Side Event at the 10th Session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

   Developing real strategies for people with intellectual and psychosocial disability to have the opportunity to live full, rich, meaningful lives remains a daunting task. Governments and private organizations continue to congregate and segregate people in institutions, resulting in oppression, brutalization, and loss of identity and opportunity, as well as robbing our communities of the talents and gifts people with disability have to offer.

Almost everyone agrees that deinstitutionalization is necessary, but how do we make it happen? What does it take to build a community-based service system? What are the building blocks of support within communities?

Join a panel of change agents from India, the Republic of Moldova, and the United States to examine and explore questions that surround this issue. Keystone Human Services and YAI in the US have worked to establish a community system to support people in typical lives, often learning lessons the hard way through pioneering. The Republic of Moldova is in the midst of highly successful partnerships with families, government, NGOs, and people with disability to develop culturally competent models that work. India is laying strong groundwork for action toward this end. The experiences of these countries and organizations illustrate some of the most difficult issues around creating a society where everyone belongs.

For more information about the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, visit the UN’s website.

View Side Event Flyer

Speakers

Charles J. Hooker III, President/CEO

Keystone Human Services

Dr. Ludmila Malcoci

Regional Director of KHSI, Central and Eastern Europe
Executive Director, KHSI Moldova Association

Elizabeth Neuville

Executive Director, Keystone Institute (US)
Director, Keystone Institute India

Anastasia Oceretnii, Deputy Minister

Ministry of Labor, Social Protection and Family
Government of Moldova

Shweta Rawat, Chairperson

The Hans Foundation

Ravi Dahiya, Chief Program Officer

YAI