On September 27, 2019, the Award Committee of Rehabilitation International(RI)Award for Outstanding Achievements convened in Beijing and announced the Award winners.
The three laureates are from Ecuador, Ethiopia and Sri Lanka respectively.
Zhang Haidi, President of RI, said that there are one billion persons with disabilities in the world. Most of them, especially those in developing countries, still live in hardships. They need help.The Award will draw more attention to disability affairs and inspire greater contributions to a more equal, inclusive and accessible society.
Through recognizing individuals and organizations who/which have made outstanding contributions to or exerted far-reaching impact on the work for persons with disabilities, the Award is an endeavor to promote the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, to encourage rights protection of persons with disabilities, and to advance disability-inclusive development worldwide.
Each laureate will be awarded a prize of USD 200,000.
Founded in 1922, RI is an almost century-old international NGO dedicated to advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, with member organizations covering more than 100 countries and regions. Being a champion of humanitarianism, it has devoted unremitting efforts to protect the rights and benefits of persons with disabilities, to push forward the development of rehabilitation, and to promote equality, inclusion and development.
The Symbol of Access, which was designed by RI in 1969 and is being applied universally, has contributed to the momentum of disability-inclusive development.
