Australian Architect, New RI President Outlines Program

Thank you Minister, and may I thank the RI membership and Oslo Assembly for the great honour of my election as RI President 2004 to 2008.

I look forward to meeting and visiting RI members and friends around the world, to assist in identifying and achieving our international and regional RI goals.

During the past week here in Lillestrom we have held our RI Executive Committee and Assembly meetings - and the clear message from our RI membership is the need for change.

This World Congress has brought together people from all over the world, to a major international forum for exchange of ideas over a wide range of important and relevant topics.

On behalf of RI, I sincerely thank our Norwegian hosts and Organising Committee for the excellent arrangements and content during our meetings and deliberations.

In particular I thank my predecessor Lex Frieden for his guidance and leadership as RI President over the past four years. Thank you also to the retiring and new RI Executive Committee - I look forward to working together over the next four years to identify and implement our RI global strategy.

The World Congress Plenary Sessions and Workshops have provided clear views on our changing world, with exchange of ideas and opportunities. During the various Interest Group discussions, an overriding theme has been the need to identify positive strategies and programs, to solve problems and create real empowerment opportunities for people with a disability.

As you may be aware my background as an architect and advocate extends over the past thirty five years. This began during the 1960s when I met Lionel Watts, an accountant, and a triplegic resulting from polio. Lionel had a vision for equity and empowerment at a time when the prevailing view worldwide was based on the welfare / medical model.

Lionel established an organisation called the House With No Steps in Sydney, and our task together was to design and build accessible facilities at a time when there was little or no awareness or understanding of access issues.

From my involvement with Lionel Watts I was asked to convene a committee to develop access standards in Australia in the early 1970s. We published the first comprehensive Australian Standard on access in 1975 and this Standard AS1428 evolved and was incorporated into building legislation in Australia in 1981 - The International Year of Disabled Persons (IYDP).

Since that time I have continued my involvement in access and equity as an architect and advocate working closely with government, relevant organisations and people with a disability.

I am pleased that Shirley White and Janet Kahler from the House With No Steps Corporate Board, and representatives of RI Australia, are present at this RI World Congress.

Challenges

The challenges have been clearly articulated in the many excellent presentations during this World Congress.

Venus Ilagan, DPI President, discussed the importance of including 'disability in development thinking on economic grounds'.

Judy Heumann, World Bank Disability and Development Advisor, outlined programs to integrate and involve people with disabilities across all World Bank programs and activities.

Florence Sekabira from Uganda provided an excellent model for an 'African Renaissance' to promote and empower participation of people with disabilities in the political world of Uganda.

Discussions at the ICTA Seminar ranged from - lack of awareness of access and equity in less developed countries and the need for education programs at all levels - to the problem of ineffective implementation of accessible buildings in more developed countries.

Opportunities

The opportunities are immense.

We have a global mandate to assist and empower over 600 million people with disabilities. Access and equity benefit everyone - and this further expands our mandate.

Our collective role is to create effective partnerships between people with disabilities, advocates, professionals, non-government organisations and government - to identify key issues and find cost effective and appropriate solutions.

Our RI network is well placed to contribute to these important global challenges and opportunities.

For the benefit of participants at this World Congress, I will briefly outline the structure of RI together with ways that we can work together to achieve our goals.

RI was established in 1922 and major RI activities and programs during the past 80 years have included the first Bill of Rights in 1931, the International Symbol of Access and the creation of a global network of organisations and people involved in access and equity.

Today RI is closely involved in many major international activities including IDA - the International Disability Alliance and the UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. The New York office of RI is well placed to participate in this important IDA and UN liaison.

RI has moved from a welfare / medical model to a rights based and more mainstream organisation. Accordingly we will be promoting RI as an organisation concerned with Rights and Inclusion.

RI in the new millennium can be a bridge builder, a networking organisation, a leader in access and a strong partner and advocate of the UN Convention.

RI Strategy

During our RI Executive Committee and Assembly meetings we discussed a number of key goals, as the basis for our RI strategy during the next four years. These goals relate to Focus, Networking, Funding, Membership, the UN Convention and Process.

Focus - In consultation with our RI membership, we plan to identify and implement achievable priorities. These priorities will include emphasis on the rights and inclusion of people with a disability, and the exchange of information and ideas between more and less developed countries.

Networking - We will strengthen existing links with important international organisations, including DPI, UN, WHO, ILO and the World Bank.

Funding - Our aim will be to identify funding opportunities from both mainstream and other sources, to promote and implement our goals.

Membership - We need to identify and promote the knowledge base of our RI membership. RI human resources should be clearly identified and can be used more effectively in all of our programs.

UN Convention - In conjunction with IDA, RI has an important role during resolution and implementation of the Convention.

Process - We will review feedback from meetings such as this World Congress and from our membership, to ensure that future RI activities and meetings provide an appropriate forum to respond to identified needs and priorities.

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