[SPAM] Antw: UN consultation on disability inclusion--the perspective of deaf people and sign language linguists is needed

Tue Mar 26 19:35:12 UTC 2013

There's an ambiguity in the word "development" that may be confusing the 
discussion a bit.  There is the sense that focuses on language 
acquisition in children, and the sense of "community development" in 
societies where there are needs in the areas of poverty, health, 
education, gender equality, social welfare, etc.  I think the UN 
consultation is focusing on the second sense, although of course the 
first sense is part of that as it pertains to education.  As Franz says, 
it is not very clear when you go to the site what the goal is, unless 
one has been part of the global development community.

As I understand it, the particular focus of the UN consultation is that 
in light of the UN's "Millenium Development Goals" 
(http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/), people with disabilities have 
often been ignored.  I would point out that people in minority language 
communities have also often been ignored--people have tried to conduct 
development activities while relying on national languages rather than 
local languages.  Signing deaf people get doubly-ignored.

I'm pleased to see that people are preparing to make contributions. As 
of this moment, I haven't seen any appear on the site, but probably its 
just that the moderator hasn't gotten to them yet (it's only been about 
18 hours since I submitted mine).

Albert Bickford
SIL International
   Linguistic Services Coordinator, Global Sign Languages Team
   Director, SIL-UND

Please use different email addresses for different topics:
   sign languages: linguistic_services_gslt at sil.org
   SIL-UND: director_silund at sil.org
   other: albert_bickford at sil.org

late May through early August:
   2901 University Ave Stop 8217, Grand Forks ND 58202; 701-777-0575
mid-August through mid-May:
   16131 N. Vernon Dr., Tucson AZ 85739; 520-825-1229

On 2013/03/26 12:18 AM, Franz.Dotter at UNI-KLU.AC.AT wrote:
> Dear Albert,
> Maybe I'm to silly, but after having created my account, I could not 
> find an overview concerning the consultation, just found one question 
> and then two others elsewhere. Can anyone help?
> Related to the consultation: To put one very important point, namely 
> language development: doctors, speech therapists etc. signal a 
> potential big problem if a hearing child does not reach the 50 words 
> limit with 2 years of age and demand urgent action not to create 
> language and cognition delays or deficits. For deaf children there is 
> no such effort. On the contrary: Many "experts" tell the parents: 
> "Just wait, language will emerge some time later". We have to overcome 
> this split thinking: Also deaf children have the right to develop 
> their language in the same life period as hearing children do. As long 
> as we do not reach this goal of "language development for deaf 
> children in the sensible phases", there will be massive developmental 
> delays.
> To put another analogy which is not taken up to now: All linguists 
> stress the importance of allowing/assisting migrant children in using 
> and developing also their mother/family language for their future 
> identity and language competences. But this is not taken earnest for 
> deaf children: They are kept away from sign language which they could 
> (not must!) choose as their mother or preferred language. So they are 
> also broken in identity as they are only forced to accept that 
> they will be less good spoken language users for their whole life.
> Best Regards
> Franz Dotter
> Center for Sign Language and Deaf Communication, University of Klagenfurt
> Additionally funded by: Provincial government of Carinthia
> Head: Franz Dotter (hearing)
> Collaborators: Elisabeth Bergmeister (deaf), Silke Bornholdt (deaf),  
> Luzia Gansinger (hearing), Simone Greiner-Ogris (hearing) Andrea Grilz 
> (hearing, on maternity leave), Christian Hausch (deaf), Marlene 
> Hilzensauer (hearing), Klaudia Krammer (hearing), Christine Kulterer 
> (hearing), Andrea Lackner (hearing), Anita Pirker (deaf), Nathalie 
> Slavicek (hard of hearing), Natalie Unterberger (deaf)
> Administration: Friederike Wieser (hearing)
> Homepage: http://www.uni-klu.ac.at/zgh
> Deaf server (in German): http://deaf.uni-klu.ac.at
> Fax: ++43 (0)463 2700 992891 (Elisabeth Bergmeister), /992892 (Silke 
> Bornholdt), /992893 (Christian Hausch), /992894 (Anita Pirker), 
> /992895 (Nathalie Slavicek), /992896 (Natalie Unterberger), /992802 
> (Friederike Wieser)
> Phone: ++43 (0)463 2700 /2821 (Franz Dotter),/2823 (Marlene 
> Hilzensauer), /2824 (Klaudia Krammer), /2829 (Christine Kulterer), 
> /2802 (Friederike Wieser)
> Email addresses: firstname.lastname at uni-klu.ac.at 
> <mailto:firstname.lastname at uni-klu.ac.at>
>
>
> >>> "Albert Bickford" <albert_bickford at SIL.ORG> 3/25/2013 5:36 >>>
> Dear colleagues:
>
> (Before you get upset about the use of the word "disabled" on this 
> email list, please read on!)
>
> I have just become aware that the UN Department of Economic and Social 
> Affairs (UNDESA) and UNICEF are beginning preparations for a 
> high-level meeting on disability and development this September.  They 
> have organized an online forum for preliminary discussion of the 
> matter.  So far, the special perspective of deaf people and sign 
> language linguists has not been represented.  As a result, there is a 
> distinct possibility that approaches and strategies proposed for 
> persons with disabilities generally may be misapplied to deaf people, 
> ignoring the crucial role that sign language plays in the lives of 
> deaf people and deaf communities.
>
> I believe that people on this forum may want to express their views in 
> the online consultation that is currently taking place.  See the email 
> quoted below for details on how to participate.
>
> Please note that discussion closes in just a couple days, so if you 
> want to say something, act now.
>
> -- 
>
> Albert Bickford
> SIL International
>    Linguistic Services Coordinator, Global Sign Languages Team
>    Director, SIL-UND
>
> Please use different email addresses for different topics:
>    sign languages:linguistic_services_gslt at sil.org
>    SIL-UND:director_silund at sil.org
>    other:albert_bickford at sil.org  
>
> late May through early August:
>    2901 University Ave Stop 8217, Grand Forks ND 58202; 701-777-0575
> mid-August through mid-May:
>    16131 N. Vernon Dr., Tucson AZ 85739; 520-825-1229
>
> -------
>
> Dear members of the  WorldWeWant2015.org  <http://worldwewant2015.org/>  website,
>
> In many countries, the realization of the Millennium Development Goals 
> (MDGs) has not been achieved for persons with disabilities. This 
> clearly highlights the importance of ensuring that development 
> processes are inclusive of persons with disabilities and their 
> perspectives for the still ongoing efforts to accelerate and expand 
> progress on the MDGs and in the definition of the new development 
> framework that will succeed the MDGs, after 2015.
>
> On 23 September 2013, the UN General Assembly will hold a High-level 
> Meeting on disability and development, with the overarching theme/"The 
> way forward: a disability-inclusive development agenda towards 2015 
> and beyond"/, at UN Headquarters in New York.
>
> To ensure that the post-2015 agenda is inclusive of disability, the UN 
> Department of Economic and Social Affairs in collaboration with UNICEF 
> is holding an online moderated consultation to gather views from a 
> broad range of stakeholders on how to include disability in the 
> post-2015 development framework, in order to contribute to the ongoing 
> work for the High-level Meeting.
>
> Building on the earlier online discussion on "Addressing Inequalities 
> and Persons with Disabilities in the Post-2015 development agenda", 
> held on this site in November (read thesummary report here 
> <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=64945919&msgid=483543&act=M3EP&c=1000518&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldwewant2015.org%2Fnode%2F304822%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DInequalities%3A%20WorldWeWant2015%26utm_content%3D>:http://www.worldwewant2015.org/node/304822 
> <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=64945919&msgid=483543&act=M3EP&c=1000518&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldwewant2015.org%2Fnode%2F304822%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DInequalities%3A%20WorldWeWant2015%26utm_content%3D>) 
> this consultation aims to take a closer look at the particular 
> challenges faced by per! sons with disabilities in different regions, 
> and identify the specific measures and actions to be taken by 
> different stakeholders to promote a disability-inclusive society and 
> development.
>
> In this context, we would like to invite you take part in this online 
> consultation, starting on*8 March***and running for three weeks 
> until*28 March*.
>
> *To participate, please visit the 
> site****www.worldwewant2015.org/enable 
> <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=64945919&msgid=483543&act=M3EP&c=1000518&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldwewant2015.org%2Fenable%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DInequalities%3A%20WorldWeWant2015%26utm_content%3D>****and 
> log-in or register here 
> <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=64945919&msgid=483543&act=M3EP&c=1000518&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldwewant2015.org%2Fregister%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DInequalities%3A%20WorldWeWant2015%26utm_content%3D>***(http://www.worldwewant2015.org/register 
> <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=64945919&msgid=483543&act=M3EP&c=1000518&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldwewant2015.org%2Fregister%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DInequalities%3A%20W%21%20orldWeWant2015%26utm_content%3D>). 
> Simultaneous consultations will take place in English, Arabic, 
> Chinese, French, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish.  The site is 
> compatible with screen readers, however, if you are unable to access 
> the site, please email your response to:enable at worldwewant2015.org 
> <mailto:enable at worldwewant2015.org?subject=RE%3A%20INVITATION%3A%20Online%20consultation%20for%20a%20disability%20inclusive%20development%20agenda%20towards%202015%20%26%20beyond>. 
> Please note that the forum is moderated, therefore your post will not 
> appear immediately but will be posted within twenty-four hours.
>
> The recommendations emerging from your contributions will be 
> incorporated into a report on the consultations to inform the 
> preparation of the outcome document for the UN High-level Meeting on 
> 23 September 2013.
>
> The consultation aims to be as broad and open as possible, in order to 
> enable a multitude of voices to be heard from Governments, UN system 
> organizations, academia, media, private sector and civil society 
> organizations, including persons with disabilities and their 
> organizations (DPOs).
>
> Please invite your colleagues, partners and networks to participate!
>
> Warm regards,
>
> *United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and 
> UNICEF in collaboration with the United Nations Promoting the Rights 
> of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD)*
>
> Contact: enable at worldwewant2015.org 
> <mailto:enable at worldwewant2015.org?subject=INVITATION%3A%20Online%20consultations%20for%20a%20disability%20inclusive%20development%20agenda%20towards%202015%20and%20beyond%20>
>
> Discussion web site:http://www.worldwewant2015.org/enable 
> <http://click.icptrack.com/icp/relay.php?r=64945919&msgid=483543&act=M3EP&c=1000518&destination=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.worldwewant2015.org%2Fenable%3Futm_source%3DiContact%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_campaign%3DInequalities%3A%20WorldWeWant2015%26utm_content%3D>
>

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