Kathmandu, 6 December – A three-day long Global Disability Inclusion conference, which brings together global experts and representatives from the disabled people’s organisations from over 40 countries, begins today in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The conference, Include Us! Enabling the right to education for girls, boys and youth with disabilities, marks the second Global Disability Inclusion Conference hosted by global child rights humanitarian and development organisation Plan International.
The aim of the conference is to increase knowledge, understanding and skills on inclusive education in development and humanitarian settings.
Inaugurating the conference, the Minister of Education Dhani Ram Paudel welcomed participants and began his speech by referencing the social context in Nepal, which is moving towards an equitable and non-discriminatory society based on the principles of inclusiveness and participation.
Minister Paudel said, “I find that organizing an international conference on disability inclusion in Nepal is contextual. We must all work towards creating an equitable society that is inclusive, and support children with disabilities to attend and continue their education by removing the existing barriers they face toward.”
During the conference opening ceremony, Sven Coppens Country Director of Plan International Nepal said, “Plan International has built up commensurate and recognized expertise to reach out to some of the most marginalized and excluded groups of children in Nepal, including girls and boys living with disabilities.” Coppens also added that Plan International is prioritizing inclusive education in Nepal, and is committed to ensuring that children complete quality, inclusive education without discrimination or exclusion.
The conference also included a keynote address from Catalina Devandas, UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
The 2016 Include Us! Conference brings together delegates, partners, technical experts and thought leaders to increase knowledge, understanding and skills on inclusive education, and to strengthen linkages between inclusion, gender equality and girls’ rights in programmes and advocacy work.
The conference will also emphasise the links between inclusive education for children with disabilities, gender equality and the Sustainable Development Goals.
Globally, there are up to 150 million children living with disabilities, says WHO and the World Bank. Girls and boys with disabilities are often denied an education because they are the most vulnerable and excluded people in their communities, and are subjected to profound levels of poverty, discrimination and violence.
Globally, In the last 5 years, Plan International’s inclusive education programme has supported children with disabilities in 40 countries. The conference will conclude on 8 December 2016.