Ma y/ Ju n e 2 01 1 N e wsl e tt e r

Newsletter
We dedicate this issue of our newsletter to our friend and colleague Mr. Alexander Mwanza Phiri, who sadly passed away on May 12. We are honored to publish the speech in his memory by Mr F. Cherera to commemorate him, his inspiring efforts and his great achievements in the disability field in Africa and worldwide. As Mussa Chiwaula said, the death of Alex is a big blow to the disability movement. He was a well known fearless icon who fought for the rights and dignity of disabled people and his work of activism vibrated throughout the region and indeed throughout the world. May he rest in peace.

Inside this issue

Speech at the Funeral of the Late Alexander Mwanza Phiri ............ 1 A short introduction to the Village Disability Registers project.......... 2

Speech at the Funeral of the Late Alexander Mwanza Phiri Director General of the Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled
(From the Southern Africa Federation of the DisabledSAFOD) Members of the Phiri family, dignitaries, Government Officials, comrades from the disability movement, comrades from the NGO Fratenity, Comrades from Regional Executive Committee of SAFOD, comrades and Friends, I am very saddened to stand before you today to bid Farewell to this great fighter of disability rights. Alexander Mwanza Phiri was known to us from a very tender age in the late 60s when he came to Jairos Jiri Centre in Bulawayo where he did his primary education and went to Cyrene Secondary School. He later went Bulawayo Technical College where he did his Draghtmanship and later worked at the Railways. From the Railways he joined SAFOD as Secretary General and later uplifted to Director General of the same organization a position he held to the time of his departure from this earth. Alexander Phiri was one of the pioneers in the fight against the marginalization of disabled people in Zimbabwe. I will not repeat what has been mentioned in the Press because Alexander Phiris works can fill libraries. He was an able Revolutionary who led by example. He was President of National Council of Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe for over 20 years. During that time he brought awareness of disabled people, particularly those in the rural areas, as he travelled far and wide throughout the country and was instrumental in the formation of over 70 branches of which over 50 were in the rural

World Report on Disability .......... 3 F123.org and the Inter-American Development Bank are bringing A World of Solutions to the Blind ... 3 AIDS and Disability Partners Forum ......................................... 4 Accessible and Historic Cities ...... 4 A new European Awareness Raising project on Disability and Development ........................................... 5 Virtual Videobooks in Argentinean Sign Language ............................ 5 Fostering the Employment of blind and partially sighted persons ..... 6 End the Cycle: A campaign which practices and promotes inclusion of people with disabilities ............... 7 Scholarships and Fellowships for People with Disabilities ............... 7 Political participation of persons with disabilities ................................... 8 Disability Rights International ..... 8 Save the Date! ............................ 9

areas. It was through his wide travel that he learnt the full suffering and exclusion of disabled people and decided to take on the fight for disabled people by championing their cause to have education, to have some income through the right to employment, the right to authopaedic appliances, the right to shelter and many other rights. Alexander and his other comrades who include Cde Joshua Malinga were instrumental in the enactment of the Disabled Persons Act of 1992 and travelled to New York with the then Minister of Social Welfare who is now the Honorable Vice President of Zimbabwe Cde John Nkomo to represent the country at the United Nations on disability issues. During his term of office at the National Council of Disabled Persons of Zimbabwe, Alexander persuaded the State President Cde R.G. Mugabe to appoint a Disabled Member of Parliament to represent interests of disabled people, and indeed the first ever MP for the disabled Mrs Rona Moyo was appointed. Unfortunately it was just for one term of 5 years and that is why we are now fighting to get recognized through the new constitution being drafted. Alexander was one of those involved in the writing of the new constitution and was only hampered by the illness which took his life. We are deeply saddened that Alexander did not live to see the fruits of his sweat because in Zimbabwe he had negotiated for the Funding of eight Disabled Peoples Organisations by the African Development Foundation (ADF) for Income Generating Projects to the tune of a total of US$1million. Five organisations have already received their first disbursements of the funds. These organisations can only pay a tribute to Mr Phiri if they are run successfully and for the benefit of their membership.

He took the struggle to the Southern African Region and caused the formation of Federations of Disabled people in each of the 10 countries in Southern Africa
A short introduction to the Village Disability Registers (VDR ) project
(From CBM Network - South Asia) There is no accurate database on disability. Accurate database cannot be obtained by mere surveys. Therefore introducing VDRs (accessible and easily retrievable database using OCR software) gives information not only about disability but also about individual needs, which is essential for planning services. CBR NETWORK (South Asia) developed VDR in collaboration with the Child Rights Commission of Karnataka; the Government of India through National Institute for Mentally Handicapped, Secunderabad, implemented the field testing activities.

When he left The National Council as President, he took the struggle to the Southern African Region and caused the formation of Federations of Disabled people in each of the 10 countries in Southern Africa which are Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe. In some of these countries there is a representation of disabled people across the board including Government and local Government through lobbying by Federations which Alexander was coordinating and empowering. Most countries in the SADC have ratified The UN Convention on Disabled People and Zimbabwe can pay Alexander Phiri a lasting tribute by ratifying the convention. Southern Africa has the strongest Regional structures on Disability in Africa which Alexander built. Internationally Alexander Phiri was known throughout as a consistent and strong advocate and eloquent spokesperson for disabled people. Indeed messages are pouring from all continents to express their shock at the void which this great man has left and their condolences have failed to quench our grief. To the Phiri Family we say thank you for having given us your great son to fight for us and we are sorry we lost him too soon but take solace that we shall follow his footsteps for he was a man of the people. He even helped some people who were not disabled because they had seen great vision. Alexander Phiri had a disabled child. Maybe God wanted him to lead by example because the care which he took on his disabled daughter Angeline was exceptional. We want all those parents with disabled children to take a leaf from Alexander Phiri. We also urge the Phiri family to please look after Angeline as Alexander did and continue to love, care and provide for Memory who is halfway her University course and little Tafadzwa who is still at Primary school level. We say Good bye Alexander, we shall always remember you through your great works you did for us. Thank you FARAI CHERERA

This tool is developed by Dr. Indumathi Rao. CBR Network, Regional Advisor and Chairperson of GPDD.

SAFOD DEPUTY PRESIDENT

F123.org and the InterAmerican Development Bank are bringing A World of Solutions to blind people
(From the Inter-American Development BankIADB) A low-cost screen reading and magnification software solution for those with visual impairments called F123.org is now spreading throughout Latin America thanks to an award from the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB). The F123.org Project, which allows blind and low vision users to navigate the web and edit text documents, spreadsheets, emails, and instant messages, is now available in Argentina, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Peru, and Uruguay.

An elderly person and a young one holding their hands

World Report on Disability

On June 9, 2011, at the UN headquarters, WHO and the World Bank launched the first ever World Report on Disability. The report gathers the best available scientific information on disability. It describes the current situation of people with disabilities around the world and the different barriers they experience, while providing evidence and practical advice to orient stakeholders in the elaboration of policies and programmes aimed at improving the life of persons with disabilities. According to the report, disability is on the rise and people with disabilities represent today 15% of the worlds population. This is mainly due to the ageing of the population and to the global increase in chronic health conditions associated with disabilities (diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mental illnesses). Also the report points out how disability is stereotypically associated to wheelchair users and to deaf and blind people, while there is instead a wide spectrum of disabilities which are often less visible. As an example, people with psycho-social disabilities and intellectual impairments are those who experience the higher rate of exclusion from the labour market. The report also points out the higher prevalence of disabilities among vulnerable populations, including not only people from low income countries but also people out of work or with low educational qualifications as well as ethnic minority groups. Besides, the report documents how people with disabilities tend to experience poorer health outcomes and higher rates of poverty, lower educational achievements, less economic participation, while being more likely of being isolated and dependent on others. Based on these data and scientific evidence, the report proposes necessary change to be implemented to overcome barriers and to allow people with disabilities to enjoy inclusive and accessible health and rehabilitation services, education and employment. The report set forth a list of recommendations for all stakeholders, including not only governments, civil society organizations and DPOs, but also professionals and the private sector. If the CRPD established a paradigm shift in the conception and understanding of persons with disabilities, the report constitutes a significant concrete contribution to foster its implementation. Data and research are in fact essential for building the case for disability and facilitate the focus of global efforts and the allocation of resources towards the creation of more inclusive environments and communities. As Dr Margareth Chan, director General of the WHO stated in her presentation speech, The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities gives states guidance on what they should do. This World report on disability advises them on how to do it. *+ With this report, they now have the data, the knowledge, and the practical advice to deliver on their commitment. The GPDD cannot but welcome the release of the report and hopes this important research will open the way to an increase in data collections and statistics in the field of disability.

F123.org, an initiative that begun in Brazil, invested the "A World of Solutions" Award in a tour where meetings and workshops combined to present this innovative solution to over 200 foundations, government agencies, and NGOs. Entities that, due to the high cost of conventional solutions, have traditionally been forced to limit their services to a small fraction of the population of persons with disabilities can now boldly face the social challenges that are perhaps best illustrated by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This is especially true given that F123.org is between 10 and 50 times more affordable than other solutions. (cont. page 4, column 1)

AIDS and Disability Partners Forum

(cont. from page 3, column 1) Fernando Botelho, the blind social entrepreneur behind F123.org, is keen to focus on technology that is appropriate and competitive. "Given the scale of the challenges we face, we cannot afford to simply throw money at traditional solutions. We have to redefine the problem and give blind kids and youth tools that can evolve and grow with their own aspirations."

June 9, 2011 UN Secretariat Conference room 6 North Lawn Building

GPDD was one of the co-organizers, together with Health Canada, USAID, US State Department, ILO, UNDESA, UNICEF and WHO, of the UNAIDS side event: Aids and Disability Partners Forum. The event, which was held on July 9, 2011 within the framework of the launch of the World Disability Report, provided an excellent platform to raise awareness on the importance of disability within the AIDS response. In fact, in spite of the fact that people with disability are at a greater risk of infection, often because of their higher vulnerability to sexual abuse, they are often excluded from prevention programmes and treatments due to a lack of accessibility of health care centers and also of relevant information in accessible formats. Following a series of events on the topic, including a first conference in Mexico in 2008, the International Policy Dialogue organized by Health Canada and the GPDD forum in 2009, this Partners Forum offered an excellent opportunity to foster further cooperation among development actors, donors, national partners and civil society organizations and to encourage the creation of partnerships at a global, regional and local level among actors engaged in this field.

The F123.org Software can be installed directly on computers or carried portably in an USB drive (or pen drive). The software opens all of the major file formats used in offices and schools, and can interact with every major messaging network. The system is available in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, and will soon be available in French. Those interested in additional information can learn more at http://www.F123.org/en or write to info@F123.org.

Illustration of a red AIDS bow

Accessible and Historic Cities

June 16 - 17, 2011 - Turin, Italy
On June 16 and 17, the CRT Foundation, a member of the GPDD, together with the GPDD, the World Bank and the European Foundation Center (EFC), organized a two day meeting on the accessibility of historical towns and the promotion of sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism is not only an agent of sustainable development that can highly contribute to the eradication of poverty in developing countries, but also a powerful vector for the spread of accessibility standards. While the accessibility of infrastructure related to the tourism sector would increase the range of visitors, fostering the expansion of the industry and the creation of more employment and investment opportunities, it would also promote local inclusiveness and therefore open the way to the spread of accessibility standards. Accessible tourism, however, faces several challenges when dealing with historical towns and cities. Designed centuries ago, these are characterized by a lack of accessibility and by features such as: excessive slopes, level changes and narrow streets. Although a reasonable accommodation and a rearrangement in accordance to accessibility principles is possible, interventions restrictions due to the historic nature of buildings and a widespread skepticism are often difficult to overcome. The meeting in Turin aimed hence to review theoretical and technical aspects of universal design and to share promising practices, policies and strategies to overcome such difficulties related to historical cities. Discussions and presentations were carried out in the light of the CRPD and of the EU accessibility strategy. The conference was attended by representatives of DPOs, NGOs, UN agencies, the EU unit for the integration of people with disabilities and Universal Design Experts. The conclusions of the meeting, which benefited of multi-sectoral contributions, will provide input for new debates on the topic at the next GPDD Membership Meeting in Argentina.

A new European Awareness Raising project on Disability and Development

(From LIGHT FOR THE WORLDChristoffel Development Cooperation ) The brand new END EXCLUSION- Lets Enable the MDGs project, launched in April 2011 is a three-year EU-funded initiative led by LIGHT FOR THE WORLD Austria in partnership with Dark and Light (Netherlands), the Dutch Coalition for Disability and Development (DCDD, Netherlands), eRko (Slovakia) and SVTLO PRO SVT (Czech Republic). The project wants to change attitudes so that persons with disabilities are perceived as able and equal persons and to raise awareness all across Europe that to end poverty we have to end the exclusion of persons with disabilities in development processes and make the MDGs inclusive. In order to do this, the End Exclusion campaign will engage young Europeans with an interactive website, a social media initiative, as well as inclusive sport and music events. The project will also target political and educational opinion formers to help them become multipliers in their networks thanks to information materials such as factsheets and presentations, exchange meetings and a quarterly newsletter. Finally, it will help Media people increase their coverage of the issues of disability, development and MDGs with a Media Pack on Inclusive MDGs and two journalist trips to our associate partners in Ethiopia and South Sudan, to experience first-hand both the challenges met by persons with disabilities in developing countries and their successful strategies to gain access to their fundamental human rights. To sign up to the newsletter or get more information about the project, contact Jess Blijkers: j.blijkers@light-for-the-world.org .

This innovative project consists in the design of a web portal through which users can access fifteen books for children The Inter-American Development Bank and Canales Association will soon launch a portal of Virtual Videobooks in Argentinean Sign Language (ASL)
(From the Inter American Development BankIADB) Virtual Videobooks (Libros Virtuales) in Argentinean Sign Language (LSA) is a project that aims at making sure that deaf and hearing impaired children and adults have access to books. This initiative has been designed and developed by Canales, an Association in which deaf and hearing people work together for an accessible and quality education for deaf children. This innovative project consists in the design of a web portal through which users can access fifteen books for children. The books are read in LSA by deaf readers; however, the videos are accessible also for hearing family and friends. The goal is to guarantee access to books and make reading an enjoyable experience for all. The project, that is supported by the Argentinean Confederation of Deaf people (CAS) is part of the program A World of Solutions: Innovations for People with Disabilities, through which the Science and Technology Division of the Inter-American Development Bank has been supporting innovative projects for the social and economic inclusion of people with disability through technology. Unfortunately, because of the classical approach in two steps (teach to speak first, then teach to read) a large part of the community still believes that reading and books are not for deaf. This has created a big gap between the deaf community and literature. The innovative approach of the project Virtual Books aims at reversing this common and shocking view, and at defending the access to reading through Argentinean Sign Language. Videobooks in LSA proposes reading strategies that have been experimented in classrooms, which are then replicated and adapted to situations of early alphabetization. Moreover, it is a tool that can help teacher offer reading programs. The books will be available to be read together with adult mediators directly from Internet or to be downloaded to a computer to ensure that they reach all regions and integrate all types of video (cont. page 6, column 1)

Fostering the Employment of blind and partially sighted persons

(From the World Blind UnionWBU) As discussed in an earlier edition of the GPDD Newsletter, one of our key initiatives has related to the Employment of blind and partially sighted persons, and specifically we have developed strategies that seek to identify and remove barriers that have traditionally kept the employment rate among blind and partially sighted persons at very low levels. That strategy includes four specific priorities to help advance this initiative: collecting case studies and success stories of successfully employed persons; documenting and sharing peer support and mentoring programs related to employment; initiatives related to micro credit and income generating projects; and developing a resource bank to include sharing of effective employment program models. We are very pleased to inform you of progress that has been achieved in one of these priority areas and to invite input and contributions from GPDD members that can progress this work. The WBU has been the recipient of a major grant from the Trillium Foundation, a Foundation based in Ontario, Canada to enable us to build an employment resource bank on our website. This project was approved as a collaborative effort with the CNIB (The Canadian National Institute for the Blind) and we will be working closely with the CNIB to identify resources, to build the website portal and

We hope to include a range of resources that will provide specific tools to job seekers and those who work with them
(cont. from page 5) libraries. Thus, deaf children will access reading very naturally, like all children, through a proper innovative tool that facilitates this process. Videobooks material is the first set of children's books ever released virtually and designed in a way that is fully accessible for deaf children in Argentina. The project was designed for Argentinean users but could also be replicated in other countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. You can follow all the developments of this project in the specific section of the website www.bidinnovacion.org.

develop interactive tools for its use. The resource bank is intended to identify and include resources of interest to blind and partially sighted job seekers, to parents of blind and partially sighted persons, to educators, employment specialists, rehabilitation service providers and potential employers. We hope to include a range of resources that will provide specific tools to job seekers and those who work with them; information that will raise awareness about the capabilities of blind and partially sighted persons and the types of work in which they are involved, and which will serve as a platform for information sharing and interaction. We will include information about traditional types of employment, innovative employment opportunities and the wide range of self-employment opportunities that individuals are involved in. In some cases we will house resources on our website and in other cases provide links to resources that are available and accessible. This is a two year project, with the first phase being a research phase to determine what resources and tools exist that should be included in the site. These will of course be tested for accessibility and following the initial identification phase, the site will be designed

so that it provides maximum usability to our various audiences. Further phases include testing with various audiences, then translation into French, further testing and development of interactive tools including social networking. The site will eventually be adapted into Spanish as well. We would very much value and welcome information about or contribution of resources and tools that GPDD members consider to be excellent and could add value to our site. Please forward any ideas, tools or resources that you have to Penny Hartin at penny.hartin@wbuoffice.org . We also welcome case studies of blind and partially sighted persons in various types of work guidelines for these case studies can be found on our website at: http://www.worldblindunion.org/ en/our-work/campaigns/Pages/default.aspx Your help and input is very much appreciated. We will continue to keep you updated on this important initiative in future issues of the GPDD Newsletter.

Scholarships and Fellowships for People with Disabilities

(From Mobility International USA MIUSA) International exchange experiences are crucial for people with disabilities who are considering careers involving international development. Are you curious about how to fund your overseas study, research trips or other opportunities related to international educational exchange? Find advice about how to pay for international exchanges on the Mobility International USA (MIUSA) website. People from the U.S. and around the world frequently ask how to find international scholarships for people with disabilities without realizing that even more opportunities are found through general scholarships. People with disabilities are selected for competitive government and foundation scholarships every year, such as the Fulbright or Rotary awards. There is a wide range of strategies for funding an international educational or professional experience:

Smiling kids with leg cast Image from: www.cbm.org.au

End the Cycle: A campaign which practices and promotes inclusion of people with disabilities
(By Anna Gaskill, from Christian Blind MissionCBM Australia ) End the Cycle is a new community awareness initiative aiming to ensure people everywhere better understand the cycle of disability and global poverty and to engage them in action to help end that cycle. The campaign is an initiative of CBM Australia with support from the Australian Government AusAID. End the Cycle aims to achieve empowerment and increased awareness of the cycle of poverty and disability by practicing inclusion so people with disabilities and their organisations have had genuine participation in every stage of resource development, retaining control over the use of their own words and images. Local ownership is very important to the campaign. Our resource collection team included people with disabilities from the local community through grassroots organisations the Cambodia Disabled Peoples Organisation and People with Disability Solomon Islands. All materials developed in Australia were sent back to the local partners to be shared with the people who had first shared their stories. Participants checked that they were being represented just as they had wanted to be as active, contributing members of their families and communities, with the same rights, hopes and challenges as everyone else. This process in itself contributes to the empowerment of everyone involved. We believe this campaign brings a balanced and thoughtful approach to storytelling and is aligned with the slogan of the disability-rights movement: Nothing about Us without Us. People with disabilities are speaking for themselves rather than being spoken about by others, recognised appropriately as the ones who know best about their lived experience of disability. We are learning as we go with this campaign. For the first time for us, communications are based entirely on a human-rights based approach. The lessons will be shared across the sector as we aspire to practice and promote inclusion through all that we do. We invite you to read more about our approach, sign the End the Cycle pledge, leave feedback and share amongst your networks: www.endthecycle.org.au

Funded programs and fellowships Scholarships, grants and loans Fundraising and cost-saving tips US government programs and services

Find these options listed on a single landing page "Financial Aid and Funding for International Exchange" (http://www.miusa.org/ ncde/financialaid) to get your international goals funded. This resource is created by the MIUSAadministered project of the National Clearinghouse on Disability and Exchange (NCDE) which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.

Political participation of persons with disabilities

(From the Central Africa Federation of the DisabledCAFOD) CAFOD is currently engaged in campaigning for the full participation of persons with disabilities (PWDs) in the political arena and public affairs, according to Art. 29 of the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. To achieve this objective, we set up a strong network composed of DPOs, CSOs, UN agencies, the National Commission of Human Rights and Freedoms in Cameroon, the Elections Cameroon Body (ELECAM) and media. This network is in charge of advocating nationwide the importance for PWDs to be fully engaged in the electoral process in Cameroon. Our goal is for persons with disabilities to: - Be registered in the electoral list; - Be active members of political parties; - Effectively vote; - Introduce their candidacy for electoral posts While raising awareness about these issues, we: - Disseminate basic instruments about disability rights (i.e. the Convention, laws, charters, decrees, etc) - Meet opinion and political party leaders - Spread key messages towards PWDs, DPOs, medias, political parties, local branches of ELECAM, etc. We will set up 15 pilot polling stations for PWDs nationwide to encourage ELACAM and the whole administration to do so in the future, and we will conduct monthly evaluations and monitor meetings. We would welcome any support to successfully carry out this important programme for the empowerment of PWDs.

Disability Rights International

(From Disability Rights InternationalDRI) Disability Rights International (DRI) is the leading international human rights organization dedicated to protecting the rights of people with disabilities. DRI documents abuses against children and adults with disabilities, trains activists, and collaborates with advocacy groups working to bring about sustainable reforms in their own countries. More specifically, DRI has expertise in training and supporting the development of advocacy organizations by people with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities as well as expertise in training mainstream human rights organizations to incorporate disability rights into their existing programs. DRI has significant experience advocating for the rights of women and children with disabilities, given their particular vulnerabilities to institutionalization, abuse, and trafficking. DRI also advocates for the inclusion of children with disabilities in the community and has recently launched a Worldwide Campaign to End the Institutionalization of Children to challenge underlying

Little girl with a disability

community-based support systems so that families who want to keep their children at home are able to do so. DRI reports have brought world attention to human rights violations in twenty-two countries of Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. Most recently, DRI collaborated with activists with psychosocial disabilities in Mexico to investigate, write, and disseminate a report entitled Abandoned & Disappeared: Mexicos Segregation and Abuse of Children and Adults with Disabilities. Using the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) framework, the report details the ways in which children and adults with disabilities are segregated from society, denied access to justice, and trafficked or sexually abused. The report will be submitted to the CRPD committee as a shadow report and will serve as a tool to assist the UN in assessing Mexicos official report on the implementation of the CRPD.

Young man reaching out with his hand

policies such as misdirected foreign assistance funding to build new institutions or rebuild old crumbling facilities. The goal of the campaign is to change attitudes that lead to abuses against children and provide access to

For more information, visit DRIs website http://www.disabilityrightsintl.org/ or Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/pages/ Disability-RightsInternational/117720911646133 .

SAVE THE DATE! III Disability and Development Forum and GPDD Membership Meeting
From 21-23 September 2011 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, the GPDD will hold its 3rd Disability and Development Forum and Membership Meeting, where members and partners will focus on options for implementing development actions towards the social and economic inclusion of people with disabilities, particularly in light of the Article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Specially, Development Partners will explore the processes undergone by various disability efforts and analyze the potentials and challenges of their different frameworks, as well as their priorities for and the role of key stakeholders involved in implementation. Also, the meeting will be an excellent platform to demonstrate how organizations are making a contribution to inclusive development. Members and partner organizations will present a "show and tell" of their organizations, the issues they face and creative solutions developed through collaboration and partnership. In addition, there will be break-out sessions concentrating on themes such us: women with disabilities in development, children with disabilities, disability and disasters, and South-South cooperation.

About GPDD
The Global Partnership for Disability and Development is an informal alliance to promote and facilitate the inclusion of disability issues and persons with disabilities in mainstream development policy and practice in developing countries. It is a large international partner network composed of diverse individuals and organizations, including national governments, bilateral and multilateral donors, development banks, UN agencies, development NGOs, disabled persons' organizations (DPOs), NGOs working in the field of disability, universities, foundations and enterprises .

Contact info:
The World Bank, MS G8-803 1818 H Street, N.W Washington, D.C. 20433 USA

Phone:
+1 (202) 473-9353

Fax:
+1 (202) 522-3252

E-mail:
mreina@worldbank.org

Website:
http://www.gpdd-online.org