On December 4th, 2024, our Living Inclusion Network Café welcomed about 90 participants for an enriching session on the Global Disability Summit (GDS) 2025 in Berlin and on innovative solutions for disability inclusion. The online event highlighted the power of collaboration and innovation in advancing inclusive development.
Spotlight on the Global Disability Summit 2025
The event began with an introduction by Tino Clemens, Senior Policy Officer at the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), into the goals and mechanisms of the Global Disability Summit. The Summit, scheduled for April 2nd and 3rd, 2025 will focus on creating national ownership by ensuring that governments take the lead in disability inclusion globally. The GDS will also focus on actionable pledges to achieve real progress and addressing gaps from previous summits. The GDS organisers hope to get strong commitments and emphasize the role of development cooperation in bridging these gaps. Mr Clemens pointed out the importance of learning from each other and using evidence and data for interventions.
The Zero Project: Advancing the implementation of the UN CRPD with innovative ideas
As one of the focal points of the GDS is also to showcase smart and inspiring best practices, the event continued with three innovative project examples from the Zero Project initiative, which will also be presented at the summit. Małgorzata Grobelna, Programme Manager at the Zero Project, shared its mission to eliminate barriers worldwide. By supporting and scaling impactful innovations, the Zero Project amplifies solutions that advance disability inclusion on a global scale. She also highlighted the initiative’s role in providing individualized scaling support for the innovative solutions that were presented in the breakout sessions afterwards.
Breakout Room Highlights: Innovative Solutions in Action
Attendees explored three transformative projects during interactive breakout sessions:
- Incluyeme.com: Presented by Clara Popeo, this job portal is revolutionizing employment for persons with disabilities in Latin America, creating opportunities for meaningful economic participation. Since its creation in 2013, it has been used by over 24,000 people, has matched over 3,000 persons with disabilities who are now employed, and has trained over 10,000 persons with disabilities in skills for their social and labor inclusion in society.
- Tai Pamoja: Debora Maboya and Mariam Mhina illustrated how storytelling is empowering youths with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a focus on Tanzania. With captivating animated videos that tell stories from the everyday lives and challenges of people with disabilities, it is fostering self-advocacy and inclusion. It typically addresses the topics of albinism, autism, and blindness.
- Morada App: Oziel Vázquez showcased this critical tool that addresses gender-based violence against women with disabilities in Mexico, providing vital support and resources for safety and empowerment. The tool has been used by over 25,000 women since its creation in 2020.
The event concluded with a 30-minute open networking session, where attendees engaged directly with speakers and peers. We thank all attendees, speakers, and co-organizers for making the last event of this year a success. Together, we continue to drive meaningful change toward a more inclusive world!
For updates on future network activities, please register and join the network!
Further Resources
- Living Inclusion Network Café December 2024 – Master Presentation
- Presentation from breakoutrooms:
