businesses.

Representatives from Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, El Salvador, Egypt, and Tanzania all spoke about the lack of financial resources as barriers preventing Governments from implementation of accessible technologies for persons with disabilities between states. Representatives from Canada, Sweden, Germany, Mexico, and New Zealand all highlighted their implementation of accessible technologies that have benefited the lives of persons with disabilities. The representative from Thailand stated that accessibility should be a theme in all UN programmes, not just the CRPD.

In response to comments and questions, Mr. Hiroshi Kawamura emphasized that many types of DAISY software are available free of charge and are open source. The company keeps an open standard with regard to dissemination of its software. The current version of DAISY is compatible with e-pub format and has the capacity to synchronize motion picture to text (in response to question of accessibility). Ms. Placencia-Porrero emphasized that there are a many assistive resources available at little or no cost. She stressed the importance of setting clear accessibility rules, establishing monitoring and enforcement mechanisms for accessibility standards. Ms. West noted that the costs of information and communication technology has dropped dramatically in recent years and with a growing number of companies now willing to build accessible technologies into mainstream products, costs will continue to drop.

Official statements will be available on PaperSmart and the archive of the webcast will be available on the Enable website, shortly. The complete unedited (CART) transcript of the day will also be posted.

TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE: Wednesday, 12 September

Round Table 2.  Children with Disabilities (10 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

Chair:  Bureau( Jamaica)

Panelists:

-        Ms. Hendrietta- Bogopane-Zulu, Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities of South Africa

-        Mr. Nick Alipui, UNICEF

-        Ms. Marta Santos Pais, Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children

-        Mr. Jenny Nilsson, World Federation of the Deaf Youth Section

-        Ms. Ximena Rivas, National Service for Disability of Chile

Informal Session: Women with Disabilities (3 to 6 p.m.)

Co-chairs: (Hungary and IDA)

Speakers:

-        Ms. Yassine Fall, UN Women

-        Ms. Rachel Kachaje, Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD)

-        Ms. Myra Kovary, Network of Women with Disabilities

-        Ms. Erzsebet Foldesi, National Federation of Disabled Persons' Association of Hungary

-        Mr. Carlos Rios, Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Side-events:

o       Access to Justice in the Criminal System for Persons with Disabilities: Implementation and Challenges

o       Involuntary sterilization: developing a WHO statement

o       Making it Work methodology

o       The Accessible City Regulations and Universal Standards Accreditation System

o       World Report on Perceptions of Disability Workshop

o       How can the ICT Industry Contribute to Implementing Article 9 of the CRPD?

o       Access to Justice for Persons with Disabilities: Exploring Challenges and Good Practices

o       The right to earn a living: young women with disabilities call for action

o       The multifaceted violence against women with disabilities

o       Political participation, rights and access of persons with disabilities

o       Urgency and hope, Report from Global Leaders in Autism: Research, Education, Treatment and Policy

o       Women with disabilities and employment

o       European Union: The experience of a Regional organization in the UNCRPD

o       Make the Right Real in Korea

o       Engaging Social Media – Leveraging the Power of Disability

o       HIV, Disability and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Challenges and Opportunities

o       Early childhood development and disability

o       Shadow Reporting:  Process, Prospects & Problems

o       Harnessing The Power Of Partnerships with Children and Adolescents with Disabilities: Insights Into Successful Transitions to Adulthood

LINKS

Conference: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?navid=46&pid=1595

Side-events: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1601

PaperSmart: http://papersmart.un.org/crpd

Live webcast: http://webtv.un.org/

Live CART feed: http://www.streamtext.net/player?event=COSP

CONTACT INFORMATION

Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (SCRPD), Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), 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: enable@un.org; Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/United-Nations-Enable/196545623691523; Twitter: http://twitter.com/UN_Enable.