The Nippon Foundation and G3ict Enter in Long Term Cooperation Agreement to Promote Digital Accessibility for Seniors and Persons with Disabilities
The two organizations, which have long standing experience in the field of international cooperation, will seek to jointly offer programmatic support in the field of ICT accessibility.
ATLANTA (June 13, 2016) —
The Nippon Foundation and G3ict, the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs – announced today, during the opening ceremony of the 2016 M-Enabling Summit, that they entered into a long term cooperation agreement to promote digital accessibility for seniors and persons with disabilities.
The two organizations, which have long standing experience in the field of international cooperation, will seek to jointly offer programmatic support in the field of ICT accessibility to international organizations and organizations of persons with disabilities supporting the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and in particular of its dispositions on the accessibility of Information and Communication Technologies. Those cover, but are not limited to, the accessibility of computers, mobile phones and services, television, software, e-books and web sites and their many critical applications for the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in education, the workplace, personal safety, public life and social and cultural life.
The two organizations will also jointly develop research and benchmarks to quantify actual progress made in realizing the objectives of the United Nations in relation to persons with disabilities and promote proven effective solutions available today to eliminate barriers to digital access affecting one billion persons with disabilities around the world.
With its long tradition of supporting higher education programs for persons with disabilities and capacity building programs promoting positive social change, The Nippon Foundation looks to this new partnership with G3ict to expand its reach in one of the most challenging areas of social inclusion around the world. Mr. Shuichi Ohno, Executive Director of The Nippon Foundation stated: “In today’s world, it is imperative that persons with disabilities, in order to reach their full potential, have full and equal access to digital information and resources. We are extremely pleased that this cooperation agreement with G3ict can be launched today.”
H.E. Ambassador Luis Gallegos, Chairman of the Board of G3ict and former Chair of the United Nations Ad hoc Preparatory Committee for the CRPD, highlighted: “This partnership between The Nippon Foundation and G3ict carries much promises: since its inception at the time of the vote by the General Assembly of the text of the Convention, G3ict has created an unprecedented momentum among the IT industry, advocacy organizations and international organizations to focus on the critical issue of digital accessibility for persons with disabilities. The many years of experience of The Nippon Foundation and its well-known long term commitments to worthy causes will allow G3ict to scale up its programmatic activities in support of the digital rights of persons with disabilities.”
Both organizations also plan to conduct joint high level executive awareness programs for the information technology industry on the benefits of incorporating accessible design, products and services from a market opportunity, corporate social responsibility and compliance standpoint, while providing international case studies and market data. Axel Leblois, founder and president of G3ict, and former CEO of several international technology companies, said: “The Nippon Foundation can play an instrumental role in helping orchestrate outreach to the IT industry, in Asia notably. We are honored and see great potential in our association with The Nippon Foundation.”
It is anticipated that The Nippon Foundation and G3ict will cooperate in a first program taking place in Tokyo, Japan in January 2017 in cooperation with UNESCO on technology for inclusive education at which time further detailed plans will be announced.
About The Nippon Foundation
The Nippon Foundation was established in 1962 as a non-profit philanthropic organization, active both in Japan and abroad. Since the beginning, its efforts to bolster the domestic development of this island nation of Japan have focused largely on the maritime and shipping fields. In addition, as the years have gone by, The Nippon Foundation has expanded its activities to include such fields as education, social welfare and public health, both within Japan and in more than one hundred countries to date.
The Nippon Foundation’s mission is social innovation. Through this innovation, The Nippon Foundation aims to achieve a society where all people support one another, reducing the burdens and challenges they face together. By forging networks among citizens, corporations, non-profit organizations, governments, and international bodies, The Nippon Foundation serves as a hub for the world’s wisdom, experience, and human resources, giving individuals the capacity to change society—the hope that they can make a difference. Their goal is to give all of humanity the chance to participate in creating our future. Visit: http://www.nippon-foundation.or.jp/en
About G3ict
G3ict – the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies is an advocacy initiative launched in December 2006 by the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development, in cooperation with the Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at UN DESA. Its mission is to facilitate and support the implementation of the dispositions of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on the accessibility of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) and assistive technologies. G3ict relies on an international network of ICT accessibility experts to develop and promote good practices, technical resources and benchmarks for ICT accessibility advocates around the world. It is incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the State of Georgia, USA, and headquartered in Atlanta. Visit: www.g3ict.org.
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Contact:
Francesca Cesa Bianchi, Vice President, Institutional Relations, G3ict at fcesabianchi@g3ict.org.
Tetsuya Kikyo, Project Coordinator, The Nippon Foundation at t_kikyo@ps.nippon-foundation.ro.jp, +81-3-6229-5474