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COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor

2020

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Evidence is emerging that persons with disabilities are being disproportionately affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and emergency measures being taken by governments worldwide. As governments rush to respond to the virus, it is more critical than ever to guarantee that measures taken are fully inclusive of persons with disabilities and prevent human rights violations from taking place.

 

With the endorsements of the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Mr Dainius Pūras, and the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ms Catalina Devandas Aguilar, a coalition of six disability rights organisations is today launching a major international monitoring initiative entitled “COVID-19 Disability Rights Monitor” to conduct rapid independent monitoring of state measures concerning persons with disabilities. The first element of this global initiative is the launch of two surveys requesting official information from governments and requesting the testimonies of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations. The surveys aim to collect information about what states are doing to protect core rights of persons with disabilities including the rights to life, access to health and essential services.

Digital Inclusion: a white paper

HOOGERWERF, Evert-Jan
MAVROU, Katerina
et al
2016

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This white paper will provide the reader with insight into the role technology plays for the full participation of persons with disabilities and older people in the digital society. The authors consider equal opportunities to participate in all realms of life a human right. The paper will help the reader to understand what the barriers to full digital inclusion for these groups are, how changing scenarios in society should lead to the definition of new goals and how these goals could be reached. 

This white paper looks forward and challenges the reader to identify strategies to tackle the digital divide. In the first section, it analyses trends and policy objectives as defined by the international community in 6 different areas relevant to the digital divide:

Disability and participation

Education

Employment

Health and social care

Technology

(Social) Media 

The writing of this white paper is the result of a three-year long project funded by the European Commission under the Lifelong Learning Programme. The ENTELIS project has brought together various organisations from different European countries and beyond and has resulted in the establishment of a sustainable network, supported by three European umbrella organisations: EASPD (European Association of Service Providers to Persons with Disabilities), AAATE (Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe) and EVBB (European Association of Vocational Training Institutes). For them supporting the network means creating an opportunity for their member organisations and other interested stakeholders to actively engage with technology and technology users with disabilities in education, vocational training and person centred support services. Their common understanding is that ICT and AT can empower people with disabilities, lead to more fulfilled lives and a more inclusive society but that this can only be reached if there is effective collaboration between sectors. Their expectation is that the network will empower their member organisations in making this become reality and this document and in particular the roadmap contained in there might provide good guidance for that. 

 

Direct line to the doctor

2005

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In a joint project known as T@lemed, European and Latin American scientists in Colombia and Brazil are testing telemedicine services in practice. Going by the name of TOPCARE, the service also enables patients suffering from chronic ailments in Europe to benefit from an online link to the doctor

A-Z deafblindness

GALLAGHER, James

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This site was created by a deafblind person to help blind or deaf people, and especially deafblind people, and specialised service providers. It is also intended to raise awareness

Making information accessible for all

EUROPEAN BLIND UNION (EBU)

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This webguide provides information on why it is important to make information accessible to people with visual impairments and what accessible information is. There are detailed instructions on how to use Word, Excel, PDF,  and other formats in an accessible way. The webguide also provides a glossary of terms along with a list a groups that can assist those with visual impairments

Include Repository of Accessible Digital Tools

European Association of Service providers for Persons with Disabilities (EASPD)

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The Include Repository is a platform of existing and freely available digital tools that can support inclusive and accessible education for all learners in remote settings. This repository includes resources for the creation and presentation of accessible digital content. Alongside providing accessibility solutions for specific user needs and disabilities, it also aims to provide tools for use in high and low-resource environments.

 

This platform aims to provide a single catalogue of tools and resources, in one location, for teaching professionals and students to make their content more accessible or more easily access teaching materials. With the tools on this platform users can:

  • Produce content in more accessible formats.
  • Better meet the special education needs of learners.
  • Be empowered to access learning materials more independently

 

This platform has been developed by EASPD and the Inclusive University Digital Education (InclUDE) project

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