Mobilizing for Assistive Technology - Towards the 2nd Global Disability Summit
ATscale, the Global Partnership for Assistive Technology organized this online event with key partners WHO, UNICEF, the International Disability Alliance (IDA), Norad, USAID, UKFCDO, GDI Hub, GAATO and CHAI to feed into the second Global Disability Summit, taking place later in February 2022.
14 January 2022
Assistive Technology (AT) can enable people to live healthy, productive, independent, and dignified lives, and to participate in education, the labour market and their communities. Today, over 1 billion people need at least one type of AT, but over 90% do not have access to it. Together we can change that!
Opening
Sophie Morgan, Moderator
Amina Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations
Chief Guest: Dr Arif Alvi, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Vladimir Cuk, Executive Director, International Disability Alliance
Global overview of key achievements in access to Assistive Technology since the first Global Disability Summit and key priorities for the next years
Roundtable 1: Assistive Technology and the Global Disability Summit thematic areas
Key stakeholders discussed how AT is essential to success in each of the 5 thematic areas of the Global Disability Summit: Inclusion in situations of crisis and conflict, Inclusive health, Inclusive education, Capacity development of OPDs , and Inclusive livelihoods and social protection.
Gilles Carbonnier, Vice-President, ICRC
Catalina Devandas, Ambassador of Costa Rica to UNOG; former UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Afshan Khan, Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia, UNICEF
Shuaib Chalklen, Executive Director, African Disability Forum
Inmaculada Placencia-Porrero, Senior Expert in Disability and Inclusion, EU Commission
Assistive Technology as a precursor for inclusive development
Paloma Adams-Allen, Deputy Administrator, USAID
Roundtable 2: Showcasing progress and future plans
Key decision makers from programme countries, donors, the private sector, civil society and a development partner discussed where they can show and see progress and their future plans in the lead-up to the Global Disability Summit.
Anurag Hans, Head of Mission for EssilorLuxottica
Philipp Schulte-Noelle, CEO, Ottobock
Shona McDonald, Founder/Director, Shonaquip Social Enterprise
Charlotte V. McClain-Nhlapo, Global Disability Advisor, World Bank
Rebecca Levy, Acting Director, Inclusive Development Hub, USAID
Closing - Recap and next steps
Gamze Sofuoglu, product manager of mobile applications and accessibility solutions, Turkcell
Darren Welch, Director of Global Health, UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
Jon Lomoy, Board Chair, ATscale