[Athen] Webcast: Implementing the Digital Accessibility Agenda of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 12/3/08,

[Kevin Price]

ATHEN Members,
My supervisor forward me this notice about this UN live webcast (12/3/08 at
9:30 ET) and I thought I would forward this on. Barack Obama has indicated
that he will sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities.
 
Kevin Price MSW, ATP

Assistive Technology Specialist

Chair of the UIC Web Accessibility Committee

Disability Resource Center (MC 321)

University of Illinois at Chicago

 
UNITAR/G3ict Seminar on Implementing the Digital Accessibility Agenda of the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Challenges and
Opportunities for Signatory States
	
Summary	


Date: 3 December 2008 (International Day of Persons with Disabilities)
Location: United Nations Headquarters, New York
The seminar will be aired live via webcast on http://www.un.org/webcast.

Background:
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is one of the
fastest ever negotiated human rights treaties. Since its adoption by the
United Nations General Assembly in December 2006, it was signed by 136
countries, and ratified by 41 as of October 2008. The Convention at large -
and more specifically its Article 9 - creates the first universal framework
addressing the accessibility of Information and Communication Technologies -
ICTs - and assistive technologies, making it one of the most innovative and
far reaching dispositions of the Convention. 
As a result, all mandates of the Convention regarding accessibility cover
ICT applications. These dispositions benefit an estimated 650 million
persons living with disabilities worldwide, most of them in developing
countries. The Convention puts accessible and assistive ICT solutions even
more into the focus in the coming years for industry, users, and policy
makers, as it represents both a major human rights milestone and a
considerable market driving force for assistive and accessible ICTs.


	
Objectives	



On the occasion of the International Day of Person with Disabilities, the
seminar aims to contribute to the rapid and effective implementation of the
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in general and its
digital accessibility agenda by:

*	providing an overview over the provisions and the status of the
Convention; 

*	introducing participants into the Digital Accessibility Agenda of
the Convention; 

*	reviewing the practical implications for signatory states with
regard to provisions pertaining to digital accessibility; 

*	sharing knowledge among key stakeholders on how ICT accessibility
mandates can be best met, and the role that ICT vendors, users and policy
makers can play in support its implementation; and 

*	presenting tools and resources available to policy makers and civil
society to monitor and implement the Digital Accessibility Agenda of the
Convention.

	
Additional Information	



Organization:
The seminar will be conducted in English. Sign-language interpretation (US)
will be available. Further, the seminar will be aired via webcast
<http://www.un.org/webcast> . 

Participants:
The seminar is open to all delegates of Permanent Missions of Member States
to the United Nations, civil society, UN agencies and departments, and all
guests that wish to observe the International Day for Persons with
Disabilities at UN Headquarters. 

Date and Venue:
The seminar will be held at United Nations Headquarters, New York, in
Conference Room 4, on 3 December 2008 from 9.30 a.m. to 1.30 p.m. 

Contact: David
<mailto:koschel at un.org?subject=Digital%20Accessibility%20Seminar%2C%203%20De
c%2008> Koschel


 

 

 
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