Roundtable themes identified

Plans for three Disability KaR regional roundtable meetings are taking shape. The purpose of the roundtables in this phase of the programme is to enable the voice of disabled people in the South to be heard and provide a platform for engagement between a wide range of stakeholders from the South and North.

The roundtables, to take place from Autumn 2004 to Spring 2005 in Africa and Asia, will have a practical focus, looking at how to move forward on linking disability policy and practice. Healthlink Worldwide is organising the roundtables, in collaboration with southern-based disabled people's organisations. They will focus on three different but interlinked themes:

Disability, poverty and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)

To highlight the links between poverty and disability and the relevance of disability to achieving the MDGs. It will build on the African Decade of the Disabled 2000-2009.

Mainstreaming disability in development

To explore how to mainstream disability in development, building on the experience of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) decade of the disabled and the Biwako framework for an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for people with disabilities in the Asia-Pacific region. The focus will be a 'how to' discussion on planning for mainstreaming in development.

Disability mainstreaming in practice

To focus on the example of disability mainstreaming in education. Building on the UNESCO regional conference celebrating 10 years since the Salamanca Statement, it will look at inclusive education, allowing lessons from the Lao PDR to be shared with recent initiatives in Cambodia and Vietnam.

The roundtables will provide an arena for reflection, exchange of experiences, learning and ideas, and discussion of current issues with policy-makers and donors. They will seek to bridge the communication gap between disabled people, disabled people's organisations, other organisations and institutions working in disability practice on the ground, and policy makers.

For more information about the roundtables, contact Alison Sizer at Healthlink Worldwide. Tel +44 (0)20 7539 1570
Email sizer.a@healthlink.org.uk