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<DIV><SPAN id=iwith-MainTitle><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN
class=781435714-02122008>ATHEN Members,</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN class=781435714-02122008>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.</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2>
<P class=MsoNormal align=left>Kevin Price MSW, ATP</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Assistive Technology Specialist</P>
<P class=MsoNormal>Chair of the UIC Web Accessibility Committee</P>
<P class=MsoNormal><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Disability</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Resource</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> (MC 321)</P>
<P class=MsoNormal><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">University</st1:PlaceType> of
<st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Illinois</st1:PlaceName> at <st1:City
w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Chicago</st1:place></st1:City></P></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN>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</SPAN></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=""><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=bigTitle><SPAN id=iwith-Subtitle1>Summary</SPAN></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=txt>
<DIV class=txt id=iwith-MainCopy1><!-- begin:div:iwith-MainCopy1 -->
<P><STRONG>Date:</STRONG> 3 December 2008 (International Day of Persons
with Disabilities)<BR><STRONG>Location:</STRONG> United Nations
Headquarters, New York<BR>The seminar will be aired <STRONG>live via
webcast</STRONG> on <A title=http://www.un.org/webcast
href="http://www.un.org/webcast">http://www.un.org/webcast</A>.<BR><BR><STRONG>Background:<BR></STRONG>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. <BR>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.</P><!-- end:div:iwith-MainCopy1 --></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=""><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT><BR></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=bigTitle><SPAN id=iwith-Subtitle2>Objectives</SPAN></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=txt>
<DIV id=iwith-MainCopy2><!-- begin:div:iwith-MainCopy2 -->
<P><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff
size=2></FONT><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT><BR>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:</P>
<UL>
<LI>providing an overview over the provisions and the status of the
Convention;
<LI>introducing participants into the Digital Accessibility Agenda of
the Convention;
<LI>reviewing the practical implications for signatory states with
regard to provisions pertaining to digital accessibility;
<LI>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
<LI>presenting tools and resources available to policy makers and civil
society to monitor and implement the Digital Accessibility Agenda of the
Convention.</LI></UL><!-- end:div:iwith-MainCopy2 --></DIV></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=""><FONT color=#0000ff size=2></FONT></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=bigTitle><SPAN id=iwith-Subtitle3>Additional
Information</SPAN></TD></TR>
<TR>
<TD class=txt>
<DIV id=iwith-MainCopy3><!-- begin:div:iwith-MainCopy3 -->
<P><STRONG><BR>Organization:</STRONG><BR>The seminar will be conducted in
English. Sign-language interpretation (US) will be available. Further, the
seminar will be aired via <A title=http://www.un.org/webcast
href="http://www.un.org/webcast">webcast</A>.
<BR><BR><STRONG>Participants:</STRONG><BR>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. <BR><BR><STRONG>Date and Venue:<BR></STRONG>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. <BR><BR><STRONG>Contact:</STRONG> <A
title=mailto:koschel@un.org?subject=Digital%20Accessibility%20Seminar%2C%203%20Dec%2008
href="mailto:koschel@un.org?subject=Digital%20Accessibility%20Seminar%2C%203%20Dec%2008">David
Koschel</A><BR></P></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></P>
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