Newly appointed Chair of the Physical Activity and Sport Taskforce of the Global Partnership on Children with Disabilities (GPcwd), Catherine Carty has outlined key priorities for 2017 below;
INTENDED FOCUS 1:
Produce Actionable Guidelines aligned with the GPcwd taskforce focus to follow and or accompany MINEPS VI (UNESCOs Sixth International Conference of Ministers and Senior Officials Responsible for Physical Education and Sport)outputs. Support the development of research tools to enable follow up of MINEPS VI in order to define the benchmark and monitor progress regarding participation, leadership and employment of pwd.
INTENDED FOCUS 2:
Integrate the GPcwd taskforce focus with I-PEPAS and enable input from taskforce members make the I-PEPAS resource available via GPcwd PA and Sport. The EIPET (European Inclusive Physical Education Training) resource is now part of the Olympic Values Education Programme -OVEP 2 (2016). It is still used in whole or in part in teacher training and inclusion training today. It is available in multiple languages. In 2017 we are redeveloping EIPET into I-PEPAS (Inclusive Physical Education, Physical Activity and Sport), fully aligned with UNESCO’s Charter (2015), CRPD, CRC and SDGs.
INTENDED FOCUS 3:
Joint, UNESCO Chair, Commit to Inclusion International, GPcwd Report on PEPAS in Africa.
INTENDED FOCUS 4.
Undergraduate and Postgraduate Research. Via the UNESCO Chair scholarship programme, one funded research scholarship proposal specifically around the GPcwd focus is being developed. Building on the one research project was developed last year in collaboration with Marty Block and Commit to Inclusion International, this will soon be advertised and applications will be open to candidates globally. The scholarship covers academic fees and a a monthly payment that is sufficient to cover monthly living costs as a student in Tralee.
INTENDED FOCUS 5:
Advocacy. It is important to build baseline research data and create a series of infographics. Furthermore, disability, more than any other area of discrimination or prejudice requires investment to level the playing field and reduce the structural and systemic barriers to support and enable children with disabilities to participate. Advocacy is needed to highlight this distinction and support requisite investment at policy levels and practice levels.
INTENDED FOCUS 6:
CRDP Side Event. At the CRPD meeting in NY in June we can host a side event on GPcwd PA and Sport. The Chair suggests to make best use of this opportunity and invite suggestions as to what the core focus should be.