Bringing together governments, businesses, civil society, the Global Disability Summit is a pivotal moment for the world to commit to change and do more to include people with disabilities.

“The Global Disability Summit is an opportunity for all of us to make progress towards a world where everyone is included and can access their human rights,” said Vladimir Cuk, Executive Director of the International Disability Alliance.

GENEVA (PRWEB)
February 15, 2022

Bringing together governments, businesses, development professionals, and Organisations for People with Disabilities (OPDs), the Global Disability Summit is a pivotal moment for the world to commit to change and do more to include people with disabilities.

This is the second-ever global summit on strengthening the inclusion of people with disabilities and it will build on the progress made in the wake of the first Global Disability Summit in London in 2018. Throughout the summit more than 1,544 new commitments to disability rights will be announced by organisations and governments in more than 150 countries.

The number of people with disabilities is estimated to be around 15% of the world’s population, around one billion people, and 80% live in low- and middle-income countries. Despite this, millions of people with disabilities still face stigma, discrimination, and barriers to full-participation in society. People with disabilities have also disproportionately been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his welcome video to the summit, the Prime Minister of Norway, Jonas Gahr Støre, said, “I am pleased to be co-hosting the Global Disability Summit together with the President of Ghana and the International Disability Alliance. With less than eight years to go before the world is to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, we must ensure that people with disabilities are able to take part in social and economic development on an equal footing with society at large”.

President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has said, “Governments have a solemn obligation to commit to building an inclusive society in which every citizen has the opportunity to develop his or her God-given talent to the fullest. The circumstances of one’s birth cannot and must not be a barrier to any citizen’s participation in – and their benefit from – the process of national development”.

Along with the Prime Ministers of Ghana and Norway, representatives from more than 15 governments will be speaking at the summit and making commitments. International organisations that will be represented include the World Health Organization, the United Nations, UNICEF, USAID, UNHCR, the Global Partnership for Education, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Save the Children, the Valuable 500, and the International Labour Organization.

Key facts:

• Over 1,544 commitments to disability rights will be made for GDS 2022.
• This exceeds the 968 commitments made in 2018.
• More than 178 organisations from 151 countries will make commitments.
• Over 300 commitments from governments will be made.
• Commitments will come from all regions of the world: Global (36%), Africa (45%), Asia-Pacific (7%), Europe (6%), Latin America and the Caribbean (3%), Middle East (2%), North America (0.5%).
• More than 2,200 people have registered for the youth Summit and over 4,400 people will virtually attend the main summit.
• Alongside the main summit there are 4 thematic workshops, 4 regional summits, 2 thematic round tables and 91 side events.

Vladimir Cuk, Executive Director of the International Disability Alliance, said, “The global COVID-19 pandemic has not only shown us that we are all connected, but has also highlighted the devastating inequalities faced by people with disabilities. We must do more to include the world’s 1.2 billion people with disabilities, who cannot and will not be ignored. The Global Disability Summit is an opportunity for all of us to make progress towards a world where everyone is included and can access their human rights”.

The second Global Disability Summit will be held on 16-17 February 2022. This year’s summit will be entirely virtual and is being live-streamed from Norway.

Organisations of Persons with Disabilities have played an important role in the design, implementation, and follow-up of the summit.

More information along with the up-to-date agenda can be found online, and anyone can take part in the summit at: http://www.globaldisabilitysummit.org

For updates and live announcements follow us on Twitter at: @GDS_Disability, #CommitToChange and #GDS2022

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About the Global Disability Summit

The Global Disability Summit Secretariat was established to monitor the implementation of the commitments made at the first Global Disability Summit and the commitments that will be made in the future. It works to provide substantive inputs and coordination of the organization of the Global Disability Summits.

In July 2018, the UK Department for International Development, alongside the Government of Kenya and the International Disability Alliance, organised the first ever Global Disability Summit in London. The summit in London succeeded in placing the issue of rights-based, disability-inclusive development on the international agenda.

The Oslo Summit in 2022 will seek new commitments and concrete action to accelerate inclusive development, through access, engagement and equality. The Summit will mobilise efforts to further the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) in line with the principle of leaving no one behind, and to build back better and more inclusively in the post-Covid-19 recovery.

The Secretariat has established an accountability mechanism to follow the implementation of commitments, supporting stakeholders to achieve the promises they made.

The themes for the 2022 summit are:

1.    Capacity-strengthening of organisations of persons with disabilities in the Global South

2.    Inclusive Education

3.    Inclusive Health

4.    Inclusive Employment and Livelihoods

5.    Inclusion in situations of crises and conflict, including a focus on climate change

•     Gender is a cross-cutting theme.

Consultations

In 2020-2021, IDA, its members, and partners were able to organize 27 national and 1 regional consultations with organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) in 26 countries, 23 different spoken and sign languages, for a total of 840 people attending. Of the participants, 56% were women, 23% were indigenous peoples and 38% were from underrepresented groups of persons with disabilities.

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“By sharing my story of growing up with a facial difference and the inspirational stories of others, the myFace Wonder Project brings to life the book’s central themes of acceptance and inclusion in real, meaningful, and teachable ways.” – Dina Zuckerberg, myFace Director of Family Programs

NEW YORK (PRWEB)
February 14, 2022

Over the past ten years, since its original publication on February 14, 2012, R.J. Palacio’s #1 New York Times bestselling book WONDER has taught readers of all ages the power of empathy, compassion, and “choosing kind.” This inspirational story has been embraced by millions of children and adults around the world – in schools, bookstores, communities, and organizations – including myFace, a leading nonprofit dedicated to transforming the lives of individuals and families with craniofacial conditions just like the hero from Palacio’s book, Auggie Pullman. myFace recognized the power of Palacio’s story to change the way people think about differences, and as a result, launched the myFace Wonder Project in 2015. This program brings Palacio’s message into schools nationwide, and has reached over 60,000 students in the U.S. to date.

Today, myFace and Random House Children’s Books are pleased to announce a new partnership that will expand the reach of this school program for the 2021-2022 academic year, educating students in primary schools on the importance of celebrating uniqueness, being an upstander, and always choosing to be kind, with a variety of resources and activities. Participating schools receive a virtual assembly led by Dina Zuckerberg, myFace Director of Family Programs, featuring a program that encourages students to consider how individual decisions impact others, and how their own choices can help shape society.

The program focuses on the study and acceptance of differences – particularly facial differences – through thought-provoking classroom materials (such as “Choose Kindness” activity sheets, lesson plans, morning announcements, and “Upstander” Pledge Cards), and interactive teaching strategies to build students’ understanding of different perspectives and critical reading and thinking skills. A key professional development aspect of the project involves helping teachers create classroom environments that allow for the safe discussion of sensitive issues such as prejudice and bullying. Students walk away with a new perspective and ability to put themselves in someone else’s shoes, and a commitment to “choosing kind!”

“With students across the country reading WONDER, we were inspired to bring the myFace Wonder Project to schools to teach about differences, kindness and being an upstander,” says myFace Director of Family Programs, Dina Zuckerberg. “Through sharing my story of growing up with a facial difference and the inspirational stories of others, we bring to life the book’s central themes of acceptance and inclusion in real, meaningful, and teachable ways.”

Beau, a 5th Grader at Green Vale Elementary School in Old Brookville, NY, shares:

“Thank you so much for your informative presentation and for sharing your experience with us and teaching us about craniofacial differences. Our class has signed a pledge to ‘Choose Kind.’ We will stick to our word and we will not be bystanders, but upstanders. I love what you are doing there at myFace and how you are helping other people with facial differences.”

In celebration of the book’s forthcoming tenth anniversary, the WONDER: ILLUSTRATED EDITION will be released on February 15, 2022 from Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. This beautiful color illustrated edition includes over twenty-five pieces of original art from Tad Carpenter, the artist behind the original cover. The book also includes an essay from R.J. Palacio reflecting on ten years of WONDER as well as an introduction by myFace Director of Family Programs, Dina Zuckerberg.

Given that a child is born in the United States with a craniofacial difference every hour, and the faces of another 100,000 individuals are disfigured through accident or disease, the themes in WONDER ring just as true today as they did 10 years ago.

To learn more about how you can bring the myFace Wonder Project to your community or school, please visit http://www.myface.org/wonder.

For a deeper look into the impact WONDER has had on the craniofacial community in the past decade, listen to “Celebrating 10 Years of Wonder,” a recent episode of the myFace, myStory: Voices from the Craniofacial Community podcast series, which was broadcasted on January 19, 2022. In the program, host Dina Zuckerberg, myFace Director of Family Programs, is joined by R.J. Palacio, myFace Trustee Sondra Neuschotz (who was born with a cleft lip and whose children were also born with cleft lip and palate), and myFace Wonder Project participant, educator Mary Butters, to share what the book has meant to each of them. To learn more, visit http://www.myface.org/WonderAnniversary.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Katie Bazyluk

myFace Communications Manager

Katie@myFace.org

Kristopher Kam

Random House Children’s Books Publicity Manager

KKam@penguinrandomhouse.com

# # #

myFace (myface.org) has advocated for individuals and families to ensure them access to comprehensive craniofacial care and support for more than 70 years. By providing important services such as emotional support groups, educational webinars, podcasts, online resources, and more, myFace helps individuals with facial differences achieve the best possible outcomes. Visit us online at @myFaceOrg, Facebook.com/myFaceFoundation, and subscribe to our newsletter at myface.org/newsletter.

R.J. Palacio is the author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Wonder, which has sold over 13 million copies worldwide. The book’s message inspired the Choose Kind movement and has been embraced by readers around the world, with the book published in over 50 languages. Wonder was made into a blockbuster movie starring Julia Roberts, Owen Wilson, and Jacob Tremblay. Palacio’s other New York Times bestselling books include Pony, 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts, Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories, the picture book We’re All Wonders, and the graphic novel White Bird, which is currently being filmed as a major motion picture starring Gillian Anderson and Helen Mirren. Palacio lives in Brooklyn with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.

Random House Children’s Books (rhcbooks.com) is the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher. Creating books for toddlers through young adult readers, in all formats from board books to activity books to picture books, novels, and nonfiction, the imprints of Random House Children’s Books bring together award-winning authors and illustrators, world-famous franchise characters, and multimillion-copy series. Random House Children’s Books is a division of Penguin Random House LLC.

Alfred A. Knopf Books for Young Readers is an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, the world’s largest English-language children’s trade book publisher, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Visit us online at @RandomHouseKids | Facebook.com/RandomHouseKids | RHCBooks.com

The inspiration behind this book was to introduce more leaders to the ‘why’ of disability ministry and the Kingdom impact it can have.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (PRWEB)
February 14, 2022

Author James Goben provides readers with a truly thought-provoking writing in Reaching The Overlooked: Why Disability Ministry Matters ($13.49, paperback, 9781662842573; $5.99, e-book, 9781662842580).

As a parent of a child with special needs, Goben combines Scripture with hard data and a few candid personal experiences to paint a vivid picture of why disability ministry matters to the local church and the Kingdom. He shares the question about where disability ministry fits in with the goal of the church to bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. Goben acknowledges that while the Bible has a lot to say about the disabled and their place in the church, it is often overlooked. He explains that nearly half of special needs families have left a church because there is no support for them.

When asked what inspired him to write this book, Goben said, “The inspiration behind this book was to introduce more leaders to the ‘why’ of disability ministry and the Kingdom impact it can have.”

James Goben lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado with his wife and 4 boys, one who has epilepsy, autism, and developmental delays. After years in the construction industry, God called him into ministry. In 2020, Goben graduated from Moody Bible Institute with a Bachelor of Ministry Leadership degree. He is a volunteer disability ministry leader, a full time caregiver for his son and connoisseur of the dad joke. His blog about raising a child with special needs can be found at http://www.lifewithsuperd.com. Goben enjoys hiking, hunting, fishing, shooting, woodworking, and riding dirt bikes. He is also a ham radio operator.

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Xulon Press, a division of Salem Media Group, is the world’s largest Christian self-publisher, with more than 15,000 titles published to date. Reaching The Overlooked: Why Disability Ministry Matters is available online through xulonpress.com/bookstore, amazon.com, and barnesandnoble.com.

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HERTFORDSHIRE, United Kingdom (PRWEB)
February 09, 2022

Hertfordshire Community NHS Trust Positive behaviour, Autism, Mental health, Learning disabilities Service (PALMS) will be hosting a virtual career fair to meet other motivated and forward thinking mental health clinicians who are passionate about and have a desire to contribute to change in a vibrant NHS team and are dedicated to supporting CYP with Autism and/or Learning Disability and their families. The event will take place Saturday 5th March 2022 through the vFairs virtual event platform. There will be two sessions running; 10am – 12pm and 12pm – 2pm.

The event will give jobseekers the opportunity to learn about PALMS’ continually-evolving service, innovative work and exceptional team culture. Likewise, representatives from PALMS will be available to chat with candidates about their work and available job opportunities with PALMS. Attendees may also browse and apply to jobs from right within the platform. 

There will be a variety of open positions available through PALMS, including Clinical Psychologist, Systemic Therapist, Learning Disability Nurse and Consultant Psychiatry posts. Interested candidates, or those who know of potential candidates are invited to register for the event and refer other professionals within this space. 

PALMS works across Hertfordshire providing a specialist multi-disciplinary approach. PALMS is a CAMHS commissioned service which offers individually tailored support for children and young people (CYP), aged 0-18 who have a global learning disability and/or Autistic Spectrum Disorder, helping families to manage challenging behaviour, toileting, feeding and sleeping concerns which have not benefitted from community interventions and/or to support mental health needs which cannot be met with reasonable adjustment by other CAMHS services. Additionally, PALMS also supports problematic sexualised behaviours. Interventions include workshops, groups, individual therapy, parent as therapist sessions, and a family clinic. PALMS aims to keep children and young people with their families thereby improving outcomes for all family members.

Registration is now open! Please follow the link to register for the event or scan the QR code https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/PPW7T7T Following pre-registration, we will send attendees access information via email.

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Kohler Hyten Elevated Toilet Seat

KOHLER, Wis. (PRWEB)
February 01, 2022

Kohler Co., a global leader in the innovation and manufacture of plumbing products, introduces the Hyten Elevated Toilet Seat – a new solution for consumers who are Aging-in-Place or those with mobility issues. Each year, about 1 million seniors do some type of bathroom remodeling (Aging in Place Market Situation & Opportunity). The Hyten Toilet Seat adds three inches of height for comfort while sitting and improves accessibility while lowering to and raising from the seat, and the simple upgrade seat is easy to install without the need for a completely new toilet.

The design of the seat is sleek yet functional, without looking institutional, providing a solution for those experiencing mobility issues without compromising on function or design. The Hyten boasts top mounting hardware for easy installation with a screwdriver and no reaching under the bowl to install. The seat will be available in a round-front and elongated options to fit existing toilets. Grip-Tight bumpers prevent the seat from shifting, increasing security, while Kohler’s Quiet-Close hinges ensure the seat lid won’t slam. A quick-release button makes removal for cleaning simple.

When paired with Kohler’s numerous Comfort Height toilet options, the overall resulting height of the toilet is 19.5 inches, vastly improving the ease of getting on and off the toilet for consumers. As aging homeowners are faced with unplanned changes in their ability to access and use their existing bathroom independently, the Hyten toilet seat offers added accessibility in the space. By enhancing safety through this simple addition, aging-in-place consumers can often stay in their homes longer.

For more information, visit kohler.com or contact Kohler at 1-800-4KOHLER.

About Kohler Co.

Founded in 1873 and headquartered in Kohler, Wisconsin, Kohler Co. is one of America’s oldest and largest privately held companies comprised of more than 40,000 associates. With more than 50 manufacturing locations worldwide, Kohler is a global leader in the design, innovation and manufacture of kitchen and bath products; engines and power systems; luxury cabinetry and tile; and owner/operator of two, five-star hospitality and golf resort destinations in Kohler, Wisconsin, and St. Andrews, Scotland. Kohler’s Whistling Straits golf course will host the Ryder Cup in 2021. The company also develops solutions to address pressing issues, such as clean water and sanitation, for underserved communities around the world to enhance the quality of life for current and future generations. For more details, please visit kohlercompany.com.

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Jim Blair, partner at Premier, is a 35-year veteran of the Social Security Administration.

“Our mission is simple: to educate advisors about Social Security increasing their value to clients, and so that they are able to answer pressing Social Security questions. Ultimately, earning the NSSA Certificate will result in more clients and increased revenues for advisors,” said Marc Kiner.

CINCINNATI (PRWEB)
January 27, 2022

Premier Social Security Consulting of Cincinnati has announced more than 20 training dates for its National Social Security Advisor (NSSA) Certificate program for advisors seeking advanced education, knowledge, and training on Social Security. The NSSA Advisor program will include live, in-person classes nationwide, as well as flexible webinar formats that can be accessed from anywhere. The National Social Security Advisor Certificate training is also available via on-demand videos.

“There is an increased demand for Social Security education right now, and we’re pleased to be able to offer education to advisors, accessible in a variety of formats,” said Marc Kiner, partner at Premier Social Security Consulting. “Our mission is simple: to educate advisors about Social Security increasing their value to clients, and so that they are able to answer pressing Social Security questions. Ultimately, earning the NSSA Certificate will result in more clients and increased revenues for advisors,” explained Kiner.

2022 live, in-person classes take place from 8 AM to 4:30 PM local time. Live classes for 2022 include: Orlando, March 8; Cincinnati, April; 18; Cleveland, May 10; Chicago, June 23; Kansas City, Aug. 19; Boston, Sept. 20; Cincinnati, Oct. 13; San Antonio, Oct. 31.

The schedule for NSSA classes offered online through a webinar format include two formats: a full-day experience (8 AM to 4:30 PM in various time zones) or the course can be split over two, half days (10 AM to 2 PM EST over two days).

For the full-day webinar format, the schedule for 2022 includes: Feb. 11; March 16; April 21; June 20, Aug. 25, Nov. 16; and Dec. 29.

For the half-day webinar format that is held over two days, the schedule for 2022 includes: Feb. 21 and 22; May 14 and 21; July 18 and 19; Oct. 11 and 12; and Dec. 27 and 28.

“We see the NSSA Certificate program beginning where other programs end, including RICP and CFP,” added Premier partner Jim Blair. “We focus solely on Social Security education and incorporate client and advisor experiences in our education. We emphasize Situational Social Security because we know every client is unique. Training will help advisors understand the strategies available to married couples, single individuals, surviving spouses, divorced individuals, and many more situations. Additionally, advisors will learn how to ask the probing Social Security questions uncovering additional benefits for clients,” he said.

Premier’s NSSA program is the nation’s first and only accredited Social Security education certificate program. Accreditation is provided by the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE) in Washington, D.C. The NSSA Advisor certificate is awarded to professional advisors who take the NSSA course and pass an assessment.

More than 2,500 professional advisors have received the National Social Security Advisor Certificate since the program began in 2013.

NSSA Certificate Program tuition is $795 for live webinars and on-demand videos. Tuition includes Social Security education; NSSA certificate after passing the assessment; and Premier’s Gold Standard of Support. NSSA certificate holders receive ongoing support and resources, including Social Security update webinars and Social Security Open Forums throughout the year. Tuition to attend a live in-person class is $1,095.

Premier also offers private, on-site classes for organizations that seek to provide in-house Social Security training to multiple advisors. Costs vary for each type of instruction and additional, ongoing support, with pricing and dates listed at http://www.premiernssa.com.

Kiner, a 40-year certified public accountant who sold his CPA firm to concentrate on Social Security education, and Blair, a 35-year veteran of the Social Security Administration, joined forces thirteen years ago to help baby boomers understand and maximize their Social Security benefits.

“Advisors continue to be eager to keep current on Social Security changes so they can stay up to date as they serve the needs of our nation’s estimated 73 million baby boomers,” said Kiner.

For more information about the National Social Security Advisors certificate program and to see a full list of dates and prices, including Early Bird discount codes, visit premiernssa.com or contact Kiner at (513) 247-0526.

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MV Transportation

“MV’s experience as a leading provider of on-demand transportation will provide a continuously improving customer experience for our riders and help us meet the growing and changing mobility needs of the region.”Doug Holcomb, CEO, Greater Bridgeport Transit

DALLAS (PRWEB)
January 25, 2022

MV Transportation, Inc., a recognized leader in passenger transportation services, today announced that it has been awarded a contract to provide paratransit, senior transportation, and mobility management services by Greater Bridgeport Transit (GBT) beginning January 1, 2022.

Under terms of the five-year contract, MV will provide safe and reliable paratransit and senior transportation for the Greater Bridgeport, Connecticut region. The company will be responsible for service delivery, safety, reservations, scheduling, and community outreach for the GBT Access system, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant paratransit service designed to provide public bus transportation to the elderly and those with disabilities who cannot use GBT’s regularly scheduled bus routes.

“Greater Bridgeport Transit is committed to ensuring mobility and independence through high-quality transportation options for our GBT Access customers,” said Doug Holcomb, Chief Executive Officer, Greater Bridgeport Transit. “MV’s experience as a leading provider of on-demand transportation will provide a continuously improving customer experience for our riders and help us meet the growing and changing mobility needs of the region.”

“We look forward to our partnership with GBT and appreciate the confidence its leaders and board of commissioners have placed in MV,” said Bill Ryan, MV Senior Vice President, who will oversee operations. “We are confident that we can enhance the experience GBT provides its Access passengers with our proven operational expertise and innovative solutions.”

About Greater Bridgeport Transit

Greater Bridgeport Transit (GBT) serves the Bridgeport region of southwest Connecticut. GBT provides fixed route and ADA paratransit and senior bus services to the cities and towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Stratford, and Fairfield with services extending north to Derby and along the coast from Norwalk to Milford. For additional information, please visit http://www.gogbt.com.

About MV Transportation, Inc.

MV is the largest privately owned passenger transportation contracting services firm in North America and a leader in providing the specialized on-demand ADA-compliant transportation of persons with disabilities and the elderly. We provide paratransit, fixed-route, public and private shuttle, and student transportation services, partnering with over 200 city and county government transit agencies, school districts, universities, airports and corporations. Founded in 1975, MV provides freedom for over 110 million passengers each year across 28 states and Canada. For additional information, please visit http://www.mvtransit.com.

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