The Global Disabilities Rights Library will offer off-line resources on political participation in areas where Internet access is limited.
IFES is now an official contributor to the Global Disability Rights Library (GDRL), a repository of best practices on how to include persons with disabilities in their communities. This tool provides information on disability rights to organizations in 60 countries around the world that have little or no access to the Internet.
This off-line information storage and collaboration platform provides advocates, policymakers and disabled persons' organizations Internet-like access to digital resources without requiring Internet connectivity. The first round of distributions will be for organizations in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The initiative was implemented by the U.S. International Council on Disability and the University of Iowa’s WiderNet Project. The aim of the project is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge on disability rights and capacity building to those without regular access to the Internet.
“People with disabilities in developing countries have the same need for information access as everyone else — but huge obstacles have been placed in their way. This project helps connect users in developing countries with global knowledge resources that can help them with promoting disability rights in their local communities,” said David Morrissey, Executive Director of the United States International Council on Disabilities.
IFES has promoted the inclusion of persons with disabilities in elections and the political process in dozens of countries. Our wealth of experience in this area complements information already available in the GDRL on advocacy, education, transportation, public policy and employment.
“Article 29 of the international Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities guarantees that persons with disabilities can effectively and fully participate in political and public life. IFES is working to make this vision real in countries around the world, and the GDRL Project can help to connect this work with some of the hardest to reach communities,” said Morrissey.