- International Gathering of Families
- International Gathering of Self-Advocates
- General Assembly of Inclusion International
- International Conference on The UN Convention
- CACL's 50th Anniversary Conference
- Study Tours
- Events At A Glance
- Sponsor A Self-Advocate or Family Member
- Donor/Sponsor Recognition
International Conference on Inclusion: Putting the UN Convention Into Action for People with Intellectual Disabilities
Tuesday evening and Wednesday, November 18 – 19, 2008
The International Conference will focus on how the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, adopted by the United Nations in 2006 and brought into force on May 3, 2008, will move into law, policy and practice to improve the daily lives of people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Through presentations by expert speakers and interactive workshop sessions, participants will focus on four main articles / provisions of the Convention:
- Legal capacity and supported decision making
- Right to live in the community/deinstitutionalization
- Inclusive Education
- Support to Families
The Conference will open with a plenary session by internationally recognized speakers, who will explore what the UN Convention means for people with intellectual disabilities and their families, and how to move it into law, policy and practice. Participants will then choose one of the four themed sessions, each of which will consider a UN Convention Article.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Evening Opening Plenary
- Hosted by Diane Richler, President, Inclusion International and Bendina Miller, President, Canadian Association for Community Living
- Keynote Speaker: Her Excellency, Vivian Fernández de Torrijos, First Lady of Panama, parent, and UNICEF Ambassador for Children with Disabilities and their Families
- Messages from International Gathering of Self-Advocates and International Gathering of Families
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Morning Plenary
- Keynote presentation on the implications of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for persons with intellectual disabilities and their families
- Presentation on implementing and monitoring the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
- Panel discussion and dialogue with international experts who will share their perspectives on the four theme areas and the realities, challenges and opportunities for transforming rights into action.
Interactive Workshop Sessions
There will be four full-day workshop sessions focusing on the main themes of the conference:
- Legal capacity and supported decision making
- Right to live in the community / deinstitutionalization
- Inclusive education
- Support to families
The workshops, facilitated by an international team, will be interactive and action oriented. Participants will come together to discuss the context of one of the theme areas, the way the theme is addressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the importance of the theme area for people with intellectual disabilities and their families, as well as the implementation challenges facing governments, communities and individuals. Workshop participants will generate a vision statement on their theme area as well as an action plan for member organizations to use for engaging in implementing and monitoring the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Action plans will outline the necessary steps to transform rights into action and make the UN Convention a true and tangible reality for all.
Afternoon Closing Plenary
- Presentation of workshop vision statements and action plans
- Keynote presentation on taking action and moving the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
