Global disability youth summit 2022

In 2018, the world’s first summit for the persons with disabilities (Global Disability Summit) was held in London. It was a historic moment for the global disabled movement and the rights of people with disabilities.

Together, Norway, Ghana, and the International Disability Alliance (IDA) will host the second Global Disability Summit (GDS22) which will be held online 15-17th of February 2022.

For the very first time, youth with disabilities are arranging their own summit, and it will be held online on the 14th of February 2022. The International Disability Alliance, UNICEF, and the Atlas Alliance, represented by Youth Mental Health Norway, will host a summit to secure the inclusion of youth in the Global Disability Summit.

The goal of GDS Youth is for young people to have a platform to use their voices and discuss how the world can commit to fulfilling their rights. The GDS Youth aims to raise ideas and concerns of the estimated 200 million youth with disabilities worldwide.If you want to partake in the summit, the registration is now online, please follow this link.

GDS Youth will accelerate the involvement of young people with disabilities in the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals by raising awareness for the importance of their active participation in policy-making vis-à-vis government officials and other stakeholders. The summit can bring real and lasting change in the lives of young people with disabilities around the world, through the increased visibility brought on by the social media campaign or national level advocacy taking place pre-GDS, which hopefully will lead to many, and powerful pledges and commitments given by influential stakeholders like states and donors. And finally, lasting change brought on by the final declaration of overarching commitments to be signed by participants.

Young people with disabilities are among the most marginalized and vulnerable of the world’s youth population. Compared with young people without disabilities, those with disabilities have a greater chance of experiencing economic or social differences. Young people with disabilities face the daily fear of:

• Discrimination
• Assault
• Lack of education

The exclusion of youth with disabilities is not only felt on an individual level, but its impact is also felt throughout society. Exclusion leads to youth with disabilities not having the opportunity to reach their full potential for contributing to society.

To achieve real inclusion and sustainable change, young people must be included. In the GDS Youth they will lead the way and the world will listen. Young people today, including youth with disabilities, represent an enormous driving force and to achieve lasting change.

GDS Youth will mobilize new global and national disability commitments and raise awareness of an area that has been overlooked for too long. The GDS Youth will achieve this by presenting evidence and concrete ideas from young people and their organizations from all over the world.