Championing the role of technology at UN summit
With big names from across the world joining forces at a United Nations summit to address the most pressing global issues affecting people with disabilities, leading charity Leonard Cheshire is taking the opportunity to ensure no one is left behind as part of the global goals’ agenda.
People with disabilities deserve greater equality and the opportunity to live as independently as they wish.
Tiziana Oliva, Leonard Cheshire’s Executive Director of International
The UN’s 12th Conference of State Parties (COSP) commenced this week and runs from 11 to 13 June. It is attended by diplomats, representatives from human rights and civil society organisations, as well as disabled people’s organisations and charities. Throughout the week, Leonard Cheshire has been taking part in a series of the conference events to promote equal access to opportunities for people with disabilities.
Tiziana Oliva, Leonard Cheshire’s Executive Director of International, who is attending COSP on behalf of the charity said:
‘While some progress has been made in relation to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), there is still more work to be done. People with disabilities deserve greater equality and the opportunity to live as independently as they wish.
‘This depends on governments across the globe really committing to the implementation of the CRPD to make their societies more inclusive.’
The role of technology in the inclusion of people with disabilities is one of the overarching themes Leonard Cheshire has been focusing on at the conference. It is also the foundation for the innovation to inclusion (i2i) side-event that the charity is hosting today. i2i is a pioneering programme funded by the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID).
Recent Leonard Cheshire research found that in the UK alone 73% of workers with a disability stopped working due to their disability or health condition. Goal eight of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals calls for more progress in increasing employment opportunities for everyone, globally, especially marginalised groups. The i2i event will bring together attendees and speakers from i2i’s consortium to talk about the ways in which technology can be leveraged to give people with disabilities access to jobs, as well as support once in the workplace.
Speakers at this event include DFID, International Labour Organisation, World Bank Action Network for the Disabled, Global Disability Innovation Hub and European Disability Forum.
In addition to hosting its own event, Leonard Cheshire has been co-hosting and participating in a number of side-events around key issues including the importance of gathering disability data, inclusive education, the role of technology in representation and the importance of youth advocacy. Youth involved in the charity’s 2030 and Counting project have also attended the conference to speak at a number of side-events.
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Notes to editors
Leonard Cheshire will be leading a consortium of speakers which unites partners from the Global South and Global North to discuss findings from a pioneering DFID funded program, i2i (Innovation to Inclusion).
Leonard Cheshire would like to thank its i2i event sponsors World Bank; International Labour Organisation; Global Disability Innovation Hub; European Disability Forum; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Action Network for the Disabled Kenya; Bangladesh Business and Disability Network; CBM and Plan International.