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<DIV>Warm Greetings to all who participated in the Global Disability Forum (2-
in Tunis) and to <U>everyone</U> here most appreciatively:</DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<DIV><U>Omnibus Responsive Review:</U> </DIV>With particularity to the present
discussion, may I submit that you are very modest, Richard, in that your own
statements were <EM>overarchingly significant</EM>: as I heard and viewed
them, calling for attention to / action on / expansion of resources for
NGO's, in breadth. And you have been promised a response after research;
the General Assembly President Honorable Mr. Eliason I believe has heard you
loud and clear and showed real interest (your question not unallied with inquiry
by email to the Session which time constraints ruled out as candidate input).
But indeed Shamina de Gonzaga was a marvelous Moderator along with the esteemed
Ambassadors, and has said for the record that the email inquiries will be
reached at a future time.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><U>Present Focus:</U> In present context, It can also be noted
as to your statement on no explicit statement regarding disabilities, (at the
General Assembly / NGO Informal Hearings last week, U.N. Headquarters) that
those physically present and propounding health (or is it health related
provision topics<EM>) were not estopped from mentioning disabilities had they
cared to do so</EM>, and with advance notice that their colleagues who do speak
to disabilities would not be physically present. I was rather surprised those
who spoke to mental health services were not more encompassing. That capacious
and endearing but familiar and easily scanned conference room is not so
large as for all of us colleagues not to notice who could physically be in
attendance these winter times and who could not. Especially with advance
notice whether particular spokespersons could make it there, that particular
day. However, January 12 commences the Seventh Ad Hoc Convenings of the
Convention Toward a Disability Treaty, rights based. And ICT will not be and has
not been left in the wings at these meetings. Kicki, Sylvia, I and many others
(you attend too and thank you) in the very same setting have always spoken to
and will continue to speak to all of the related issues. <EM>And the
Conference Bureau as you know from your participation and support is very keen
on ICT being a prime topic, and Disabilities being a prime topic to
ICT</EM>. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And, indeed, as Hiroshi pointed out I believe referring to the very
lovely but Summit-distanced Hammamet setting not close to the Kram Center venue
in Tunis (paraphrase and elaboration here of course ) persons with
disabilities might have yes it is an unfortunate truism have a more difficult
time attending in person. The Webcast being prior announced, this made it
possible to e-"attend" and submit questions indeed in advance. It was a
very interesting session and well moderated, but the likely stream of emailed
questions in reliance on equal airing apparently could not be reached.
Whether particularly stating disability issues, Human Rights related issues and
resources for NGOs were announced to be acceptable submitted by
email. In fact, I know some were. Just to round out the
discussion. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In a way ,this is interesting in itself as to access issues and always
being sure inclusion is afforded especially for persons with limiting
circumstances. While my own question might not have been selected, I did
look forward to the incorporation of emailed question on an equal basis.
Not that I did not enjoy your and others presentations. However, in
reliance sometimes, one takes action and simply hopes things work out.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>I believe the issues of Information and Communication Technology frontal to
the WSIS / SMSI Summits should be addressed again in these fora or forums.
Somehow there has been a swerve to advocacy for constituencies. </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>What would seem more just would be a focus here on ICT in all aspects and
then it might be clear to everyone that Disabilities issues are not just
sub-parts of WSIS or the world at large. Everyone educated in access
issues should in my view realize that<U> being out of network due to
disabilities is one of the most important issues we can take up</U>. To
some degree we all are out of networks for one reason or another. But due
respect for those with sensory disabilities posting and <U>the unparalleled
education they give through outstanding efforts of heart and mind
</U> would highlight not suborn the issues of meaningful access to (may I
post as an individual) what might be characterized as "provider/consumer"
models driven by those who bill for services.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>P.S. You are also too modest to mention that at the Hearings you were
called on as "Richard Jordan." No particular affiliation was needed. You
do so much. Can you now please with all your other responsibilities share our
concern that <EM>equitable and realistic access issues</EM> permeate all sorts
of venues, as here illustrated, and in addition to the physical resources you
seek for NGOS there is a demonstrably frontal need for
<U>e-interconnections</U>. As clear from the 'get go' at the WSIS / SMSI
summit (see posts of Hiroshi). </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> I wonder if we can have ITU quite interested, betcha we can, in
facilitations connecting-in hose with disabilities better at the U.N. and
related physical locations; this is just a start of what must be done, and we
must now petition for these rights under due process and with full steam.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In collegial regard,</DIV>
<DIV>LDMF.</DIV>
<DIV>Linda D. Misek-Falkoff, Ph.D., J.D..</DIV>
<DIV>*Respectful Interfaces*.</DIV>
<DIV>Online communications systems ARPANet forward.<BR></DIV>
<DIV>For Identification here: </DIV>
<DIV>President The National Disability Party (Now Intl. Disability
Party).<BR>Member and Steering Committee Member, The International<BR>Disability
Caucus for the Disability Convention (toward U.N. Treaty).<BR>CCC/UN Secretary
and Member of the Board.<BR>Founder: Persons With Pain International (PWPI)
accredited to the U.N.<BR>Presenter "the RESPECT Matrix" at the Global
Disability Forum-II, Hiroshi Karawura, Convener, WSIS-2-Tunis November 2005.
Member Planning Committee, Fall all DPI/NGO U.N. Conference.<BR></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>----- Original Message ----- </FONT>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>From: "richard jordan" <</FONT><A
href="mailto:richardjordan@lycos.com"><FONT
face=Arial>richardjordan@lycos.com</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>To: <</FONT><A href="mailto:plenary@wsis-cs.org"><FONT
face=Arial>plenary@wsis-cs.org</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial>></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Sent: Sunday, December 18, 2005 6:47 PM</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial>Subject: RE: [WSIS CS-Plenary] Re: [WSIS-CT] almost final
version 4.3 of WSIS CS statement</FONT></DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial><BR></FONT></DIV><FONT face=Arial>[Please note that by
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href="http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/"><FONT
face=Arial>http://wsis.funredes.org/plenary/</FONT></A><FONT face=Arial> to
access automatic translation of this
message!<BR>_______________________________________<BR><BR>I can attest to the
fact that three persons, I believe, spoke on mental health issues: Judy
Kuriansky, Elizabeth, and another gentleman who actually offered the services of
his NGO to the UN system on matters of -- was it applied
psychology??<BR><BR>President Eliasson spoke in answer, I believe, to EITHER
Judy's or Elizabeth's remarks, not sure if he did speak to both, and to the
gentleman who presented the third opinion.<BR><BR>No one presented any remarks
on behalf of disabled persons at the briefing with the GA
President.<BR><BR>Richard Jordan<BR> <BR></FONT></BODY></HTML>