The UNESCO meeting was conducted to assist UN Member Nations to promote the social inclusion of people with disabilities through Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). The meeting was attended by representatives of the disabled community, IT&T industry, research and educational institutions, non-governmental organisations working in the subject area and other United Nations organisations.
Each group provided expert advice and opinion on how UNESCO could assist Member Nations to meet their international obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD).
Some of the issues discussed included:
- Access to information and knowledge for persons with disabilities through ICTs
- ICT accessibility and assistive technologies provisions of the UNCRPD and the importance of mainstreaming ICT accessibility
- Developing inclusive policies for persons with disabilities to access information and knowledge
- Challenges and opportunities for persons with disabilities to use ICTs
- Mainstreaming access to information and knowledge through ICTs for persons with disabilities within existing UNESCO programmes and activities internally and with Member States
- ‘Making UNESCO ICT Accessible’, so that people can take leadership in the UN system and with Member States with the background and experience of having done it at UNESCO
- ‘Mobilising Resources and International Cooperation’ to gather the means to implement those programmes
Recommendations included making all UNESCO World Heritage sites comply with ICT access rules, making the UNESCO websites accessible and ensuring the involvement of organisations that represent people with disabilities. There is a more detailed examination of the report on the UNESCO website.
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