Update -September - 2008
Resolutions of the MDG and Disability Conference held in Nairobi, Kenya on 15th -19th September 2008
Update - September-2008
Monthly news update September, 2008


Regional News

Disability Conference Demand Inclusion
A successful Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and Disability Regional Conference held this month in Nairobi on 15-19 September, 2008 has called for inclusion of persons with disabilities in the UN development agenda.

The conference which brought together delegates from twenty four African countries appealed to their governments to provide leadership in supporting a motion during the UN general assembly, calling for the establishment of a new UN special agency on disability.

The over 200 delegates at the conference expressed disappointment in the lack of reference to persons with disabilities in the MDGs, leaving them out in the campaign processes, policies, planning, programmes and implementation.

The delegates asked their respective governments to protect persons with disabilities from adverse effects of rising costs and include them in existing social protection schemes.

They also asked governments to uphold the principle of gender equity in disability, promote the use of positive language and to encourage the use of professional campaigners including goodwill ambassadors.

The delegates resolved to continue advocating for the mainstreaming of disability issues and to engage more in influencing the social development processes.

They also resolved that they would lobby for inclusion in national poverty reduction strategies and other national development plans and initiatives and explore avenues of partnerships with the private sector in their economic empowerment.

Below are the delegates’ resolutions.

We Resolve As Delegates That We Shall;

• Communicate the outcome of this conference to our governments to review, prioritise and include issues of disability in their Country Statements during their high level meetings on MDGs in New York, in the September 2008 Summit.

• Call on our governments to move and support a motion during the UN General Assembly, calling for the establishment of a new UN Special Agency on Disability; to provide leadership, coordination, harmonisation and enhanced monitoring and reporting.

• Engage our governments to ensure that People with Disabilities are protected from adverse effects from rising costs and related vulnerabilities and participate and benefit from existing social protection schemes

• Lobby governments through the African Development Bank and related partners to establish an African Disability Equity Fund to support economic empowerment, entrepreneurship and business of people with disabilities

• Uphold the principle of gender equity in disability and promote the use of positive language in reference to people with disabilities

• Encourage the use of professional campaigners including goodwill ambassadors in promoting disability inclusion

• Recognise the efforts of parents, friends and guardians of people with disabilities and recognise them as part of the wider disability movement

We Urge the UN through Member States;

• To establish a Specialist Agency on Disability in the league of UNICEF and UNIFEM to provide leadership and global accountability on matters related to the disabled people


• To prioritise include and partner with the disability movement in its entire millennium campaign initiatives and develop the strategies for doing so in the September summit.


We Urge the AU and Related Bodies To;

• Set up a Disability Desk within all African regional bodies to monitor the implementation of both the convention and human rights violation of people with disabilities within the respective regions

• Mainstream disability into their programmes and performance management systems

• Establish peer review mechanism and performance management system for disability in Africa

• Ensure political and social economic representation of people with disabilities in NEPAD and develop terms of reference for their participation.

• Work with DPOs to urgently review the structure and mandate of the African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI)

• Extend the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities for another ten years by means of a proclamation by the meeting of the African Heads of State planned for January 2009.
• Facilitate self- representation of PWDs in all commissions, Pan Africa Parliament and other structures.

We Call On the Secretariat of African Decade of Persons with Disability to;

• Establish a programme to develop human resource capacity for policy analysis to act as a watch dog in monitoring disability inclusion.

• Allocate responsibilities, roles and duties to the regional federations and other partners in order to ensure effective, well – monitored follow up and implementation strategies.

We urge all Government to;

• Ratify, domesticate and implement the UN convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

• Work with DPOs in nominating the members of the panel of experts in convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

• Recognise DPOs as agents of change and therefore as partners in development planning and programmes

• Include people with disabilities and disability into their poverty reduction and development programmes

• Put into place affirmative action to enhance participation in political social and economic sectors

• Include disability data collection within the general national data collection systems recognising diversity in disability

• Use data to inform planning and service delivery and monitoring and evaluation

• Highlight and include disability in the existing MDG indicators in partnership with the disability movement.


We Call On Development Partners To;

Prioritise disability as a tool for planning and analysis for development assistance and international cooperation in all their international cooperation and assistance (aid, debt relieve and trade).

Include and consult people with disabilities and their respective organisations in planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.

Include disability as a requirement / condition for funding development programmes.


We Resolve that As Disabled Peoples Organisations We Shall;

• Advocate to ensure that disability issues are mainstreamed in all government, UN agencies and development partners policies, plans and programmes particularly those related to MDGs.

• Endeavour to understand the structures of various government, UN agencies and development partners with a view to engaging with them more effectively for full inclusion of people with disabilities.
• Advocate development partners to include disability as a requirement / condition for funding development programmes

• Engage and influence the social development process

• Participate in the Social Protection processes to ensure people with disabilities are included

• Advocate and lobby to be included in national poverty reduction strategies and other national development plans and initiatives

• Explore avenues of partnership with private sector in their economic empowerment programmes

• Utilize our individual and collective capacity to cause the implementation of programmes related to the MDGs for the benefit of people with disabilities

• Build our own capacity to engage with our government on their commitments and agreement at national and international levels

• Ensure that whatever is agreed at regional or national workshops cascades downward to people with disabilities at the grassroots and rural areas

• Familiarise ourselves with the disability policies of different development agencies and ensure that they benefit us

• Strengthen our unity and common voice in planning, implementation and monitoring processes whilst at the same time recognising diversity in disability

• Restructure and reform our internal governance structures to adopt modern management and good governance systems and increase transparency and accountability to our members

• Nurture and mentor youth with disabilities into leadership succession plans and support them towards social economic empowerment

• Make a paradigm shift from the charity model to the human rights and social development model

• Strategically engage with media for both awareness and advocacy and built our capacity to engage with media

• Sensitise and capacitate the media to various disability needs and to urge them to be inclusive in their presentation and reporting

• Link with African Universities to promote evidence based disability research and to promote disability inclusive academic programmes

• Review through our Governments the Accra Development Plan of Action and cause its implementation for the benefit of PWDs in Africa.

For more information, contact Email:
info@africandecade.co.za


African Youth Trust sign MOU with SADPD
The African Youth Trust (AYT) and the Secretariat of African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (SADPD), signed a Memorandum of Understating (MOU) this month to aid young people with disabilities participate in government, good governance, human rights and economic empowerment programmes across East Africa.

The signing of the MOU took place in Nairobi Kenya, on 19th September, 2008.

The SADPD was represented by the C.E.O A.K. Dube and AYT was represented by its Executive Director Nahum Okwiya. The move is expected to assist the youth participate in poverty reduction processes, giving a positive contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

For more information, Contact Email: nafisa@africandecade.co.za


Secretariat Commissions new Board of Directors
The Secretariat of the African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (SADPD) has a new Board of Directors. The board was elected on 19th September 2008 at an Annual General meeting held in Nairobi, Kenya.

 Roseweter Mudarikwa from Zimbabwe representing African Women’s Network (AWN), was elected the Chair Person of the New Board of the Secretariat of African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (SADPD).

 Mrs. Vanessa dos Santos from South Africa, representing Inclusion Africa was elected the Secretary of the SADPD Board.

 Mzolisi ka Toni also from South Africa representing Disabled People of South Africa (DPSA) was elected the new Treasurer of SADPD Board.

 The other members of the Board are Papa M. Fall from Zimbabwe representing, African Rehabilitation Institute (ARI).

 David Shaba from Tanzania, representing African Federation of Deaf Blind (AFDB).

 Paul Tazanou from Cameroon, who will temporarily represent African Union of the Blind (AFUB).

 Euphrasia Mbewe from Zambia, representing African Deaf Union (ADU).

 Nomasonto Grace Mazibuko from South Africa representing Pan African Albino Society.

 Antony Zimba representing Epilepsy Africa Regional Committee.

 Goulou Moussa Traore from Mali, representing African Persons with Leprosy Disability Organisation (ALO).

 Diop Alpha Boubacar from Guinea representing the Pan African Federation of the Disabled (PAFOD).

 Fredrick Asong from Ghana representing the Youth Network in Africa.

It was agreed that Paul Tazanou be in office until November 2008 when African Union of the Blind (AFUB) will send the name of nominee after the organization’s General Assembly.

It was also agreed that the South African government and African Union send their nominees.

For more information, contact Email: info@africandecade.co.za

International News

New EU Travel legislation Controversial
A new European Union Legislation requiring Persons with Disabilities to be accompanied by a carer has been criticised as infringing on the right to travel.

The legislation introduced on 28th June, 2008 states that anyone unable to fasten their seatbelt, leave their seat and reach an emergency exist unaided should be accompanied. This also applies to passengers who need help with breathing, feeding, using the toilet or taking medication.

Based on the new legislation, a UK wheel chair user Mrs. Kim Swift has been denied the right to fly by herself. If Mrs. Swift complies with the legislation, she will not be required to travel with a carer and has been advised to contact Monarch Airlines by writing. She has since written to the Airline and awaits response.

Source: Disability now


UK Wheel Chair user wins Inaccessibility Case
A wheelchair user unable to access a drinking bar because of its inaccessibility has been awarded £ 3,500 (R. 62, 069) by a Manchester County Court.

Jonathan Fogerty wanted to have a drink at Atlas Bar in July 2007 but could not get in as there was no provision for wheel chair users and there was no accessible toilet either.

He wrote to the bar manager three times with no reply. The Disability Rights Commission (DRC), took up his case and after unsuccessful attempts at mediation, Mr. Forgerty took the Bar to Manchester County Court, with DRC backing.

He was awarded £ 3,500 (R 51,749) compensation and £ 700 (R 10,343) expenses. The bar was also ordered to write to Mr. forgerty a letter of apology.

For more information, visit www.disabilty.now.org.uk


Guide Dog allowed into British Mosque
Eighteen year old Mahomed-Abraar khatri, a blind college student from Leicester (UK) has been granted a fatwa by the Muslim Law (Shariah) Council UK, enabling him to enter his local mosque accompanied by his guide dog, vargo.

Dogs are not allowed in mosques because Muslims believe their purpose is to hunt and guard and they are seen as “unclean”. But after Mr. Khatri asked for the lifting of the ban, it was softened to exclude guide dogs regarded as ‘working’ animals.


Upcoming Events
Regional
2-5 October
Disability lifestyle expo
Location: Johannesburg
Contact: independentliving08@gmail.com

13 -17 October
FAMOD General Assembly
Location: Mozambique
Contact: cantolalc@yahoo.com.br

24-25 October
AU Conference
Location: Namibia
Contact: ttjimbumbi@opm.gov.na

3-7 December
ICASA Conference
Location: Senegal
Contact: info@africandecade.co.za

International


15 October
International white cane day

3 December
International Disability Day

Helpful websites
www.afri-can.org
www.motivation.org.uk
www.wheelchairfoundation.org
www.paranet.ch
www.joniandfriends.org
www.africandecade.org.za

The Secretariat of African Decade of Persons with Disabilities News Update is circulated monthly. We welcome views and feed back from our readers. Your Reponses will always be published in the next issue. For more information, please contact info@africandecade.co.za

Compiled by: Jane Mwangi
Edited by: A. K. Dube