Disability Buzz
As this issue was being posted on the web, sometime in between Halloween and El Dia de los Muertos, the international disability networks began furiously emailing, faxing and phoning all over the world. The big news was that Mexico had launched a campaign for UN commitment to a Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. Support is building and if enough governments sign on, the proposal is likely to be introduced in late November at the UN General Assembly, through its Third Committee.
As our lead story in this issue of Disability World explains, the Third Committee reports annually to the UN General Assembly on issues of social concern and the Mexican Government, at the behest of President Vicente Fox, decided on this mechanism to request the establishment of a UN Committee to study and develop the Convention. An alert has been issued by the Mexican Mission to the UN and distributed worldwide by the InterAmerican Institute on Disability, Disabled Peoples International, Rehabilitation International and other disability networks.
The unexpected move by Mexico has exposed philosophical schisms in the international disability movement. In essence, some countries, especially in Europe, are starting to question whether separate legislation or regulations pertaining only to disabled people ultimately work to ghettoize this population. Other countries worry that a UN Convention, to gain universal acceptance, would have to adopt low minimum standards and weak monitoring mechanisms. Conversely, in most of the developing countries that have espoused support for the Mexican proposal, a UN Convention would introduce higher standards than their present national norms. At the very least, if this proposal is introduced on the floor of the UN General Assembly a welcome spotlight and debate on disability issues will result for the first time in many years.
Last Chance for Small Research Proposals
The Disability Research Institute, based at the University of Illinois, has announced a small grants program with a closing date of December 17. The grants program is being operated with the support of the U.S. Social Security Administration. The program provides up to $25,000 to support research projects lasting no longer than 12 months. Proposals are invited that address topics such as: an improved definition of disability; corporate "best practices" in hiring and retaining workers with disabilities; types of disabilities that affect older workers; privatization of U.S. Social Security and its impact on funding for disabled individuals; ways to improve the U.S. Social Security Administration's disability determination process; factors for people with disabilities who overcome employment barriers; and factors that facilitate transition to employment for childhood SSI beneficiaries. Details on the web: www.als.uiuc.edu/dri
President Bush's Disability Team Takes Shape
Also during the first week of November, U.S. President Bush gave attention to his high-ranking appointees on disability concerns. Prof. Martin Gerry has been named as the Deputy Commissioner for Disability and Income Security Programs, Social Security Administration. He joins other previously announced appointees: Jennifer Sheehy, Policy Advisor, White House Domestic Policy Council; Robert Pasternak, Assistant Secretary for Special Education & Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education; JoAnn Wilson, Commissioner of the Rehabilitation Services Administration, Department of Education; and Steven Tingus, Director, National Institute for Disability and Rehabilitation Research, who is featured in this issue of Disability World. There are still a few key positions to be filled at the Department of Labor, the National Council on Disability and other departments and we hope to report on those appointees in the next issue.
Highlights of this issue of Disability World
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This issue of Disability World, covering developments in 30 nations, has an usually high number of reports from poor countries. We particularly draw your attention to the reports on services for disabled Afghans as well as our first coverage of East Timor and greatly increased coverage of Latin America;
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We hope you will find Anthony Tusler's report of his international, accessible house exchange as fascinating as we did;
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Reporter Barbara Kolucki explores how young children today are being introduced to disability issues; and
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We are indebted to reporter Laura Hershey for her insightful interviews and articles on disabled women leaders emerging in Trinidad, India and Tanzania.
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