Rolling Rains Report:

Wisdom from Wilderness Inquiry

I want to reach back to showcase a pioneer of inclusion - Greg Lais of Wilderness Inquiry.

With the recent emphasis on outdoor sports here as a result of the travelogue covering REATECH in Brazil and the upcoming concurrent Adventure Travel World Summit and Adventure Sports World Summit it seems appropriate to publish this excerpt from Greg's article "Social Inclusion Through Recreation: The Wilderness Inquiry Approach":

As a society we have learned that physical integration – putting people with differences together in one place – is not enough. While we will always need laws to prohibit the most egregious forms of discrimination, we will never be able to force people to respect and accept each other. Wilderness Inquiry recognizes this and uses a unique approach to promote social inclusion within a community. Its formula for inclusion is simple, but it requires that we think more broadly than traditional “special” or “minority population” approaches to inclusion. Briefly, WI’s approach to integration is:
1. Select a popular, voluntary, cooperative venue that has inherent challenges.
2. Provide support so that everyone can participate without changing the fundamental nature of the experience.
3. Actively recruit people from diverse backgrounds and ability levels.
4. Facilitate the process to optimize opportunities for social integration to occur.
5. Provide financial assistance to keep the program within reach of people from all socio-economic backgrounds.

WI has carefully refined its program to seamlessly serve people with disabilities and others who are neither disabled nor associated with other “minority” communities. It is the only program serving people with disabilities and chronic illness in the United States that regularly attracts people who would never consider personally participating in a program for “special populations.” In short, WI has developed a highly effective approach to facilitating social integration – it reaches people from all walks of life, opens their minds and changes their attitudes.

]]> Source:

http://www.ici.umn.edu/products/impact/162/prof1.html

A Discrimination Case Against Tiger Airways

REATECH: Una Abertura (Spanish)

Reatech 2008 fue una revelación para nosotros: nos permitió comprender la vida en toda su intensidad, más allá de nuestros propios interrogantes como seres humanos y de nuestras inquietudes como padres de una persona discapacitada.
Y es que fue aquí, en este maravilloso espacio que es la feria, donde aprendimos a valorar lo que tenemos sin pensar en lo que nos falta; donde comprendimos que el dolor va de la mano de la felicidad, sucediéndose de a ratos, conformando un continuum que es, nada más y nada menos, que la vida. Y que esa vida vale la pena.

Y es aquí, también, que aprendimos que…

]]> …Se abraza con los brazos o con lo que queda de ellos, pero se abraza…

…Se ve con los ojos del otro y su narración del universo pero, fundamentalmente, se “ve” al otro desde lo profundo de uno mismo.

…Se escucha con el lenguaje de las manos del otro pero se “escucha” al otro…

…Se camina con lo que se puede o con lo que la tecnología brinda, pero se camina, siempre hacia delante, siempre transitando ese camino que se llama vida, sin concesiones…

Viví, valga la redundancia, un espacio de vida pura: cada cual buscaba su propio espacio bajo el sol y lo vivía, con o sin ayuda, pero con toda la fuerza, ésa que a veces es esquiva en aquéllos a quienes, supuestamente, ninguna capacidad les falta.

Me emocioné, me reí, me asombré, me sentí orgullosa cuando mi hija habló en la inauguración, bailé al ritmo de una música que lo inundaba todo de alegría, me sentí parte de un espacio que, generoso, se abre a quien quiera verlo y disfrutarlo, con gente sin prejuicios, sin etiquetas, con “capacidades diferentes”, que son realmente diferentes en cuanto a su capacidad de prodigarse con el amor más pleno que pueda darse.

Disfruté absolutamente de Reatech 2008. Le agradezco profundamente a mi hija que me haya llevado: la experiencia vivida valió la pena.

A todos, mis sinceras felicitaciones y el deseo de que Reatech 2009 siga ofreciendo este espacio de encuentro tan importante para todos, especialmente para quienes la esperan como “su lugar en el mundo”.

Fuente - Blog de Nelida Barbeito:

http://nelidabarbeito.blogspot.com/

REATECH: "E dessa vez a diferente era eu!" (Portuguese)

Há uns dois meses atrás, quando meu namorado me perguntou se gostaria de ir com a ele à Reatech, não pensei duas vezes e disse que sim. Afinal, estou escrevendo num blog sobre acessibilidade, inclusão, reabilitação bla bla etc e tal. Nada mais normal do que acompanhá-lo ao evento. Às vésperas da feira, então, quando percebi que meu namorado não parava de falar nos test drives que poderia fazer e nas cadeiras e acessórios que encontraria por lá, comecei a me perguntar se não me sentiria deslocada num evento como esse. Pra meu alívio, essa desconfiança passou quase que por completo assim que cheguei na feira, pois, como em tudo que é evento de porte internacional, você tem muito o que ver, ouvir, conhecer e explorar.
Mas como eu disse: quase. A primeira meia hora foi estranha.

]]> Continuar lendo este articoo da Bianca Marotta, "E dessa vez a diferente era eu!"

Bianca, foi um prazer te conhecer pessoalmente na REATECH.

Mobile March - Canada

Jeff Preston is on the road with a message:

"Accessible transit, not only in London, [Ontario] but in the province, is broken," the University of Western Ontario Master's student told a crowd of about 150 supporters outside city hall.

He is blogging on his trek to demonstrate the fact at Get Mobilzed. Here's from his first day on the road:

I’ve known all along that this was important and it’s something I just have to do, but when I think of all the people who came out to see me off today, all the people with disabilities around this province stuck in the ridiculousness that is accessible transportation, and all the friendly motorists along the way who happily shared the road with me today, well I know that not only can I accomplish my goal to reach Ottawa, but we truly are on the cusp of something revolutionary. People seem to really understand the problem and empathize with our plight–they genuinely believe that we, the disabled, have the same right to access transportation just like everyone else. I think that’s really significant.

Source:
http://www.getmobilized.ca/travelblog/

]]> More information:

http://getmobilized.ca/mainpage.html

UWO Student Begins Wheelchair Journey
http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/News/Local/2008/05/06/5481326-sun.html

Da AVAPE: Turismo acessível

Convênio entre o Ministério do Turismo, AVAPE e a Prefeitura de Socorro facilitará o acesso de pessoas com deficiência ao turismo de aventura e atividades de lazer

Reportagem: Marília Penteriche

Em matéria de acessibilidade turística, o Brasil ainda engatinha se comparado aos Estados Unidos, Canadá ou Inglaterra. Além das poucas opções de destinos e habitações realmente acessíveis, as existentes costumam ser caras. Mas o município de Socorro (SP), a 130 quilômetros de São Paulo, promete mudar este cenário. Um convênio entre o Ministério do Turismo, a Prefeitura, a AVAPE e o programa Aventura Segura criou o projeto Socorro Acessível, para tornar a cidade - um dos pólos de turismo de aventura mais importantes do interior paulista - o primeiro destino turístico do país totalmente adaptado às pessoas com deficiência.

]]> A AVAPE iniciou a análise do diagnóstico de acessibilidade e do potencial turístico de Socorro há um ano, identificando barreiras arquitetônicas construídas numa época em que as pessoas com deficiência não saíam de suas casas para se divertir, muito menos para viajar. No levantamento, a Organização empregou arquitetos e técnicos em inclusão. 'Ao todo, serão realizadas nove ações para acessibilidade, entre elas a instalação de sinais sonoros nos semáforos e construção e adaptação de rampas de acesso em locais públicos, como ruas, praças e museus', explica a técnica em acessibilidade da AVAPE, Cristiane Ecker. Mais do que promover a inclusão por meio do turismo acessível, Socorro está se adequando ao decreto número 5.296, de 2004, que regulamenta a lei 10.098. Entre outras definições, hotéis e pousadas devem ter 5% de suas acomodações adaptadas para atender pessoas com deficiência, de acordo com a Norma Técnica 9050. Os estabelecimentos de uso público e privado precisam estar adequados até dezembro de 2008.

A adaptação física não foi o único foco da AVAPE. A Organização se preocupou também com a questão comportamental. Em fevereiro, realizou a oficina 'Colocando as Mãos na Massa', para empresários e gestores de empresas que oferecem turismo de aventura, esclarecendo dúvidas sobre como iniciar projetos de acessibilidade e atendimento às pessoas com deficiência.

La région Riviera Cote d'Azur (French)

La région Riviera Cote d'Azur, dont la ville de Nice est l'un des centres majeurs, peut se vanter d'être l'un des principaux sites touristiques français. Une réalité qui a sa part d'ombre !

]]> En effet il y a une catégorie de touristes qui trouve difficilement le gîte et le couvert dans cette magnifique région, ce sont les personnes à mobilité réduite. Malgré le dynamisme de certaines régions en matière de tourisme et handicap, nous pouvons constater que cet aspect n'est pas une préoccupation des professionnels du tourisme locaux. Seulement 79 structures labellisées sur 6 départements, alors que le Languedoc Roussillon en compte 252 et la Région Centre 272. Le Comité Régional de Tourisme a décidé de réagir en mettant les professionnels face à leurs responsabilités, à l'occasion d'un colloque au cours duquel ils ont débattu de cette situation avec des personnes handicapées, des politiques, des responsables d'associations et assisté à la présentation de ce qui se fait dans ce domaine en Espagne grâce à la présentation de l'architecte Francesc Aragall, président de « Design for all » qui a mis en accessibilité de nombreux sites historiques. Dominique Charpentier, le Directeur Général du CRT Riviera Côte d'Azur, estime que la mise en accessibilité des sites d'accueil touristique est une démarche totalement rentable au vu des plus de 130 millions de personnes handicapées identifiées en Europe, qui sont autant de touristes en puissance pour les régions touristiques qui ont une image de zone accessible pour tous.

Le président de l'un des groupements hôteliers de Nice rétorquait que cette démarche est difficile à mettre en œuvre pour nombre de professionnels, coûteuse et non rentable dans la plupart des cas. Un point de vue qui a déclenché les foudres de Muriel Marland-Militello, députée des Alpes Maritimes et qui est, entre autres, vice-présidente du groupe d'étude sur l'intégration des personnes fragilisées, et de Madame Catherine Bachelier, Déléguée ministérielle à l'accessibilité depuis une dizaine d'années. Celles-ci ont su faire valoir le fait que l'investissement dans l'accessibilité était une ambition nationale irréversible dont le bénéfice ne pouvait être remis en question. Pour accompagner les professionnels qui souhaitent obtenir le label Tourisme et Handicap, le CRT anime une commission composée de spécialistes du handicap et de l'accessibilité qui, sur demande, réalisent un diagnostic de la structure et instruisent le dossier qui permet l'obtention du Label. Au vu de la détermination de l'équipe locale de labellisation, on peut espérer que les labellisations actuelles fassent boule de neige.

Source:

http://informations.handicap.fr/art-tourisme-culture-15.0.0.0-2543.php

REATECH Bloggers Summit on Inclusive Tourism

Parque dos Sonhos

REATECH is South America's largest disability expo. Promoters of Inclusive Tourism gathered from throughout North, Central, and South America to add an entirely new topic to the typical showcase on technology, sport, self-help, and disability culture.

The Rolling Rains Report organized a Bloggers Summit during the event and Brazilian pioneers of inclusive adventure and eco-tourism arranged for technical assistance visits to observe their project in partnership with the federal tourism ministry known as "Socorro Acessivel." Below is a multi-lingual pastiche of conference reports from those who came together to run our booth. To the right are photos from only one of the several sites that we visited on the tour. Brazil is taking to inclusion in tourism with zest and innovation! (Note; the zipline in the photo is 1 km long starting in São Paulo state and ending in the state of Minas Gerais.)

Keep the September 4-7 Adventure Travel Summit and Adventure Sports Fair on your calendars as the next event where this corner of the world's Inclusive Tourism team meets up Join us. Vamos la!:

Craig Grimes (English)
Accessible Everything

Ricardo Shimosakai (Portuguese)
Turismo Adaptado blog
EcoViagem post

Nelida Barbeitos (Spanish)
http://nelidabarbeito.blogspot.com/

Eduardo Camara & Bianca Marotti
Mão na Roda

CRPD and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL)

People come to disability through a variety of means. Landmines is one preventable cause. below the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) hails the passage of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

]]> Landmine survivors and all people with disabilities can now count on a powerful tool to ensure their rights are respected and their needs met, the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) said today, hailing the entry into force of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Disability Rights Convention).

The Convention, considered the first major human rights treaty of this century, was signed in December 2006. It will enter into force tomorrow, 30 days after the deposit of the 20th ratification (by Ecuador, on 3 April 2008).

"Like the Mine Ban Treaty just over ten years ago, the Disability Rights Convention is the result of a close partnership between governments and civil society organizations, whose contribution was crucial in achieving a strong legal instrument," said Firoz Ali Alizada, Advisor to the Afghan Landmine Survivors' Organization (ALSO), stressing the high levels of participation of the disability community – including landmine survivors – in the process.

"We are confident that the Disability Rights Convention will help bring about real change in the lives of landmine survivors, through the adoption of effective legislation and a shift in attitude," Alizada added.

In mine-affected countries, the Disability Rights Convention will complement the obligations for assisting landmine victims contained in the Mine Ban Treaty and strengthen the notion that providing comprehensive assistance to landmine survivors and other people with disability is fundamentally a human rights issue.

"Unfortunately, despite repeated verbal commitments, support for landmine survivors is still lacking in many countries, and decisive action is needed to turn promises into real improvements for survivors, their families, and communities," said ICBL Executive Director Sylvie Brigot.

Of the 24 States Parties to the Mine Ban Treaty that have identified themselves as having the most pressing needs in terms of victim assistance, only four have so far ratified the Disability Rights Convention: Croatia, El Salvador, Nicaragua and Peru. The ICBL urges all countries to join the Convention and start adopting national legislation to put it into practice as soon as possible.

As the international community prepares to meet in Dublin from 19 May 2008 to negotiate a new treaty to ban cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians, the ICBL expressed the hope that the principles of equality and inclusion enshrined in the Disability Rights Convention will be fully reflected in the new treaty.

"From the experience of the Mine Ban Treaty, we have learned the importance of placing concrete requirements on states for victim assistance. We hope the new treaty will include solid implementation and reporting requirements in this area," Brigot said.

Background

The ICBL's Landmine Monitor Report 2007 estimates the global number of landmine survivors at 473,000 but actual numbers are likely to be higher.

During the First Review Conference of the Mine Ban Treaty, held in Nairobi, Kenya, in 2004, the following 23 countries identified themselves as having significant numbers of mine survivors and needs for assistance, but also the greatest responsibility to act: Afghanistan, Albania, Angola, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Burundi, Cambodia, Chad, Colombia, Croatia, Dem. Rep. of Congo, El Salvador, Eritrea, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Peru, Senegal, Serbia, Sudan, Tajikistan, Thailand, Uganda and Yemen. Ethiopia later added itself to the list.

Through the Nairobi Action Plan, adopted at the end of the First Review Conference in 2004, States Parties to the treaty pledged to enhance efforts for the care, rehabilitation and reintegration of landmine survivors during the period 2005-2009.

For more information, or to arrange an interview, please call the ICBL office in Geneva: +41 (0)22 920 03 25

Source: http://www.reliefweb.int/rw/RWB.NSF/db900SID/ASAZ-7E9H9Z?OpenDocument

Inclusion in Adventure Sports Makes Inroads in Nepal

High-risk sports are not everyone's cup of tea but stories like these do fix a destination in the minds of some intrepid travelers with disabilities:

Twenty-eight-year-old Sita KC took to the skies today becoming the first disabled person in Nepal to be airborne without the help of an engine.
KC, who is suffering from spinal paralysis and cannot use her limbs waist downwards, went paragliding with Swiss national Sebastian Baqeun in tandem for a 50-minute flight under the aegis of Sunrise Paragliding. She went into launch mode from Sarangkot cliff of Pokhara.

]]> "I was thrilled beyond words after touching down," KC told this daily. "It is just not possible to describe the feeling of elation on getting airborne, and that too in a location like Pokhara. Looking at others paragliding, I had been yearning for a long time to do so."

KC said, "There are several friends of mine who are also disabled in some way or the other. All of them and the doctors and staff at Hariyo Khark Hospital here encouraged me to give wings to my dream. I am grateful to them."
Employed at the hospital as a counsellor, KC said many of her disabled friends also wanted to go paragliding and added that they felt inspired by her effort.

Sunrise Paragliding coordinator Rajesh Bomzan said KC had proved that disability was no deterrent if a person was determined to do something. He added he was happy that she chose his organisation as a platform to prove her point.

Hospital superintendent Sandra Boan lauded KC for her daring and expressed happiness that it went off successfully. "Positive thinking has the power to elevate a person above her or his disability," she said.

http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=aFanata0scqzpca3Sa4ta.axamal&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20080429

Sérgio Franco, Marta Suplicy, Hotel Fazenda Campo dos Sonhos em Socorro Continuam Trabalho do Pioneiro De Turismo Inclusivo Dada Moreira

A Ministra do Turismo, Marta Suplicy, visitou o Hotel Fazenda Campo dos Sonhos em Socorro (SP) - o primeiro empreendimento da cidade a ser referência para a acessibilidade a pessoas com necessidades especiais (deficientes auditivos, visuais e de mobilidade)
O Parque dos Sonhos, onde está localizado o hotel, também será referência para a certificação de turismo de aventura, pois é o primeiro a adotar integralmente as normas da ABNT (Associação Brasileira de Normas Técnicas), que foram regulamentadas a partir do Projeto “Aventura Segura”, coordenado pela ABETA (Associação Brasileira das Empresas de Turismo de Aventura) em conjunto com o Ministério do Turismo.

Sérgio Franco, diretor da Adventure Sports Fair, acompanhou a visita, e pode constatar com orgulho o fato de que grande parte das iniciativas hoje implementadas tiveram início nas edições da feira, que se tornou o ponto de encontro anual entre os empresários do turismo, ONGs e Governo.

Todas essas iniciativas tiveram início durante a Adventure Sports Fair – o grande ponto de encontro entre os empresários do Turismo, Ongs e Governo.

]]> Fonte: http://www.adventurefair.com.br/noticias/destaques1.asp?numero_noticia=208

De sitio Adventure Sports Fair:

A Adventure Sports Fair tem papel importante no mercado de turismo de aventura, para a indústria de roupas, calçados e equipamentos para os praticantes de esportes de aventura ou simplesmente para os consumidores que adotam a aventura como estilo de vida.
É também o mais importante salão de veículos 4x4, com a presença das principais marcas do mercado, oferecendo, assim, a possibilidade dos consumidores experimentarem seus lançamentos.

Além de ser uma feira de negócios, a Adventure Sports Fair aproxima os destinos e os operadores das agências de turismo que irão comercializar seus produtos.

E, para os fabricantes de roupas, calçados, equipamentos e bikes, a Adventure Sports Fair é a grande plataforma de lançamento de seus produtos, porque atrai milhares de lojistas de todo o Brasil.

Ao mesmo tempo, é uma feira voltada ao consumidor final, divulgando essa nova categoria de turismo e os novos produtos voltados à aventura para um público de alto poder aquisitivo e formadores de opinião.

Por tudo isso a Adventure Sports Fair está entre as maiores feiras do mundo na sua categoria.

Femme Den: More Linkage Between Universal Design and Women as a Market

As Universal Design continues to establish itself as baseline "good design" innovators like Smart Design continue to innovate and open new markets.

]]> Smart Design introduces 'Femme Den' initiative to connect product design with female audiences

* Women make or influence 80 per cent of household purchases
* 'Pinking and shrinking' products doesn’t meet the needs of today's women

29 April, 2008 - Smart Design, one of the world's leading consumer product design firms, has announced a major initiative called the Femme Den - a grassroots movement which specialises in designing products geared towards women, opening up the potential to increase sales by connecting with this audience. The Femme Den was founded in 2005 by four international members of Smart Design's staff, Erica Eden (American), Agnete Enga (Norwegian), Yvonne Lin (Chinese-American) and Gina Reimann (British) to draw connections between social, cultural, and economic changes in design to satisfy the ‘unmet’ needs of women consumers.

Smart Design's new Femme Den group will specialise in bridging the gap between the assumptions and realities about product design for women customers. According to a recent study by Growth Strategies, US women make or influence 80 per cent of purchases, and manufacturers of consumer electronics and home improvement tools, amongst others, are now recognising the underdeveloped business opportunity in connecting with the female market.

"Producers of male-oriented consumer products are increasingly realising the potential in the female market, yet are unsure how to tackle the issue - especially as women are still under represented in the design industry," explained Erica Eden, Co-founder of the Femme Den. "Some companies believe that by 'pinking and shrinking' products they will appeal to females, but this isn't always the case and by doing so companies are in fact alienating the male population from buying their products.

"Gender boundaries are blurring and products need to keep up with the changes in society," Erica Eden continued. "For example, a significant number of women live on their own, or are single parents, and have to use products that were not really designed for them. We don't adapt products to specifically target men or women, but we work to create cross-gender products. Smart Design has really embraced our individual thinking. Its whole ethos is based around 'universal design' and we believe that by understanding how gender plays a role, our designs will appeal to the largest audience and achieve best selling products."

Davin Stowell, CEO of Smart Design, commented: "The Femme Den takes a fresh approach to existing products and makes them appeal not only to their previous male-oriented market, but also a new female audience. This is a hugely innovative area of the design industry and Smart Design is delighted to have such a pioneering internal team, which has the expertise to discover the female perspective and broaden a company's purchasing audience."

The Femme Den will be presenting their insights at the National Conference of the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) in Phoenix, AZ in early September.

About the Femme Den
The Femme Den is a grassroots movement which first gathered momentum at Smart Design in 2005. It is dedicated to discovering new consumer insight and design methodologies that connect with female consumers. It aims to do this through design that bridges the gap between the realities and assumptions about women. Its goal is to circulate discoveries throughout the design community to facilitate enhanced sensitivity to this compelling and influential topic. Please visit www.femmeden.com for more information.

About Smart Design
Smart Design has been turning insight and innovation into successful consumer experiences for over 25 years. The company's approach integrates product development, interactive experiences, brand communication, and strategic insights to ensure winning design solutions. From its pioneering Universal Design collaboration with OXO International, developing its renowned line of kitchen tools, to its work with leading multi-national companies including HP, Microsoft, Lexar and Acer, developing user-friendly electronics and humanizing technology, Smart Design creates products that truly connect with the consumer. Smart Design has offices in New York, San Francisco and Barcelona. Please visit www.smartdesignworldwide.com for more information or contact:

Mercedes Coats
Global Public Relations
Tel: +1 415 355 6205
Email: mercedes.coats@smartdesignworldwide.com

Manuela Whittaker
The PressOffice - PR for Smart Design
Tel: +44(0)1780 721433
Email: mwhittaker@pressoffice.targetwire.com

Aldo de Jong
European Office Contact
Tel: +34 935 846 615
Email: aldo.deJong@smartdesignworldwide.com

Disability Rights in China

The news note below on the rights of Chinese with disabilities is provided in anticipation of the Paralympic Games:

Last week, the Chinese government adopted a law amendment to better protect the country's more than 83 million persons with a disability, in the run-up to the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games in September..."

]]> The amendment to the Law on Protection of the Disabled, which has been discussed twice by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress in February and April, was expected to go into effect on 1 July 2008.

"Caring for persons with a disability is a sign of social progress, and is an important part of building a harmonious society," said China's government official Wu Bangguo at the meeting. "Persons with a disability should be guaranteed the right to play a fair role in social life and share the fruits of our country's economic and social development", he added.

It is the first law amendment adopted by the 11th NPC Standing Committee, which convened its first meeting in March this year.

The amendment added details about stable financial support, better medical care and rehabilitation for persons with a disability, along with favorable jobs and tax policies. Governments at county level or above should provide stable funding and draw up annual plans to persons with a disability. Governments and social organizations, enterprises, and non-government organizations should have a quota of persons with a disability on their payroll, and should contribute to persons with a disability in other aspects if they failed to meet the quota. Government purchase should also give priority to products or services provided by persons with a disability, according to the amendment.

Furthermore, the amendment also made clearer the legal consequences of violating the rights and interests of persons with a disability.

China is the host of the Beijing 2008 Paralympics in September 2008 as well as the Asian Para Games in Guangzhou in 2010.

According to the China Disabled Persons' Federation (CDPF), the country has about 83 million disabled, accounting for 6.34 percent of the population. More than 75 percent of persons with a disability live in rural areas.

www.cdpf.org.cn/english/index.htm

My Green Map

GreenMap.org is a project that I have followed with interest for several years. I attempted to connect up with one of their projects in Brazil last week but scheduling did not allow it. Below is more on what GreenMaps is doing that's new:

Green Map System has promoted inclusive participation in sustainable community development around the world since 1995, using mapmaking as our medium. Over 450 locally-led map projects in 50 countries have successfully published 335 Green Maps, used by millions to connect with green living, nature, social and cultural resources near home and while traveling. While all use Green Map Icons to highlight both positive and challenging sites, each powerful guide is unique.
Now, we're taking our inclusiveness mission the next step by developing an open interactive Green Mapmaking tool that will help people worldwide quickly share their own selection of sustainability sites, pathways and resources online.

]]> Merging local knowledge and our freshly updated iconography with a Google Map, the resulting interactive Green Maps will be viewable from our own and many other websites, starting in mid-2008. With open commentary, green ratings, multimedia elements, 'impacts index', mobile access, onsite markers and more, everyone will be able to get involved.

My Green Map (working name) will give voice to thousands and ensure that an enormous diversity of successful sustainability activities and models are shared with the broadest audience possible. Merging the booming ‘going local’ and green development movements with social networking and interactive mapping, My Green Map begins with our network's collective inventory of green sites. Each of their maps will be linked to the related profile and locally-designed full-scale Green Map already viewable at GreenMap.org. Once we have helped them overcome technical barriers to participation, we intend to phase in public mapmaking and behavior change assessment, mobile formats, thematic worldviews, and more.

To help people of all ages impact current conditions, My Green Map will encourage local participation that counters global climate change, supports vibrant biodiversity and heritage preservation while addressing social and cultural challenges. It will promote more diverse involvement by guiding newcomers to get involved in important greening activities, encourage long-time residents to make more sustainable everyday choices, build students' eco-literacy and leadership skills, provide visitors with best practice models to share back home, and motivate decision-makers to act for the common good.

See http://www.greenmap.org/greenhouse/en/news/ggm!

Event Announcement -- Include 2009

The RCA Helen Hamlyn Centre is pleased to announce it will be holding
Include 2009 at the Royal College of Art, London 5-8 April 2009.

The title of the event will be Inclusive Design into Innovation:
Transforming Practice in Design, Research and Business.

]]> Include 2009 will be chaired by Professor Alastair Macdonald (Glasgow School of Art), Professor John Clarkson (Engineering Design Centre, University of Cambridge), Steve Wilcox (Design Science) & Melanie Howard (Futurologist and author of ‘The Future Unwrapped’)

We will be shortly announcing a call for papers on completed research
from academic researchers, design managers, designers, design
educators and design commissioners that describe inclusive people
centred approaches in their chosen field and the innovative outcomes.
Themes to be considered include:

- New and emerging practices
- New users (exploring beyond age & disability)
- New designers
- People Centred Innovations

Issues and experiences that may be discussed include:

- Changes in design education to encompass an inclusive approach
- Collaborative research with users in inclusive design
- Boardroom barriers to inclusive design
- Excluding Design – who are we missing?

To Register an interest in Include 09 please join the Include Network
at http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/kt/include/network.html to receive further
details and registration discount

To view details of previous Include conferences please go to http://www.hhc.rca.ac.uk/kt/include/index.html