On the 11-12th November 2003 over one hundred delegates from twenty countries around the world with grassroots experience of struggling for disabled people’s rights gathered together in London for an international conference entitled Left off the Agenda? Mainstreaming Disability in Development.
Organised by International Service, Disability Awareness in Action and Action on Disability and Development, the conference aimed to highlight the importance of including disabled people in all development initiatives.
To view the final statement from the conference click here
To view the conference report click here
For full transcripts of the speeches and report from the workshops, click here
To view video clips and pictures of the conference, see graphical site
For further conference materials click here
To contact the conference organisers, click here
BACKGROUND
80% of the world’s disabled people live in the South and constitute the
poorest sections of society in almost every developing country. Their needs
and aspirations as citizens are often overlooked by national governments and
their organisations fight hard to be heard and taken into account.
Development agencies, both governmental, multi-lateral and NGO, talk a lot
about targeting the poor and promoting anti-poverty strategies. They also
use the language of equal opportunities and rights-based development. Yet
very few of them give any priority or even attention to the rights of
disabled people and their organisations. Sometimes disability is lumped in
along with “health” programmes, more often, it is not even considered as an
important “theme” in strategic plans and funding priorities.
This conference has been organised by International Service, Disability Action and Awareness and Action on Disability and Development, with support from the EU’s European Year of Disabled People, to challenge development agencies to put this right. Why shouldn’t all development programmes and initiatives be required to involve disabled people or be subjected to a critical analysis to ensure that they do not increase the marginalisation of disabled people?
Day One -
NETWORKING WORKSHOPS
Tuesday 11th November 2003
Hammersmith and Fulham Action on Disability, London
A day of workshops for disabled activists from North and
South to explore ways in which they can learn lessons from each other, take
part in joint campaigning and how they can act as advisers to development
organisations with good intentions but little practical experience. This
will take place on the 11th November. These will be less structured and
formal than the Conference itself and will allow small group work with
facilitators to guide the discussion and capture the main points being made.
Day Two - THE CONFERENCE
Wednesday 12th November 2003
The Tara Hotel, Kensington, London
The Conference will look at examples of good practice, at the shift to the
human rights agenda for disability, how to work inclusively and how
grass-roots organisations can work for change.
Invited speakers include Judy Heumann of the World Bank, Alex Phiri of
Southern African Federation of Disabled People, Sebenzile Matsebula of the South African
Government, Rachel Hurst of Disabled People’s International and Mark
Goldring of VSO.
FACILITIES
The venues are fully accessible and sign language interpretation will be
available throughout the meetings. Materials will be produced in Braille and
special diets can be catered for.
Registration forms are now available - please click here
To book over the phone please call 01904 647799