Scotland to host Rehabilitation International World Congress this October
- Post date:
- Tuesday, 11 October 2016
The world’s leading international forum on furthering the empowerment and inclusion of people with disabilities is taking place in Edinburgh from 25 to 27 October 2016, and will attract some 1000 delegates from more than 50 countries.
The Rehabilitation International World Congress (RIWC) will take place at Edinburgh International Conference Centre and will be attended by both HRH The Princess Royal and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
UK Minister for Disability, Work and Health, Penny Mordaunt, as well as Ministers from Germany, India and Hong Kong will also attend and give keynote addresses. Representatives from the United Nations, China Disabled Person’s Federation and World Bank will also be in attendance.
RNIB will be presenting three key pieces of work including the findings from the 2015 My Voice research, 10 principles of good practice in vision rehabilitation and employment support.
RIWC is being hosted in the UK by Shaw Trust, which works to deliver opportunities for people with disabilities across the UK by helping them into employment.
Coming just after the 2016 Rio Paralympics, the conference will examine how disability empowerment and inclusion can help transform our world, with daily themes designed to tackle key topics such as employment, education and training; independent living and ageing; and international relations and sport.
Aimed at researchers, policy makers, employers, government, people with disabilities, and practitioners, the conference will raise the profile of disability empowerment and inclusion across all sections of society while inspiring delegates in their daily work and lives. Specialists from a variety of backgrounds and industries will look to influence policy at a global level by delivering speeches, workshops and plenaries to delegations from more than 50 countries. A number of gold medallist Paralympians will also input into sessions as panel experts and moderators.
Dr Stephen Duckworth, Chairman of the 2016 RI World Congress Programme Board, said: “The World Congress brings together a global network of member countries who work to promote the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities or health problems. It is a significant and powerful event which can effect real change across the globe.
“This year’s theme of inclusion aims to help remove barriers which prevent disabled people from living the life they want. Over the course of three days we hope to motivate and energise people across the world by bringing new ideas and sharing best practices to help create a society which is better for everyone.”
First Minister for Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, said: “I look forward to welcoming the Rehabilitation International World Congress to Scotland later this month. It will allow us to share best practice from around the world and look at how we can work together to remove the barriers which prevent disabled people from living the life they want to. Scotland is an inclusive nation and the Scottish Government strives to ensure that no-one is left behind or excluded from society.”
