<DIV>Dear Hiroshi,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> You have put together a very strong program for Persons with Disabilities. Please accept my congratulations.</DIV>
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<DIV> We have several medical, community, and disabilities providers currently working here on sustained "Relief and Long-Term Recovery for Vulnerable Populations from Hurricane Katrina, and Emergency Preparedness for Disasters to Come - with Full Inclusion Persons with Disabilities." This effort may benefit from your strong efforts to include Persons with Cognitive and Intellectual Disabilities, as well as for Persons with all Physical Disabilities. Perhaps it may offer lessons to be shared in the future, as well.</DIV>
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<DIV> Your active efforts to help promote the exchange of this vital information, tools, techniques and partnerships - using Fully Accessible ICT - will benefit Persons with Disabilities; vulnerable populations; and all populations and will help to encourage the daily growth of inclusion for persons with disabilities in Civil Society.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> Please accept my congratulations and thanks.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> Best Regards,<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 170.25pt center 3.0in"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mayer Max<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A href="mailto:beyondvision@yahoo.com" target=_blank>beyondvision@yahoo.com</A></SPAN></P>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="TEXT-JUSTIFY: inter-ideograph; MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN><BR><B><I>Hiroshi Kawamura <hiroshikawamura@attglobal.net></I></B> wrote:</P></DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Open Forum on the Role of ICT for Disaster Preparedness of Persons with <BR>Disabilities, 15:00-17:00 22 September, Palais des Nations Room XXII with <BR>English-French SI<BR><BR>Hosted by the WSIS Disability Caucus<BR><BR>The recent South Asian Tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and other natural <BR>disasters have brought world-wide awareness to the effects of major <BR>disasters upon all segments of society. Vulnerable populations such as <BR>persons with disabilities, children, or the elderly are at particular risk <BR>in a disaster.<BR>It is vital to consider their special needs in the design of disaster <BR>preparedness and warning systems. Additionally, tourists, recent <BR>immigrants, and refugees face challenges when confronted with disasters in <BR>unfamiliar locations, linguistically isolated, and in need of assimilating <BR>lifesaving information and guidance quickly when under
stress.<BR>Attention to the requirements for persons with disabilities may also <BR>benefit the greater general population which can find itself situationally <BR>disabled.<BR>Information and Communications Technology (ICT) based upon accessible <BR>design principles is one of the key parts of the solution.<BR><BR><BR>Moderator: Hiroshi Kawamura, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with <BR>Disabilities Research Institute<BR><BR>Agenda:<BR><BR>1. Presentation: Preparedness and Warning Systems for Populations with <BR>Special Needs: Ensuring everyone gets the message (and knows what to do) By <BR>Helen T. Sullivan, Markku T. Hakkinen, and Hiroshi Kawamura (DAISY <BR>Presentation)<BR><BR>2. Presentation: ITU initiatives on disaster prevention with reference <BR>to standard development activities. By Houlin Zhao, ITU Sector-T<BR><BR>3. Open discussion on current situation of persons with disabilities in <BR>disaster incidents including
Tsunami/earthquake,<BR>hurricanes/typhoons/cyclones, etc. from disability perspective, and <BR>suggestions for human centered approach of disaster prevention/preparedness <BR>for all<BR><BR><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Pwd mailing list<BR>Pwd@wsis-cs.org<BR>http://mailman.greennet.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/pwd<BR></BLOCKQUOTE><p>__________________________________________________<br>Do You Yahoo!?<br>Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around <br>http://mail.yahoo.com