About 100 youth with disabilities in the age group of 13-21 years in the category of visual disability, hearing disability, loco motor disability and developmental disorder (intellectual disability/Mental Retardation) from 18 countries will be representing their respective countries at ‘Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities, 2018’.
The Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has organised the event in New Delhi during November 9-11.
As a capacity building project that helps youth with disabilities to overcome their limitations and challenges for a better future through access to ICT, it propagates implementation of United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) – Article 21 which relates to access to information.
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Twelve participants in three teams will be representing India. These youths with disabilities have been selected on the basis of National IT Challenge conducted through National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra in June, 2018. The participants will also be accompanied by one official chaperone and one non-official chaperone from each country to serve as escorts for the participating youths with disabilities.
“This year, India is hosting the event in collaboration with Government of Korea and Rehabilitation International (RI).”
Since 2017, Rehabilitation International Korea (RI) has been associated with the project with support from the host countries as well as UNESCAP. The Korean organisation is headed by the eminent personalities in Korea and it has members/advocacy groups representing persons with disabilities.
The competition will be held on aspects, namely: E-tool (competition on application of MS- Excel, MS-Word etc) – individual event; E-life map challenge (ability to respond to specific situation) – individual event; E-creative (ability to create animated story or game) – group event (country-wise) and E-content (ability to make video) – group event (country-wise).
Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment will inaugurate the event today and will present awards to the winners on November 11.
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Participation of high government functionaries at the event is expected. The event is seen as reaffirming the commitment of Government of India at the political and administrative level towards creating an environment inclusive of persons with disabilities through application of ICT and also to fulfill the country’s international obligations enshrined under UNCRPD and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The Global IT Challenge was initially designed to enhance the information utilisation skill of youths with disabilities (in the category of visual disability, hearing disability, loco motor disability and developmental disorder) and to encourage their social participation. The event which started in the year 1992 in Korea was subsequently expanded to the neighbouring countries throughout the Asia-Pacific region and since 2011, has become a global event.
“There are about one billion i.e. about 15 per cent of the world population’s with disabilities.”
Majority of this population live in developing countries with low ICT development indexes. Because of this information divide, persons with disabilities are often being excluded from society because of which they suffer inequality and poverty.
The 18 countries participating are namely Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia, Cambodia Laos, Philippines, Korea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, UAE, India and UK.