On the occasion of the 16th Conference of States Parties to the CRPD

The World Federation of the Deaf is hosting three side events focused on underrepresented groups inside the disability community: deaf people, deaf children, and deaf women and girls.

Tue Jun 13, 2023 4:45 PM - 6:00 PM (Time zone: Eastern Time US & Ca)

Organizers:  World Federation of the Deaf and UNICEF LACRO with support of UNICEF NY HQ

Format of the Event:  Virtual

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEudeuhqTkiGdCN4pjihyAtGVUVV6XhLxlj#/registration

Summary of the event: 

In this online side event, we propose, through a Conversational Panel format, to share the initiatives that are under way to address the early childhood access to language as a fundamental human right that must be materialized in comprehensive public policies in the LAC region. The event will present the main challenges and illustrate with practical examples from the ground the actual possibilities of implementing public policies that address the rights of deaf children and their families to an early diagnosis, early access to national sign languages and support for an inclusive upbringing, including the launching of a toolkit for the Legal Recognition of Sign Languages developed by the WFD, which contain a series of guidelines for the needed know-how on public policies. 

Opening remarks

• Mr. Kasper Bergman, WFD Vice-president
• Mrs. Cynthia Brizuela, UNICEF LACRO

Speakers

UNICEF Early Childhood Development Specialist

• Mr. Geovanni Meléndrez, Director General of the National Institute of the Deaf, Government of Colombia (remote)
• Ms. Mercedes Obregón, General Director of the Pedagogical Institute for Language Problems I.A.P.
• Ms. Susana Stiglich, WFD Sign Language Rights Officer

Closing remarks

• Mr. Sergio Meresman, UNICEF LACRO
• Ms. Pamela Molina, WFD Executive Director

Wed Jun 14, 2023 9:45 AM - 11:00 AM (Time zone: Eastern Time US & Ca)

Organizers:  World Federation of the Deaf and UNICEF LACRO with support of UNICEF NY HQ

Format of the Event:  In-Person

Location: Conference Room C Show on map

Virtual Platform Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83538682241?pwd=TUFldnZqWHRrTnFaNVNQZ2FJWDZxUT09

Summary:

The Organization of American States (OAS), through its Department of Social Inclusion of the Secretariat for Access to Rights and Equity (DIS), together with the World Federation of Deaf Persons (WFD), and with the support of the Saraki Foundation and CBM Global Disability Inclusion and the Permanent Mission of Panama to the UN, are pleased to extend a cordial invitation to the event "Experiences on data collection on persons with disabilities for the design of public policies with an intersectional approach" within the framework of the Sixteenth Conference of States Parties to the Convention of the United Nations on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The objective of this event is to present successful initiatives for the collection of data on persons with disabilities that have been implemented by the OAS and the WDF at the regional and local level to promote reliable situation diagnoses; to facilitate academic research, evidence-based advocacy; to have a database that is comparable between countries that makes it possible to visualize national and regional progress and challenges, and to support the formulation of effective public policies.

This event also promotes the implementation of Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on statistics and data collection; Strategy No. 7 of the Program of Action for the Decade of the Americas for the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities, and Sustainable Development Goal 17, targets 17.18 and 17.19.

Moderator:

• Ms. Betilde Muñoz-Pogossian, Director of the Department of Social Inclusion of the Organization of American States (OAS)

Opening remarks:

• Ms. Iris González de Valenzuela, President of the Inter-American Committee for the Elimination of All Forms of discrimination against Persons with Disabilities (CEDDIS)

Speakers:

• Mr. Raul Montiel, Executive Director of Saraki Foundation
  "The Regional Observatory on Disability: pioneering platform for the Americas"
• Ms. Susana Stiglish, Sign Language Rights Officer of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)
  “Evidence-Based Advocacy: Advocacy Toolkit for Legal Recognition of National Sign Languages”
• Ms. Elizabeth Loockwood, CBM Representative at the United Nations
  “Experience in data-collection on persons with disabilities in Bolivia”

Closing remarks:

• Kasper Bergman, Vice President of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD)
• Interpretation Spanish-English/English-Spanish/Sign Language will be provided.

Wed Jun 14, 2023 3:00 PM - 4:15 PM (Time zone: Eastern Time US & Ca)

Organizers: Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Belgium to the United Nations in New York, the World Federation of the Deaf and the Nippon Foundation (with participation by the Committee on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities).

Format of the Event: In-Person

Location: Conference Room C Show on map

Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe0oLkqlu69gsYYFM4hZhf_a6P02OJPOAEAnFibCrzq0MP3Zw/viewform

Summary:

Deaf women and girls face significant, structural barriers to participation and inclusion in society, as well as multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination. This stands in the way of the full enjoyment of their human rights. During humanitarian, crisis and emergency situations, such as armed conflict or natural disasters, these discriminations tend to be exacerbated and lead to more violations of their rights. According to a 2020 survey conducted by the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) only 23% of National Associations of the Deaf have a deaf woman in a leadership position. This lack of representation means the priorities and perspectives of deaf women and girls are sidelined, which perpetuates their exclusion.

This event aims to visibilise, raise awareness and address the challenges encountered by deaf women and girls in all their diversity during humanitarian, crisis, and emergency situations. It seeks to identify specific bottlenecks, lessons learned, best practices and strategies by introducing and discussing deaf-led evidence-based research (with case studies from Africa and Asia), with a view to formulating recommendations.

Opening remarks:

• Mr. Kasper Bergmann, World Federation of the Deaf, Vice President
• H.E. Philippe Kridelka, Permanent Representative of Belgium to the UN in NY

Speakers:

• Dr. Samuel Njuguna KABUE, Member of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, member of the Working Groups on Women and Girls with Disabilities, on article 11, and on Communications and Inquiries.
• Ms. Laura Lesmana Wijaya and Ms. Lia Nur Rochma, of the “Indonesia Association for the Welfare of the Deaf – Gerkatin” (via video link), on the situation of deaf women during the crisis in Indonesia.
• Ms. Pamela Molina, Executive Director of the World Federation of the Deaf, presenting the WFD report “Barriers to Healthcare Access for Deaf Nigerian Women and Girls during Emergencies: Analyzing the Additional Impacts on Their Intersectional Identity”.
  Ms. Shirley Keoagile, Executive Director of the “Botswana Association of the Deaf” (via video link), on deaf women’s participation and access to health in humanitarian, crisis and emergency situations in Botswana.
• Ms. Susana Stiglich, Sign Language Rights Officer at the World Federation of the Deaf, on the advantages and importance of the use of sign language in humanitarian, crisis and emergency situations.

Q&A:

• Languages: International Sign and spoken English (interpretation provided)
• Accessibility: English captions