This newsupdate can also be downloaded as a PDF document( Please click here)Update - November 2008

 Monthly news update                                                               November 2008

Regional News

Secretariat Congratulates Maina

The Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (SADPD) congratulates Eddah Maina from Kenya for being elected to the committee of experts on Disability Rights convention.

The first ever Conference of State Parties on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) elected the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 3rd November 2008 at the United Nations in New York, U.S.A.

Elected experts will serve in their personal capacity and shall not represent their countries, but shall serve in the committee and be in charge of monitoring the implementation of the CRPD. 

The committee comprises seven men and five women, of which nine are persons with disabilities, and two are from Africa.
 
For more information, contact Nikiwe@africandecade.co.za

SADPD Facilitates Ghana Media Workshop

The Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (SADPD) last month participated in a media and disability workshop held in Ghana. The workshop organised by VSO regional office was a follow-up to an SADPD media workshop held in Dakar, Senegal in May, this year.  Over 40 journalists from Ghana attended the workshop.

The overall objective of the workshop was to raise awareness among the general public on the situation of persons with disability in Africa.

Topics addressed during the workshop included attitude towards disabled persons, disability discrimination, human rights and language barriers.

Participants discussed the visibility of persons with disabilities in the media and how these can be enhanced. The use of appropriate terminologies when addressing the various forms of disabilities was also emphasized

They observed that wrong terminologies gave the general public negative images of persons with disabilities. In solidarity with persons with disabilities, the journalists committed themselves to distributing mosquito nets in the villages to persons with disabilities to mark this year’s international disability day.

For more information, contact Email:aidasarr64@hotmail.com

Tanzanian Big Lottery Fund for Spinal Injuries

The Tanzanian Big Lottery Fund in conjunction with The Kilimanjaro Association of the spinally injured (KASI) will in the next two and a half years address the exclusion and discrimination of persons with spinal injuries.

This fund will also include other partners mainly, the Motivation Charitable Trust and the Tanzanian Training Centre for Orthopaedic Technologist (TATCOT).

The key goals include, increasing involvement of disabled persons in community activities, increasing awareness of the needs and rights of people with spinal cord injury in the community and improving the participation and visibility of all disabled people in society.

The programme is also set to work very closely with the Tanzanian government, health care providers, disabled peoples families and other international NGOs.

For more information, contact Email: kasi-kili@yahoo.com

Kenyan government to collect Data on Learners with Special Needs

The Kenya government is conducting a national survey on Learners with special needs. After the national survey, the government will intensify its collaboration with partners to meet the needs of children with disabilities. The exercise is spearheaded by the Ministry of Education.

These efforts come soon after a Millennium Development Goals and Disability Conference held in Nairobi on 17-19 September 2008. Over 200 delegates from the African continent attended.

The government hopes the move will ensure Education for All and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. The survey will also establish a data base for the status of special needs Education and the number of learners with disabilities who are not in school.

So far, the Kenyan government has embraced the policy of inclusive education, where children learn with their non-disabled peers, in an environment adapted to accommodate them.

To address the challenges that face learners, the ministry has identified Special Needs Education in Kenya Education Sector Support Programme, 2005-2010, as one for investment. The government has promised to fund Special Education institutions and units where over 36,000 learners get education.

Source: Daily Nation, October 19, 2008

International News

Obama’s Pledge on Disability

The US president elect Barack Obama, has his eyes and heart bent on streamlining disability in the United States. In his campaign pledge, he promised to lead the world in empowering people with disabilities to take full advantage of their talents and become integrated members of society.

As president he said, he would renew America’s leadership by making the United States a signatory to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with disabilities – the first human rights treaty approved by the UN in the 21st century. He pledged to urge the US senate to ratify the Convention expeditiously.

His vision on disability for Americans has a four point plan. It includes,

 Providing Americans with disabilities with the educational opportunity they need to succeed.

 Ending discrimination and promoting equal opportunities

 Increasing the employment rate of workers with disabilities

 Supporting independent, community based living for Americans with disabilities   

On education, the US president supports full funding of individuals with disabilities Education Act. Congress
promised to shoulder 40 percent of each states “excess cost” of educating children with disabilities, but has never lived up to it.

Achieve universal screening so that disabilities are identified early enough to help children and families get the special supports and resources they need. Support vocational rehabilitation programs.

For more information, visit www.barackobama.com

Upcoming Events

Regional

20-22 November
Parents with children with disabilities workshop
Location: Mozambique
Contact: nafisa@africandecade.co.za

24-28 November
TOT on Disability, Francophone
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Contact: mohamedfall1710@yahoo.fr

29-30 November
Continental women workshop
Location: Dakar, Senegal
Contact: patsy@africandecade.co.za

1-2 December
Africa campaign on HIV/AIDs
Location: Dakar Senegal
Contact: ongolo@africandecade.co.za

3 December
PRSP workshop
Dakar, Senegal
Contact: judith@africandecade.co.za

1-7 December
Parents with children with disabilities and Youth workshop
Location: Rwanda
Contact:nafisa@africandecade.co.za

3-7 December
ICASA Conference
Location: Senegal
Contact: info@africandecade.co.za

2-6 February
TOT on Disability
 Location: Cape Town, South Africa
Contact: judith@africandecade.co.za

International
 

3 December
International Disability Day
     
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Helpful websites

www.afri-can.org                               
www.motivation.org.uk
www.wheelchairfoundation.org
www.paranet.ch
www.joniandfriends.org
www.africandecade.org.za
 
The Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities News Update is circulated monthly. We welcome views and feed back from our readers. Your Reponses will always be published in the next issue. For more information, please contact info@africandecade.co.za
 
Compiled by: Jane Mwangi
Edited by: A. K. Dube