Speakers - COSP 2023 side event

Tia Nelis - Inclusion International - Chair

Paweł Wdówik - Permanent Mission of Poland - Opening Remarks 

Paweł Wdówik is the Secretary of State at the Ministry of Family and Social Policy of Poland, Poland's Government Plenipotentiary for Persons with Disabilities

"Easy-to-understand means more accessible information for everyone"

Osama Yamanaka - Permanent mission of Japan - Opening Remarks 

Patricia Almeida - Brazil - Welcome Remarks 

Make it simple so everybody understands.

"Inclusion is my cause. In my presentation, I will explain that easy-to-understand language is for everyone."

Adel Ben Lagha - Permanent Mission of Tunisia -  Moderator

Adel Ben Lagha is the Deputy Permanent Representative of Tunisia

Vinicius Streda - Brazil - Panellist 

The importance of simple language in my autonomy.

Vinicius is a writer and lecturer. He is also a self-advocate with the Brazilian Federation of Down Syndrome Associations.

"I will show how simple language allows me to have a normal life. Living alone, being married, having my own company, travelling, and giving lectures. I make everything with autonomy and independence."

Olivia Sidhu - Australia - Panellist 

Easy to understand communication for accessibility: Good practices and Recommendations.

Olivia is an advocate in disability affairs and is a health ambassador for Down Syndrome Australia, promoting the active inclusion of people living with disability in the workforce.

"I am a very hard-working advocate. I love what I do and the difference I am making. I will talk about how accessibility, inclusion, and communication help us to be an active part of our own lives and our communities."

Ronie Novais - Brazil - Panellist 

Tara Levandier - Canada - Panellist 

Good Practices and Recommendations from Canada's Work on Easy to Understand Communication in Public Health and the New Accessible Canada Act.

Tara Levandier is the Executive Director of Operations & Social Impact at Inclusion Canada.

"While Canada has supported a lot of work in advancing Easy to Understand communication for people with an intellectual disability, there are still many barriers to accessible communication for all."

Catherine Rodgers - Canada - Panellist 

Good Practices and Recommendations from Canada's Work on Easy to Understand Communication in Public Health and the New Accessible Canada Act

Catherine Rodgers is the Director of Communications for People First of Canada and the Chairperson of Canada's Technical Committee on Plain Language.

Pekka Puustinen - Finland - Panellist 

Accessibility is key to fulfil the right to participation

Mr. Pekka Puustinen is the Under-Secretary of State for Internal and External Services in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland since January 2019.

"Accessibility is a human rights in itself but also a means for the fulfillment of other rights."

Dominique Kantor

Introducing the importance of easy to understand.

Easy to understand information is key to education and an independent, autonomous life.

Megan Smith - New York - Closing Remarks

How the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy can support inclusive communications and promote accessibility in the UN system

We will describe what the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy is and how it can support further accessibility in the UN system, particularly about accessible communications.