Tag Archives: global disability rights library

Signal Boost: Text of teleconferences on the Global Disability Rights Library

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

Thank you to everyone who participated in USICD’s teleconferences on the Global Disability Rights Library (GDRL). We are excited about the enthusiasm for this effort that you brought to the call. Both calls featured lively discussion and generated new ideas and connections that will be invaluable moving forward with the library. For those of you who were unable to join us—we missed you, and we still welcome your involvement in the GDRL project.

Some participants requested text from the conference calls, so we have posted it on the GDDRL page of the USICD website. The online version of the document can be found here: Text of Call

USICD will be hosting more conference calls in the near future, and we will stay in touch in the coming months about ways to remain involved in the development of the GDRL. The strength of the GDRL comes from contributions and content made by you, the experts and practitioners in the field, and we always value your questions and input.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

Many Thanks,

Andrea

Andrea Shettle, MSW, MA
Program Manager, Global Disability Rights Library
United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD)
1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 105
Washington, DC 20005
ashettle@usicd.org
http://www.usicd.org
Fax: (202) 347-0351

I participated (well, I listened) in this call and it was very interesting. The work the GDRL wants to do is very exciting.

USICD Hosting Skype Conference Call on Global Disability Rights Library for International Audience

(via email)

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

On Tuesday November 16 and Thursday November 18, 2010, USICD will host a pair of Skype teleconference calls for the International Disability Community introducing an opportunity to get involved in disseminating disability rights information globally. The calls will both cover the same content but are timed differently to accommodate time zone differences. Unlike past teleconferences on this topic, these are offered via Skype because we value our international colleagues and want to enable them to communicate with us more easily and cheaply.

You know that the disability rights movement is made stronger when disability rights leaders, policy makers, and allies have access to the knowledge they need to learn how to transform their society. But too many advocates in developing countries are excluded from the information age. In some countries, less than 5 percent of the population has Internet access.

The Global Disability Rights Library (GDRL) project is working to close the information gap for people with disabilities and their supporters who cannot access the Internet. After the GDRL is built and disseminated, it will put transformative knowledge into the hands of change makers in a position to improve the lives of people with disabilities in developing countries. But no single organization can do full justice to the wealth and diversity of disability knowledge available in the field. We need to call upon the expertise of a broad cross section of organizations like yours to help deliver as much quality library content as possible to as many recipients as we can reach.

During this call we will:

  • Briefly describe the partnership between USICD and the University of Iowa’s WiderNet project that is making the GDRL project possible
  • Explain the innovative technology that will enable us to deliver knowledge to disability rights advocates in developing countries without using the Internet
  • Invite your involvement in sharing knowledge and resources that will strengthen the ability of advocates worldwide to promote the human rights of people with disabilities in their countries
    • Learn more about the GDRL at the following web links:

      Global Disability Rights Library

      More on the Global Disability Rights Library

      Please join us on either Tuesday, November 16 at 9:00 am EST (2:00pm GMT) OR Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 11:00am EST (4:00pm GMT), for a teleconference call to learn more about the Global Disability Rights Library and how you can join us in building it.

      The call will be free for Skype users. To participate, please email Ellis Ballard, USICD’s Research and Programs Associate, at eballard@usicd.org with your Skype username. We will contact you via Skype to share contact details and ensure your participation in the call.

      If you do not have Skype but have an internet connection, you can download the program at Skype and start a free account.

      Streaming CART transcription will be available for anyone who would like it. Sign onto the CART page at the time of the call and you will be able to follow real-time text transcription.

      If you have any questions, feel free to email Ellis Ballard at eballard AT usicd DOT org.

      David Morrissey and I look forward to talking with you about the GDRL on either November 16th or 18th!

      Sincerely,

      Andrea

      Andrea Shettle, MSW, MA
      Program Manager, Global Disability Rights Library
      United States International Council on Disabilities (USICD)
      1012 14th Street, NW, Suite 105
      Washington, DC 20005
      ashettle@usicd.org
      http://www.usicd.org