[WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [Pwd] Disability Caucus Intervention for 23rd

[Monthian Buntan]

Dear Hiroshi:

Thank you very much for preparing such intervention.  I hope governments, 
including the Thai government, will consider such proposal.  Up till now, I 
think we can be flexible for where and how "universal design and assistive 
technologies" may be included in the political chapeau as long as such 
concept is not dropped out.

Best,

Thian (just back from the ICEVI East Asia conference in Jomtien)


At 05:56 PM 2/23/2005, Hiroshi Kawamura wrote:
>Please find CS Disability Caucus intervention in writing that replaces 
>previously distributed text of
>my potential intervention for 3 minutes at the plenary today. Actually, 
>the speaking slot for today
>was cancelled but my written intervention is permitted to be circulated to 
>government delegates.
>
>Best
>
>Hiroshi Kawamura
>CS Disability Caucus Focal Point
>
>-----------------------------------------------------------
>
>Intervention from Civil Society Disability Caucus on Political Chapeau 
>paragraph 5
>
>Hiroshi Kawamura
>CS Disability Focal Point
>The DAISY Consortium
>Contact address:
>National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities Research 
>Institute
>4-1 Namiki, Tokorozawa-shi 359-8555
>Japan
>hkawa at attglobal.net
>
>
>On behalf of the Disability Caucus of Civil Society, I would like to 
>suggest as follows.
>
>In the Political Chapeau paragraph 5, I am afraid that one of the most 
>important key principles to
>bridge the digital divide is missing. Geneva Declaration of Principles 
>paragraph 25 identifies
>$B!H(Buniversal design and the use of assistive technologies$B!I(B as one 
>of the key principles. This is the
>design goal of ICT development to guarantee the digital opportunity for 
>all of us including persons
>with physical, cognitive/intellectual or mental disabilities.
>
>Everybody has special needs to be met by assistive technologies and 
>universally designed ICT as part
>of whole life. It is always very important to develop use scenarios or use 
>cases to develop
>Information and Communication Technologies.
>
>For example, Tsunami alerting system must deliver information to those who 
>cannot hear, see and have
>difficulty to understand in the language used. People need to be well 
>informed and trained to evacuate
>safely with neighbors who may not able to evacuate by themselves with 
>various reasons. Signs and
>symbols in accessible format must clearly indicate where to go and what to 
>do in the event of
>disasters.
>Based on realistic use scenarios, we will be able to develop ICT 
>applications that will  support safe
>evacuation of all people in the region.
>
>We learned a lot from those victims of disasters, who lost their lives or 
>injured physically and
>mentally, to identify the requirements to develop universally designed 
>early warning system that is
>accessible and easy to understand for everybody. Persons with disabilities 
>are best collaborators to
>identify use scenarios from different point of views to develop not only 
>assistive technologies but
>also inclusive ICT design for all.
>
>Therefore, in order to stipulate such principle design goal for ICT 
>development for everybody and
>guarantee participation of persons with disabilities as equal partners in 
>ICT development process, I
>propose to insert
>$B!H(Bpromote universal design and assistive technologies$B!I(B in the 
>paragraph 5 of political chapeau.
>The Civil Society Disability Caucus will be very pleased to collaborate to 
>implement this design
>principle throughout the implementation process of action plan to be 
>adopted in Tunis as one of stake
>holders.
>
>
>[Annex: proposed revised text of Political Chapeau paragraph 5]
>
>5.      We reaffirm our resolution in the quest to ensure that everyone 
>can benefit from the opportunities
>that ICTs can offer, by recalling that governments, as well as private 
>sector, civil society and the
>United Nations and other international organizations, should work together 
>to: improve access to
>information and communication infrastructure and technologies as well as 
>to information and knowledge;
>build capacity; increase confidence and security in the use of ICTs; 
>create an enabling environment at
>all levels; develop and widen ICT applications; foster and respect 
>cultural diversity; recognize the
>role of the media; address the ethical dimensions of the Information 
>Society; promote universal design
>and assistive technologies; and encourage international and regional 
>cooperation. We confirm that
>these are the key principles for building an inclusive Information 
>society, the elaboration of which
>is found in the Geneva Declaration of Principles.