News Highlights

United Nations Expert Group Meeting on Accessibility Innovative approaches for inclusive and accessible development

Washington DC, United States, June 28 - 30, 2010

The GPDD attended and contributed to the implementation of the "Expert meeting on environmental and ICT accessibility: innovative approaches to inclusive development" at World Bank Headquarters, Washington, DC (USA) from 28-30 June 2010. The meeting was organized by the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in cooperation with the World Bank.

"Reconstruction for All" during the International Donors' Conference towards a New Future for Haiti

New York, United States, March 31, 2010

The GPDD co-sponsored a panel discussion on "Haiti: Reconstruction for All" during the International Donors' Conference for Haiti on March 31 along with the Permanent Mission of Canada to the United Nations, UN DESA and the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the World Bank, and Disabled Peoples' International. The panel presented the current needs of people with disabilities in Haiti, the long-term benefits of building an inclusive society, and the development of sustainable service delivery systems for assistive technologies.

GPDD Collaboration with MERCOSUR and Argentine Government

Argentina, March 22-27, 2010

To facilitate the crystallization of the Government Network in South America, built on an ongoing collaboration around Disability and Development within the MERCOSUR, the GPDD participated in a series of capacity building events in Argentina from March 22^nd to March 27^th, 2010. This activity was realized in partnership with several GPDD Members: the Government of Finland, the UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Leonard Cheshire International.

Meeting at the Inter-American Development Bank on “Reconstruction in Haiti and Innovative Universal Design”

Washington DC, United States, March 19, 2010

The GPDD and the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) co-organized a meeting on “Reconstruction in Haiti and Innovative Universal Design” on March 19 at the IDB in Washington DC. On that occasion a draft of the First Chapter of the Toolkit on Inclusive Reconstruction was presented to the audience, which was mainly composed of architects working for the IDB. Among other things, the IDB is also in charge of housing reconstruction in Haiti; therefore the meeting presented a great occasion to foster knowledge of and commitment to accessible reconstruction.