THE WHO NEWSLETTER ON DISABILITY AND REHABILITATION Issue No. 13, Summer 2011

World report on disability launched The formal launch was followed by a chance to discuss each chapter of the World report "We somehow know intuitively that in more detail, with feedback from expert disability is associated with social discussants. The day's events concluded exclusion. But this report now sets out the with a meeting on the intersections between evidence in such detail and with such disability and HIV/AIDS. authority that it commands our attention and demands our action" said WHO Regional impact: Pacific Islands Director-General, Dr Margaret Chan, at launch of the WHO/World Bank World report on disability at the in The day after the New York launch, people New York on 9 June. with disabilities from many Pacific Island nations gathered at the WHO office to Other speakers at the launch included Ms discuss priorities for implementing the World Tamar Manuelyan Atinc, Vice President of report , for example strengthening data the Human Development Network at the collection and improving coverage of CBR World Bank, Ms Faustina Urassa, programmes. This meeting, which was Kilimanjaro Association of the Spinally supported by AusAid, lays the foundation for Injured, Professor Ron McCallum, chairman further work in Pacific nations including of the Committee on the Rights of Persons policy dialogues, capacity building and data with Disabilities, together with Ministers of collection. Health from Rwanda and Mexico, and the The WHO Disability and Rehabilitation Australian Ambassador to the UN. A newsletter is produced three times a year particular highlight was a video address by and distributed via e-mail. Professor Stephen Hawking, the world Subscription/unsubscription requests famous theoretical physicist. should be sent to WHO’s Disability and DownloadRehabilitation the World Team report (DAR)! via: [email protected]

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The full report, summary, factsheets and H.E Dr Majid Hamad Amin the Minister of other materials can be found at: Health in Iraq, when WHO Representative to www.who.int/disabilities/world_report Iraq Dr Syed Jaffar Hussain met with H.E The summary version of the World report is Minister of Health in Kurdistan Regional now available in Braille, Easy Read and Government Dr.Taher Hawramy at the DAISY format in all 6 UN languages. Ministry of Health premises in Erbil on 21 Translation of the full document into all 6 June, together with the Director-General of languages is under way, beginning with Health for Erbil, senior level delegates from French and Spanish versions. the Ministry of Health and international and national WHO experts. As well as the report and summary, there are two-page fact sheets available, together with case studies, posters and media releases, all of which can be translated and adapted for use in different countries and settings.

Geneva launch of the World report

On 27 June, the attention shifted to Geneva, where Ms Diane Richler, chair of the International Disability Alliance and Mr Shuaib Chalken, the UN Special Rapporteur on Disability, joined an illustrious panel of A press conference was conducted in Helena Ambassadors and WHO Assistant Director- Rehabilitation Center-Erbil at to launch the Generals to welcome the World report and World report on disability in Iraq. The report discuss ways of removing barriers and was endorsed nationally by the Ministries of achieving the human rights of persons with Health in Iraq, Kurdistan Regional disabilities. A particular emphasis of this Government, the Ministry of Labor and meeting was on how WHO could ensure Social Affairs with the presence of WHO, mainstreaming of disability across the activists living with disabilities and media technical work of the Organization. representatives. Hashem Khalil Ibrahim, from the Association of People Living with A partners meeting at WHO following the Disabilities in Iraq, called on the Iraqi Geneva launch identified actions which government to speed up the implementation development actors, NGOs, DPOs, of the CRPD, and to establish an independent professionals and academics could take, national body concerned with the affairs of together with support required from WHO. people with disabilities. The goal now is to build a programme of work, supported by appropriate funding, to Next steps for the World report ensure that the World report translates into action in countries to remove barriers and promote health and inclusion of people with The intention is now to build on the disabilities. momentum of the global launches, with launches and policy dialogues in up to 100 different countries. Already events have Iraq launch been held in , Chile, Iraq and USA. We hope that donors will consider how the “Iraq pledges to step up efforts to enable World report evidence and recommendations access to mainstream services and to invest can inform their funding; that academics will in specialized programmes to unlock the vast address research gaps and will contribute to potential of people with disabilities,” stated capacity building; above all that policy- makers will take note of good practice and

Page 2 implement the recommendations of this Wherever possible, research should reflect Report, as a step towards achieving the the active participation of persons with CRPD and MDGs. Everyone has a role to disabilities themselves, and be grounded in play in this effort, starting with raising the human rights approach. The deadline for awareness of the report and of disability submissions of papers is January 15 2012. rights in the media, in schools, in workplaces, in communities. Given that journals such as Disability and Society , Alter and the Scandinavian Journal Filling the research gaps of Disability Research have also welcomed the publication of the World report , there is scope for publication of research relevant to A key recommendation of the World report other issues - support services, accessibility, was the need to strengthen research. Without education, employment - in other journals. evidence on issues such as need and unmet need, costs, impact of services, quality of life of people with disabilities, it is difficult to The World report in the media for WHO to make recommendations for how countries can respond more effectively. The World report on disability was covered Two forthcoming research symposia will by global and national media, including CNN, contribute to addressing gaps in research on Al Jazeera, BBC World Service and Islam health and rehabilitation. London School of TV, together with newspapers in many Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and countries. are each sponsoring a meeting where new and established As part of the campaign to promote the researchers will present their research. World report , WHO commissioned a series of films featuring women with disabilities The best papers from these meetings will be answering the question "What's disability to published in the journal Disability and me?". Four films featuring women from Rehabilitation , one year after publication of Bolivia, Lebanon, United Republic of the World report , together with other Tanzania and UK are available at contributions which focus on the www.youtube.com/who contribution of rehabilitation to improving As well as a compilation of these four films, the lives of persons with disabilities. Papers the playlist also includes a short film of are encouraged which relate to Professor Stephen Hawking endorsing the recommendations for research outlined in the World report on disability . We hope to edit report: a film of the New York launch of the World • the impact of environmental factors report in the coming months. The films (policies, physical environment, featuring Faustina and Rachel are now the attitudes) on disability and how to most viewed films ever made by WHO! measure it; Please view all these films to show your • measures of the lived experience of support for WHO's work on disability, and people with disabilities, including feel free to use them in your own work. measures on quality of life and well- being; Guyana update • what works in overcoming service barriers in different contexts; The MOH Guyana (National Rehabilitation • effectiveness and outcomes of Services and Disability Programme / rehabilitation services and Ptolemy Reid Rehabilitation Centre), with programmes; and the technical support of the National Center • the cost–effectiveness of public for Persons with Disabilities in Trinidad and spending on disability programmes. Tobago will be hosting a workshop to develop Wheelchair Maintenance and Repair

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Training between 24 to 28 October in Meanwhile, Dr Sonali Shah spent a month Georgetown, Guyana, supported by WHO with the WHO Human Resources PAHO. Department, sharing her research experience on career paths of people with disabilities. The objectives of this workshop are: Thanks to all our interns and volunteers for  to provide capacity building for persons their eagerness and effort, which makes a with disabilities in servicing and repair of major contribution to DAR's output and wheelchairs; effectiveness.  to offer mobility impaired persons access to affordable wheelchair maintenance countrywide;  to provide the opportunity to develop life skills for employment/entrepreneurs;  to increase the visibility of persons with disabilities in the community.

For additional information, please contact: Dr Javier Uribe: [email protected] Dr ArmandoVásquez: [email protected] oms.org Photo of Dr Sonali Shah at work

Interns update Upcoming events

During our busy summer, Hilary Veale ,  12-13 September 2011 : USA launch of from , played a vital role the World report on disability , supporting on logistics and liaison, Washington D.C., USA particularly at the New York and Geneva  8 November 2011 : symposium on launches of the World report. Hilary was research gaps identified by World report followed by Tinashe Dune , from University on disability , London School of Hygiene of Sydney, who has worked on a literature and Tropical Medicine, UK review of interventions to promote sexual http://disabilitycentre.lshtm.ac.uk/news-and- and reproductive health of persons with events/equityhealthdisability/ disabilities from low and middle income  5-6 December 2011 : symposium on countries, in association with Jessica Reidies , research gaps identified by World report from Gallaudet University, USA, who on disability , School of Health Sciences, interned in the Reproductive Health and University of Sydney. Research Department. Amit Kumar , a http://sydney.edu.au/health_sciences/disabilit physiotherapist now studying rehabilitation y-symposium/ at University of Texas Medical Branch Galveston, arrived at WHO in July to support work around rehabilitation and the interface between disability and ageing.

More information For further information please contact: Disability and Rehabilitation Team, Department of Violence and Injury Prevention and Disability, WHO, 20 Avenue Appia CH-1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland.

E-mail: [email protected] or visit our web site: http://www.who.int/disabilities

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