Can we get back to ICT and Rights and Disabilities and Health (?) Re: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [WSIS-CT] almost final version 4.3 ...

Mon Dec 19 13:09:07 GMT 2005

Warm Greetings to all who participated in the Global Disability Forum (2- in Tunis) and to everyone here most appreciatively:

Omnibus Responsive Review: 
With particularity to the present discussion, may I submit that you are very modest, Richard, in that your own statements were overarchingly significant: as I heard and viewed them, calling for attention to / action on / expansion of resources for NGO's, in breadth.  And you have been promised a response after research; the General Assembly President Honorable Mr. Eliason I believe has heard you loud and clear and showed real interest (your question not unallied with inquiry by email to the Session which time constraints ruled out as candidate input). But indeed Shamina de Gonzaga was a marvelous Moderator along with the esteemed Ambassadors, and has said for the record that the email inquiries will be reached at a future time.

Present Focus:  In present context, It can also be noted as to your statement on no explicit statement regarding disabilities, (at the General Assembly / NGO Informal Hearings last week, U.N. Headquarters) that those physically present and  propounding health (or is it health related provision topics) were not estopped from mentioning disabilities had they cared to do so, and with advance notice that their colleagues who do speak to disabilities would not be physically present. I was rather surprised those who spoke to mental health services were not more encompassing. That capacious and endearing but familiar and easily scanned conference room is not so large as for all of us colleagues not to notice who could physically be in attendance these winter times and who could not.  Especially with advance notice whether particular spokespersons could make it there, that particular day.  However, January 12 commences the Seventh Ad Hoc Convenings of the Convention Toward a Disability Treaty, rights based. And ICT will not be and has not been left in the wings at these meetings. Kicki, Sylvia, I and many others (you attend too and thank you) in the very same setting have always spoken to and will continue to speak to all of the related issues.  And the Conference Bureau as you know from your participation and support is very keen on ICT being a prime topic, and Disabilities being a prime topic to ICT.  

And, indeed, as Hiroshi pointed out I believe referring to the very lovely but Summit-distanced Hammamet setting not close to the Kram Center venue in Tunis (paraphrase and elaboration here of course ) persons with disabilities might have yes it is an unfortunate truism have a more difficult time attending in person.  The Webcast being prior announced, this made it possible to e-"attend" and submit questions indeed in advance.  It was a very interesting session and well moderated, but the likely stream of emailed questions in reliance on equal airing apparently could not be reached.  Whether particularly stating disability issues, Human Rights related issues and resources for NGOs were announced to be acceptable submitted by email.   In fact, I know some were.  Just to round out the discussion.  

In a way ,this is interesting in itself as to access issues and always being sure inclusion is afforded especially for persons with limiting circumstances.  While my own question might not have been selected, I did look forward to the incorporation of emailed question on an equal basis.  Not that I did not enjoy your and others presentations.  However, in reliance sometimes, one takes action and simply hopes things work out.

I believe the issues of Information and Communication Technology frontal to the WSIS / SMSI Summits should be addressed again in these fora or forums.  Somehow there has been a swerve to advocacy for constituencies.  

What would seem more just would be a focus here on ICT in all aspects and then it might be clear to everyone that Disabilities  issues are not just sub-parts of WSIS or the world at large.  Everyone educated in access issues should in my view realize that being out of network due to disabilities is one of the most important issues we can take up.  To some degree we all are out of networks for one reason or another.  But due respect for those with sensory disabilities posting and the unparalleled education they give through outstanding efforts of heart and mind  would highlight not suborn the issues of meaningful access to (may I post as an individual) what might be characterized as "provider/consumer" models driven by those who bill for services.

P.S. You are also too modest to mention that at the Hearings you were called on as "Richard Jordan." No particular affiliation was needed.  You do so much. Can you now please with all your other responsibilities share our concern that equitable and realistic access issues permeate all sorts of venues, as here illustrated, and in addition to the physical resources you seek for NGOS there is a demonstrably frontal need for e-interconnections.  As clear from the 'get go' at the WSIS / SMSI summit (see posts of Hiroshi). 

 I wonder if we can have ITU quite interested, betcha we can, in facilitations connecting-in hose with disabilities better at the U.N. and related physical locations; this is just a start of what must be done, and we must now petition for these rights under due process and with full steam.

In collegial regard,
LDMF.
Linda D. Misek-Falkoff, Ph.D., J.D..
*Respectful Interfaces*.
Online communications systems ARPANet forward.

For Identification here: 
President  The National Disability Party (Now Intl. Disability Party).
Member and Steering Committee Member, The International
Disability Caucus for the Disability Convention (toward U.N. Treaty).
CCC/UN Secretary and Member of the Board.
Founder: Persons With Pain International (PWPI) accredited to the U.N.
Presenter "the RESPECT Matrix" at the Global Disability Forum-II, Hiroshi Karawura, Convener, WSIS-2-Tunis November 2005. Member Planning Committee, Fall all DPI/NGO U.N. Conference.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "richard jordan" <richardjordan at lycos.com>
To: <plenary at wsis-cs.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2005 6:47 PM
Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [WSIS-CT] almost final version 4.3 of WSIS CS statement

[Please note that by using 'REPLY', your response goes to the entire list. Kindly use individual addresses for responses intended for specific people]

Click http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/ to access automatic translation of this message!
_______________________________________

I can attest to the fact that three persons, I believe, spoke on mental health issues: Judy Kuriansky, Elizabeth, and another gentleman who actually offered the services of his NGO to the UN system on matters of -- was it applied psychology??

President Eliasson spoke in answer, I believe, to EITHER Judy's or Elizabeth's remarks, not sure if he did speak to both, and to the gentleman who presented the third opinion.

No one presented any remarks on behalf of disabled persons at the briefing with the GA President.

Richard Jordan

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://mailman-new.greennet.org.uk/pipermail/plenary/attachments/20051219/a0d3283a/attachment.htm