James Thurston, Senior Policy Manager with the accessibility team at Microsoft will be hosting the following panel at 9:20am on Thursday March 1st at the International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference.
Assistive Technologies: Progress on Implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
A session organized by G3ict, hosted by Microsoft
Session Description: The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) is one of the fastest ever negotiated Human Rights treaties: adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 2006, as of December 2011, it has 153 signatories and is ratified by 110 countries. The Convention at large - and more specifically its articles 4 and 9 - create the first universal framework addressing the accessibility of Information and Communication Technologies - ICTs - and assistive technologies. These dispositions benefit an estimated one billion persons living with disabilities worldwide, making accessible and assistive ICT solutions even more of a focus in the coming years for industry, users, and policy makers, as they represents both a major Human Rights milestone and a considerable market driving force for Assistive and Accessible ICTs. This panel discussion will explore from multiple perspectives trends in implementing Article 9 of the Convention and discuss possible next steps for even greater success.
Panelists include: