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Chapter 6: Disseminating Knowledge

DRPI recognizes that for an international disability rights monitoring system to be developed and sustained, collaboration with the disability community and other relevant people must be fostered and advanced through the dissemination of knowledge created by the project. DRPI has developed a wide-ranging knowledge dissemination strategy encompassing both traditional and innovative methods.

Virtual Knowledge Networks

DRPI is fostering its collaboration and dissemination efforts through the development of virtual knowledge networks. A Virtual Knowledge Network uses communication technology to bring together individuals or organizations that are geographically separated. DRPI is working towards establishing Virtual Knowledge Networks to connect individuals with disabilities, disability organizations, activists, scholars, human rights experts, government policy-makers, and UN representatives from around the world who are engaged in monitoring. DRPI is learning from, and building upon, the experience of other organizations with successful Virtual Knowledge Networks such as those in the international development field.

DRPI is creating three distinct Virtual Knowledge Networks. One will serve as a forum for information exchange among those involved in the project and any other people interested in developing similar holistic monitoring initiatives. Two smaller knowledge networks will focus on specific research projects:

  1. expanding legal education efforts related to human rights and disability
  2. examining methodological issues for effectively monitoring the individual experiences of people with disabilities

DRPI Website - New Developments

The DRPI website is updated regularly to include reports, important resources and links, as well as a photo gallery showing DRPI's international initiatives. The Home Page has been reformatted to provide quick access to information about recent disability rights developments within the DRPI project and the larger disability community in general.

The website has been audited to ensure its full accessibility and compliance with the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and has been Bobby-approved.

The website is the centre for the project's internet-based activities. It will be linked to separate password-protected web forums established to facilitate communication among members of the DRPI Advisory Committee; students involved in the legal education and research project; and the theme groups of DRPI Canada. DRPI's virtual knowledge networks will also be accessed through the website ensuring greater access to the site on a regular basis.

DRPI Presentations

DRPI project co-directors, staff and affiliates have disseminated information about the DRPI project and disability rights through presentations at conferences, meetings and courses. The following list highlights some of these. Speaking notes from some of these presentations are available on the DRPI website.

2006 Presentations

  • November 20 - SHIA Seminar: "How can we make sure that the rights of individuals with disabilities are not violated?" - "Presentation of the DRPI Project" (Bengt Lindqvist and Marcia Rioux)
  • November 6 - EU Disability Conference - "Achieving disability rights through mainstreaming at the regional and local level" - Stockholm, Sweden (Bengt Lindqvist)
  • September 6 - Interface with Organizations of People with Disabilities with a Cross-Disability Perspective - "Introduction to the DRPI project" - Ananthapur, India (Marcia Rioux)
  • September 4 - Central Institute of English and Foreign Languages - "Disability Rights Monitoring and the DRPI Project" - Hyderabad, India (Marcia Rioux)
  • August 30 - September 4 - NALSAR University Critical Legal Conference - Panel: "Law and Disability Rights" and Paper: "Charity to Disability Rights", Hyderabad, India (Marcia Rioux)
  • August 16 - UN Department Economic and Social Affairs, Discussion Regarding Establishment of Regional Repositories of Disability Legislation - "DRPI's work in the development of tools and mechanisms to collect and systemic disability rights monitoring data"- New York, USA (Rita Samson)
  • May 27- June 3 - York University, Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities - "At a Crossroads: Disability and Human Rights in Portugal and the EU" Toronto, Canada (Paula Pinto)
  • April 21-22 - Syracuse University School of Education, Inclusion Imperative: A Two-Day National Conference Honouring Diversity - "Inclusion, Equality and Human Rights"- Syracuse, USA (Marcia Rioux)

2005 Presentations

  • December 9-10 - Council of Canadians with Disabilities, Consultation regarding the Draft Disability Convention - "Possible National and International Monitoring Mechanisms for the Disability Convention" - Ottawa, Canada (Rita Samson)
  • August 25-26 - Nordic Blind Organizations' Conference - "Monitoring the Human Rights of People with Disabilities" - Reykjavik, Iceland (Bengt Lindqvist)
  • August 13-21 - University of Zagreb - Zagreb, Croatia (Marcia Rioux)
  • July 2-10 - 29th International Congress on Law and Mental Health - "The Legal Construction of the Disabled Person: Locating the Nexus of Disability and Theories of Equality" and "Economic and Scientific Determinism as a Means of Privatizing Disability: the Impact of Globalization of Disability Rights Law" - Paris France (Marcia Rioux)
  • June 22 - Social Development Canada Consultation on the UN Convention on Disability - Ottawa, Canada (Marcia Rioux)
  • June 5-11 - AFUB/SRF, Disability and Human Rights Conference - "Disability Rights Monitoring and the Disability Rights Promotion International project" - Nairobi, Kenya (Marcia Rioux and Rita Samson)
  • April - SHIA, Human Rights Training for People with Disabilities - "Monitoring the Human Rights of People with Disabilities" - Almåsa, Sweden (Bengt Lindqvist)
  • March 18-19 - Council of Canadians with Disabilities, Consultation Regarding the Draft Disability Convention - "DRPI's monitoring projects" - Ottawa, Canada (Marcia Rioux and Rita Samson)
  • February 24-26 - Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) 2005 National Conference - "Writing the Rights: the United Nations Recognizes Disability" - Vancouver, Canada. (Marcia Rioux)

2004 Presentations

  • September 8-10 - Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) World Summit - "Monitoring Human Rights - A Tool for Change"- Winnipeg, Canada (Bengt Lindqvist)
  • September 8-10 - Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) World Summit - "Essential Elements of Strong Monitoring" - Winnipeg, Canada (Marcia Rioux)
  • September - Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) - "Disability Rights Promotion International" - Ottawa, Ontario (Bengt Lindqvist and Marcia Rioux)
  • February - Equal Opportunities Commission of the State of Victoria Meeting - "Disability Rights Promotion International", Melbourne, Australia (Marcia Rioux)
  • February - Equal Opportunity Commission Victoria Forum - "The Development of the United Nations Convention on the Rights and Dignity of Persons with Disabilities", Melbourne, Australia. (Marcia Rioux)
  • February - Government of Victoria Human Rights Alliance Conference - "From Rhetoric to Reality: Making Human Rights Work", Melbourne, Australia. (Marcia Rioux)

DRPI in Print

In addition to speaking engagements, information about the DRPI project has been disseminated through articles in newspapers, magazines and scholarly publications. While not exhaustive, the following list highlights some of these publications. These are also available on the DRPI website or can be obtained from the DRPI office.

2006 Publications

  • (forthcoming) - A Comprehensive Guide to Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (Ivan Brown and Maire Percy eds.) - "International Human Rights and Intellectual Disability" (Marcia Rioux, Bengt Lindqvist and Anne Carbert)
  • September - Captus Press, Disability and Social Policy in Canada (2nd edition) (Mary Ann McColl and Lyn Jongbloed eds.) - "Trends Impacting Disability: National and International Perspectives" (Marcia Rioux and Rita Samson)
  • August - The Leader newspaper (Nairobi, Kenya) - "Where it's not the disabled who are unable: A Profile of Marcia Riou" (staff writer)
  • June - York University Research Gallery during Congress of the Social Sciences and Humanities - Exhibit: "Addressing Disability Discrimination Worldwide" (Marcia Rioux and York Research)

2004 Publications

  • September - International Bar Association's International Bar News - "New Project Promotes Human Rights Approach to Disability") (Bengt Lindqvist and Anne Carbert)
  • August - Interights Bulletin - "Disability Rights Promotion International: Monitoring the Human Rights of Persons with Disabilities" (Marcia Rioux and Anne Carbert)
  • August - Interights Bulletin - "UN Standard Rules on Disability Pave the Way for Human Rights" (Bengt Lindqvist)
  • January - Toronto Star newspaper (Toronto, Canada) - "International rights project ready for local feedback" (Helen Henderson)

2003 Publications

  • Autumn - Abilities Magazine - "Human Rights Around the World: Disability Rights Promotion International" (Marcia Rioux and Anne Carbert)
  • July - Amnesty International The Wire - "Human Rights and Disability: an interview with Bengt Lindqvist" (staff writer)

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