Miscellaneous

DPI e-update - 16 October 2009

To see the html version and past e-news archives, please go to http://v1.dpi.org/lang-en/resources/newsletters

E-news for Week ending 16 October 2009

Welcome to Disabled Peoples Internationalโs (DPIโs) E-news. Please continue to send your activities, conference information, and publications news to Dr. Cassandra Phillips at info@dpi.org.

DPI wishes to congratulate the following countries on ratification of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: Malawi on 27 August 2009; Laos on 25 September 2009, and the Solomon Islands on 24 September 2009. The following countries have ratified the Optional Protocol: Czech Republic on 28 September 2009 and Portugal on 23 September 2009. To read progress of other signatories, go to

http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/signature.shtml

Viewpoint on Persons with Mental Health and Intellectual Disabilities

According to Thomas Hammarberg, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights โindividuals with mental health or intellectual disabilities have been treated as non-persons . . . ; they have been deprived of [their] basic human rights.โ He adds, โTheir mere existence has been seen as a problem and they have sometimes been hidden away in remote institutions or in the backrooms of family homes. Though much of this has changed with the progress of the human rights cause, persons with mental health or intellectual disabilities still face problems relating to their right to make decisions for themselves.โ

Hammarberg points out that โthere is a great difference between taking away the right to take decisions about oneโs life and to provide โaccess to supportโ. The first views people with disabilities as objects of treatment, charity and fear. The second places the person with disabilities at the centre of decision-making and views them as subjects entitled to the full range of human rights.โ

To read in full go to

http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Viewpoints/090921_en.asp

Request to Share your Transportation Difficulties

UNESCAP (United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific) is working on an accessibility handbook to raise awareness and capacity building on accessibility. The organization wants to include true stories of the experiences persons with disabilities face in trying to gain access to public services including physical infrastructures, transportation, and communication and technology.

These stories will be used to illustrate the difficulty many people have with accessing public services and the need for universal design. Deadline for stories is 31 October 2009. Send submissions (including full name and country) via email to Mr. Jonathan Foret at jv4a@yahoo.com.

To read more about UNESCAP, go to

http://www.unescap.org/about/index.asp

Job Opening

The Disability Rights Fund is seeking an Operations Manager. The Operations Manager position offers a unique opportunity to join a groundbreaking grantmaking initiative supporting the rights of persons with disabilities.

As a member of a small team, the Operations Manager will help shape the Fund as it matures and incorporates the best strategies in funding disability rights in the Global South and Eastern Europe/former Soviet Union. The main objective of the position is to support the Director and other Fund staff by managing day-to-day operations of the Fund, in conjunction with the DRF fiscal sponsoring agency, Tides Center. Candidate works in a fast-paced environment, is flexible, takes initiative, and is independent but team-oriented. Closing date for applications is 1 November 2009.

Please email or mail a cover letter, resume, three references (with contact information and relationship), writing sample (five page maximum) to:

Disability Rights Fund

Diana Samarasan, Director

Third Sector New Englandโs Non-Profit Center

89 South Street, Suite 203

Boston, MA 02111-2670

Email: dsamarasan@disabilityrightsfund.org

(please no phone calls)

Fax: (215) 261-4593

For information on the DRF, go to

http://www.disabilityrightsfund.org/

By: DPI-HQ
When: 7/2/2014