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Message from the Executive Director
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Pictured (above): Dr. Cogburn meeting with American University graduate students studying abroad at Sciences Po in Paris.
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It has been a very busy month at IDPP as we head into the home stretch of the fall semester. In this issue of Access, we highlight our recent collaboration with the AU Internet Governance Lab and participation in the 13th United Nations Internet Governance Forum (IGF) and Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GigaNet) Symposium. I was delighted to be able to dine with AU graduate students studying abroad in Paris during the Forum.
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In this issue, we also welcome one of our new Faculty Associates, Dr. Tanja Aho, who has hit the ground running with a number of interesting initiatives, including teaching a disability studies class in the spring semester. We also highlight our Research Associate and Program Coordinator, Emilie Turner.
Our own Deputy Director, Dr. Filippo Trevisan, had his book Disability Rights Advocacy Online reviewed in Disability & Society journal. In addition, our partner the International Foundation for Electoral Systems launched a new Election Access Observation Toolkit.
We are also celebrating the conclusion of our first full year of partnering with Special Olympics with the launch of the AU Special Olympics Chapter (AUSO). AUSO is holding a launch event on campus with Special Olympics DC, and I can’t wait to put on my soccer cleats to participate!
We’ve participated in a number of very interesting talks and meetings this month, including hosting Dr. Mawaki Chango for a talk on the UNESCO Internet Universality analytical framework, and my own participation in the Online Ethics Center Advisory Board Meeting at the National Academy of Sciences, and serving as chair of the Disability and Accessibility session at the Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW) conference.
As we turn to the spring semester, IDPP is delighted to be co-sponsoring the Symposium on Disability Rights at the University of Alabama Birmingham, under the theme Disability Rights are Human Rights. We are also thrilled to be hosting the one-day pre-conference for the International Communication Association (ICA) on Sports, Communication, and Social Justice.
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IDPP Executive Director Participates in 13th Annual Internet Governance Forum
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IDPP Executive Director Dr. Derrick Cogburn represented the Internet Governance Lab and IDPP at the 13th Annual Meeting of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Paris on November 12-14, 2018.
The IGF is a global multi-stakeholder forum that focuses on the discussion of public policy issues pertaining to the Internet, bringing together more than 2,000 participants from over 100 countries.
Immediately following IGF, Dr. Cogburn also participated in the 13th Annual GigaNet (Global Internet Governance Academic Network) Symposium.
Click here to read the full story.
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IDPP Welcomes New Faculty Associate, Dr. Tanja Aho
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Dr. Tanja Aho is a Visiting Assistant Professor of American Studies at American University and recently joined IDPP as its newest Faculty Associate.
In a recent interview, Dr. Aho discussed her arrival to AU this Fall, what sparked her passion for disability research, and what she hopes to accomplish as a member of IDPP.
Click here to read the full interview.
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IDPP Research Associate Spotlight: Emilie Turner
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"I want to continue to make sure that every voice is heard, and all persons are granted their rights and freedoms."
Emilie Turner is a Research Associate at IDPP and a graduate student in the AU School of International Service's Global Governance, Politics, and Security program.
Her interests and educational experiences are primarily focused on human security and freedoms. In a recent interview, Emilie discusses how her interest in disability advocacy started young and what she enjoys most about her work with IDPP.
Learn more about Emilie here.
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"Disability Rights Advocacy Online" Reviewed in Disability and Society Journal
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IDPP Deputy Director Dr. Filippo Trevisan's book, "Disability Rights Advocacy Online: Voice, Empowerment, and Global Connectivity," was recently reviewed in the journal Disability and Society. In this review, Gabor Petri said: "Disability Rights Advocacy Online" is a book by Filippo Trevisan that has been badly missing from disability studies...Trevisan’s excellent book will inspire researchers to build on the best traditions of disability studies and do more work in this multidisciplinary, fertile area for inquiries."
Find out more about the book here.
Read the full review here.
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IDPP Partner IFES Launches New Election Access Observation Toolkit
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Citizens with disabilities continue to be underrepresented in political life as voters, election observers, candidates and election officials. The International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) has launched a new Election Access Observation Toolkit to ensure election observations account for the barriers persons with disabilities encounter.
The toolkit is informed by IFES’s experience conducting dozens of election access observations all over the world. IFES is a close IDPP partner and Virginia Atkinson, Inclusion Advisor at IFES and a member of IDPP's International Advisory Board, led the development of the toolkit.
Click here to access the toolkit.
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Special Olympics Chapter at American University to Host Inaugural Event
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IDPP has been working in collaboration with the Special Olympics of D.C. to develop a college chapter at American University.
The Chapter's inaugural event will take place on Wednesday, December 5, from 12:00-1:00pm on American University’s Quad. The event will feature a soccer shootout where a Special Olympic athlete will be in attendance to share their story. All members of the AU community, in particular students, are welcome to join.
More information on the Chapter will be announced soon.
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Call for Papers: ICA Pre-conference on Sports, Communication, and Social Justice at IDPP
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IDPP will host a one-day pre-conference on sport, communication, and social justice on May 24, 2019 as part of the 69th International Communication Association's Annual Conference.
Click here to read the full call for pre-conference papers and submit paper proposal here. Proposals should be approximately 500 words and are due no later than January 11, 2019.
The ICA 2019 conference theme of Communication Beyond Boundaries aims to explore the role of communication and media in the crossing of social, political and cultural boundaries.
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IDPP Partner, Institute For Human Rights, to Organize Symposium on Disability Rights
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IDPP is proudly sponsoring the upcoming Symposium on Disability Rights, to be hosted by the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Institute for Human Rights in February 2019. The Institute is directed by Dr. Tina Kempin Reuter, Faculty Associate at IDPP.
Dr. Cogburn will be participating as a panel discussant and IDPP's International Advisory Board Chair, Dr. Victor Pineda, will be a keynote speaker.
Learn more here.
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Luis Gallegos to Serve as New Permanent Representative of Ecuador to UN in New York
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On Tuesday, November 20, the Chair of IDPP's Joint Advisory Board, Luis Gallegos, presented his credentials as Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the United Nations to the Secretary General Antonio Guterres.
This is the third time Ambassador Gallegos has had the honor of serving in this position representing Ecuador in the UN in New York. Congratulations, Ambassador Gallegos!
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Former IDPP Staff Member Supports ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025
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John Paul “Pong” Cruz, a former IDPP staff member and AU alumnus (M.A. International Affairs in Comparative and International Disability Policy), recently completed a term working with the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR) as they developed a plan for the ASEAN region to mainstream the rights of persons with disabilities.
In September 2018, Cruz took part in the 8th Meeting of the Task Force on the Mainstreaming of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in the ASEAN Community. The Meeting finalized the ASEAN Enabling Masterplan 2025, which encourages ASEAN bodies to take action in integrating and including disability perspectives to their work.
IDPP would like to congratulate and recognize Cruz for his work in disability rights in the ASEAN region.
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Internet Universality: A Talk by Dr. Mawaki Chango
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Pictured (above): Dr. Mawaki Chango (center), IDPP Executive Director Dr. Derrick Cogburn (center left), and members of IDPP and American University's Internet Governance Lab.
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In a talk sponsored by IDPP and AU’s Internet Governance Lab on Monday, October 29, Dr. Mawaki Chango of the African School on Internet Governance of Johannesburg, South Africa, discussed Internet Universality, a concept developed by UNESCO that highlights the importance of Internet access for persons with disabilities. It also focuses on the potential of the Internet to enable human rights, empower individuals and communities, and facilitate sustainable development.
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Dr. Cogburn Participates in Online Ethics Center Advisory Board Meeting at National Academy of Sciences
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Earlier this month, Dr. Cogburn attended an all-day meeting of the Online Ethics Center for Engineering and Science's Joint Advisory Board at the National Academy of Sciences.
This group provides high-level oversight of the Online Ethics Center and advises on its expansion supported by a new grant from the National Science Foundation to support its goal of becoming the go-to online source for resources on ethics in science and engineering. The meeting focused on accessibility at the Center.
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Dr. Cogburn Chairs Disability Session at CSCW 2018
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The Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) at American University is a multidisciplinary, cross-campus research center that creates and disseminates knowledge that enables all persons to participate effectively in local, national, and global governance through the use of accessible information and communication technologies.
www.idppglobal.org
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