I’m here to ask you to go to the United Nation High Level Meeting on Disability and Development (HLMDD) this September 23, 2013 in New York City, USA.

The High Level Meeting (HLM) is important because they involve high-level persons from governments and members of the United Nation.  These persons influence creation of policies at the United Nations.  They make decisions on important questions that affect people’s lives including our deaf lives.

In 2010 the UN proposed a high-level meeting on disability and requested further information on inclusion of persons with disabilities society for the proposed high-level meeting.

In 2011, the UN decided to plan for a one-day high-level meeting on 23 September 2013.   The theme: The way forward: a disability inclusive development agenda towards 2015 and beyond.  The HLMDD includes a plenary meeting and two round tables involving government officials, UN members and representatives of disabled people’s organizations.  An outcome document in support of the aims of the CPRD will be developed for government use and public.  The WFD sees that it is important that the document also includes deaf perspectives.  Also the document will also become a useful source for many deaf people in their advocacy work at national level.

In addition, the HLM gives delegates and other official participants the opportunity to meet and talk with high-level persons at the meeting.  Many governments plan to send persons with disabilities to the HLM DD.  The WFD hopes to see many deaf people attending the HLM DD in their country’s government delegations.

Please ask your country’s national disabled people’s government office, to send a deaf person from your organization with a sign language interpreter to the HLMDD this September.

More information can be found at: http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1590