The report of the ICT Consultation in support of the Meeting on Disability and Development of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September this year, titled ICT Opportunity for a Disability-Inclusive Development Framework”, “The identified the barriers that people with disabilities experience in accessing and using ICTs such as web services, mobile devices, television and computers. These barriers include the cost of making accessible ICTs and poor implementation of policies to promote the creation of accessible ICTs. Accessible technologies can enable and accelerate the social inclusion of PwDs in education, employment, civic engagement, healthcare, culture, protection and entertainment. Ensuring accessibility and expanding access to assistive technologies should therefore become a key element of national, regional policies to remove the remaining barriers faced by PwDs. This will be fundamental for the post-2015 development agenda and for increasing innovation, strengthening environmental protection and driving social and economic development. In line with the above and in partnership with the Singapore and Moroccan Permanent Missions to the United Nations, the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is organizing a panel discussion on Technologies for Persons with Disabilities” on 2 December 2014 at “Accessible United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event will promote the theme of the 2014 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on Development: The Promise of Technology” and will feature “Sustainable successful policies and innovative best practices on accessible technologies for PwDs. Objectives of the Panel Discussion The key objective of the panel discussion is to identify, exchange, and examine good practices and lessons learned in the planning and implementation of policies and strategies to promote accessible technologies for sustainable development in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all. In particular, the panel aims to: Foster the development and promotion of accessible technologies in order to create fair and equal opportunities for PwDs and support a disability-inclusive development agenda that will contribute to the emerging post-2015 global development agenda;
The report of the ICT Consultation in support of the Meeting on Disability and Development of the 68th session of the United Nations General Assembly in September this year, titled “The ICT Opportunity for a Disability-Inclusive Development Framework”, identified the barriers that people with disabilities experience in accessing and using ICTs such as web services, mobile devices, television and computers. These barriers include the cost of making accessible ICTs and poor implementation of policies to promote the creation of accessible ICTs. Accessible technologies can enable and accelerate the social inclusion of PwDs in education, employment, civic engagement, healthcare, culture, protection and entertainment. Ensuring accessibility and expanding access to assistive technologies should therefore become a key element of national, regional policies to remove the remaining barriers faced by PwDs. This will be fundamental for the post-2015 development agenda and for increasing innovation, strengthening environmental protection and driving social and economic development. In line with the above and in partnership with the Singapore and Moroccan Permanent Missions to the United Nations, the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD) of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) is organizing a panel discussion on “Accessible Technologies for Persons with Disabilities” on 2 December 2014 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event will promote the theme of the 2014 International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) on “Sustainable Development: The Promise of Technology” and will feature successful policies and innovative best practices on accessible technologies for PwDs. Objectives of the Panel Discussion The key objective of the panel discussion is to identify, exchange, and examine good practices and lessons learned in the planning and implementation of policies and strategies to promote accessible technologies for sustainable development in achieving poverty eradication, social integration and full employment and decent work for all. In particular, the panel aims to: Foster the development and promotion of accessible technologies in order to create fair and equal opportunities for PwDs and support a disability-inclusive development agenda that will contribute to the emerging post-2015 global development agenda;
Background_Note_Accessible_Technologies_IDPD2014.docx