Stellar line-up of world class speakers set for 2021 Inclusion Summit

Taking place virtually on 2 and 3 December, to coincide with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the 2021 Inclusion Summit will bring together an array of speakers from civil society, business, development, sport, entertainment, and assistive technologies. Organisations set to be represented at the event by expert speakers include the United Nations, UN Human Rights, International Disability Alliance, International Paralympic Committee, Special Olympics, World Health Organisations and The Valuable 500.

Through a mixture of keynote addresses, panel discussions and presentations, speakers will focus on the theme: “Building Back Better: Sport as a tool to place persons with disabilities at the heart of the inclusion agenda.” During two half day sessions, two key areas will be explored:

· Promotion of social inclusion and human rights
· How sport advance the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

Amongst the first speakers confirmed for the 2021 Inclusion Summit are: Andrew Parsons, IPC President; Ana Lucia Arellano, International Disability Alliance Chairperson; David Evangelista, Special Olympics European Eurasia President; Chapal Khasnabis, Head of the Access to Assistive Technology and Medical Devices Unit, World Health Organisation; and Facundo Chavez, Human Rights and Disability Advisor, UN Human Rights. Stephen Frost, Founder and CEO of Included; Vicki Austin, CEO of the Global Disability Innovation Hub; Chris Solly, WAoS Managing Director; and Keely Cat-Wells, CEO of C Talent will also appear.

More speakers will be announced in due course.

The full agenda for December’s event can be found at www.paralympic.org/…

Mike Peters, IPC Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are excited to bring together such a diverse community of world class line-up of speakers for the 2021 Inclusion Summit who share a similar commitment to advancing human rights for all and particularly for persons with disabilities.

“The aim is for December’s summit to provide a global platform to discuss the inclusion agenda and showcase how sport for persons with disabilities advances the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Chris Solly, Director, World Academy of Sport, said: “We are delighted that the 2021 Inclusion Summit is being formally launched today together with the IPC, and I thank everyone that has worked to put such an impressive programme together.

“The summit continues to position sport and Paralympians at the heart of social change and aligns with many of the international agencies who together have not only changed attitudes but also behaviours globally.”

With the technical support from the International Disability Alliance, the 2021 Inclusion Summit will be held in English, with simultaneous translation provided in French and Spanish. International sign language and closed captions will also be provided.

Who should attend?
The target audience for the 2021 Inclusion Summit includes a wide range of organisations. This includes policy makers, government, human rights and SDG focussed organisations, NGOs, international development agencies, sport bodies, businesses with a passion for inclusion, event organisers, universities, think tanks.

How can I attend?
To register to participate in the event on 2 and 3 December, please visit www.paralympic.org/…
The event will start each day at 14:00 CET through to 18:00 CET.
The registration for the two-day event is EUR 25.