Representatives from the disabled community, IT&T; industry, international and national research, educational institutions, UN and non-governmental organizations gathered at UNESCO to discuss how to facilitate the social inclusion of persons with disabilities through the use of ICT.

About 10 percent of the world’s population has a disability of some type, and the majority of them are living in developing countries. Information and communication technologies (ICT), combined with proper methodologies, can offer individuals the ability to compensate for physical or functional limitations. This can enlarge the scope of activities available to them and enhance, therefore, their social and economic integration in communities. Through the collaboration with other institutions that share these concerns, UNESCO, within its mandate, is seeking to realize the full potential of ICT and promote access to information and knowledge for all.

Seventy-nine countries have ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, making a commitment to ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy all human rights on an equal basis.

The main objectives of the Paris meeting are to discuss how UNESCO could assist its Member States to meet this international commitment. Together with its partners, UNESCO aims to identify policies and programmes required by the UN Convention and to determine how to best engage the Member States in the implementation of those policies in order to promote greater access to information and knowledge for persons with disabilities.