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GDI Hub takes the stage alongside Her Excellency Ms. Amina J. Mohamed and Stevie Wonder to launch the Global Report on Assistive Technology

Graphic Text Global Report on Assistive Technology (GReAT)

The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) alongside GDI Hub and ATscale, will be launching the first Global Report on Assistive Technology in a virtual launch on Monday, 16 May 2022 from 15:00 to 16:00 CEST (Geneva). Vicki Austin, GDI Hub’s CEO will be present and speaking in the dazzling speaker line up.

The GReAT report was developed in response to the World Health Assembly resolution WHA71.8 on improving access to assistive technology adopted in May 2018. The global impact of the WHO-UNICEF Global Report on Assistive Technology is expected to be unprecedented. The Global Report recognizes assistive technology and enabling environments as a precondition for disabled, both children and adults, as well as older people, to their human rights. The report also shares evidence-based best practice examples and 10 key actionable recommendations on improving access to assistive technology.

The launch will be hosted by Nujeen Mustafa, author, refugee, and disability rights advocate. The event will see some extraordinary names speaking to the importance of AT as a life-changer for over 1 billion adults and children that need it.

Speakers include:

  • Her Excellency Ms. Amina J. Mohamed, Deputy Secretary-General, United Nations
  • Ms. Catherine Russell, Executive Director UNICEF
  • His Excellency Micheál Martin, Prime Minister, Ireland
  • Dr. Ruth Warick, Vice-Chair, International Disability Alliance
  • His Excellency Narendra Damodardas Modi, Prime Minister, India (TBC)
  • Mr. Stevie Wonder, UN Messenger of Peace (TBC)
  • Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General, WHO
  • Dr. Balram Bhargava, Secretary, Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India
  • Mr. Pascal Bijleveld, CEO, ATscale
  • Ms. Vicki Austin, CEO, Global Disability Innovation Hub and co-Director of the WHO Collaboration Centre based at UCL

The event will be hosted on Zoom Passcode: GReAT2022 (No registration needed) and live-streamed on WHO social media channels ( Youtube, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok).

The event will have simultaneous translation and live captioning in Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish, Russian, and international sign language. For more information on the WHO Launch in Geneva, go to the WHO website.

GDI Hub, alongside the Minister for Trade Policy, will be hosting a UK launch for the Global Report on Assistive Technology and the WHO on 19th May, shortly after this show stopping event.

For more information, please contact the Lead for Advocacy and Engagement, Katherine Perry (Katherine.perry@ucl.ac.uk)