Today, in Buenos Aires, a meeting culminates the paradigm-shifting work that Rosangela Berman-Bieler has quietly accomplished during the past four weeks of shuttle-diplomacy in Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. Watch for updates as Turismo para Todos reshapes tourism in the Southern Cone of South America. Parabems, Rosangela!
Here are some notes on Rosangela's organization, the Inter-American Institute on Disability and Inclusion (IID).
Some characteristics that differentiate the IID from other existing entities in the Region and demonstrate a real and concrete need for its existence are:* network linking individuals and grassroots organizations, providing direct and indirect services to people with disabilities;
* access to governments, universities, technical area, public politics;
* IID will provide a bridge between the actual demands of the disabled community, knowledge and resources, public and private initiatives;
* Based in the production and dissemination of information: Latin culture normally does not exercise the habit to withhold information or even to document its experiences;
* Promotion of empowerment: e.g., the concept of citizenship in the countries is not yet developed due to historical and political reasons;
* Cultural approach: cultural sensitivity for project development and management;
* Establishment of micro-credit programs for people with disabilities in the region.
Slide Show:
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DISABILITY/Resources/News---Events/463933-1163109717105/RBB_WCCD.pdf\
History of IID:
http://www.independentliving.org/docs6/berman-bieler.html