Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : “Global IT Challenge for Youth with Disabilities, 2018” is being organised by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD) under Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment here from November 9 to 11, 2018.This year, India is hosting the event in collaboration with Government of Korea and Rehabilitation International (RI).
The Global IT Challenge for disability is a capacity building project that helps youth with disabilities to overcome their limitations and challenges for a better future through access to ICT. It will alleviate the digital divide and expand participation of youth with disabilities in the society. It propagates implementation of United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) – Article 21 relates to access to information.
Thaawarchand Gehlot, Union Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, will inaugurate the event on November 9, 2018, and will present awards to the winners on November 11, 2018. Participation of high Government functionaries at the event will showcase the commitment of Government of India at the political and administrative level towards creating an environment inclusive of persons with disabilities through application of ICT and also to fulfil international obligations enshrined under UNCRPD and SDGs.
The competition will be held on the following aspects: E-tool (competition on application of MS-Excel, MS-Word etc) – individual event, E-life map challenge (ability to respond to specific situation) – individual event, E-creative (ability to create animated story or game) – group event (countrywise), E-content (ability to make video) – group event (countrywise), according to a PIB release.
About 100 youth with disabilities in the age group of 13-21 years in the category of visual disability, hearing disability, locomotor disability and developmental disorder (intellectual disability/MR) from 18 countries : Indonesia, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos, Philippines, Korea, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, UAE, India and UK will participate at the event. Twelve participants in three teams will be representing India. These youths with disabilities have been selected on the basis of National IT Challenge conducted through National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, in June, 2018.
There are about 1 billion persons i.e. about 15% of the world population with disabilities. Majority of this population lives in developing countries with low ICT development indexes.