Zero Project

Last updated
Established2009
FounderMartin Essl
Type Nonprofit
PurposeFor a World With Zero Barriers
Headquarters Vienna, Austria
CEO
Michael Fembek
Website www.zeroproject.org

The Zero Project is a non-profit based in Vienna, Austria, which focuses on researching and sharing innovative solutions that support the rights of people with disabilities globally. [1] Zero Project publishes an annual report of innovative solutions for persons with disabilities, holds an accessible conference annually to share these solutions, and partners with other organizations to support innovators in scaling up their solutions globally.

Contents

History

Zero Project is an initiative of the Essl Foundation (Essl Foundation MGE gemeinnützige Privatstiftung). The Essl Foundation was established by Martin and Gerda Essl and their children in order to support social innovations and scientific research. The purpose of the Essl Foundation is to support people in need, to increase the public awareness of this support. To this end, the Zero Project researches, selects, and shares broadly solutions towards supporting persons with disabilities.

In 2009, the Essl Foundation began researching how to measure the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD), which was ratified by Austria in 2008. They published a report, ESSL SOCIAL INDEX PILOT STUDY 2010, in 2010. [2]

Following this, in 2011 the Essl Foundation formally renamed this initiative "the Zero Project: for a world without barriers". [3] The first Zero Project Report was published on December 3, 2011, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

In 2012, Zero Project organized the first annual conference in Vienna, Austria, to further share Zero Project research with persons with disabilities, practitioners, and disability experts.It was held at the Palais Niederösterreich, on January 22–23, 2012, hosting over 200 participants from more than 30 countries. The Zero Project Conference 2013 continued to grow, with more than 250 experts and persons with lived experience participating.

In 2013, Zero Project presented research at a side event of a session of the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. The research presented focused directly on the employment issues addressed in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD). This marked the beginning of a cooperative relationship with the United Nations and Zero Project.

In 2014, the Zero Project Conference was held for the first time in at the United Nations Office at Vienna, where it has been held annually ever since. Due to the research through Zero Project, the Essl Foundation was granted ESOSOC Special status by the United Nations Economic and Social Council. [4]

Research

Zero Project researches and selects innovative solutions from around the world that successfully uphold the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. There are four central themes: Accessibility, Employment, Education, and Independent Living & Political Participation. Each year since 2020, innovative solutions in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are also included.

Innovation

Any practice or policy will have demonstrated an innovative and effective solution in support of removing barriers in one of the five areas of the Zero Project's research focus. The research takes into account the local context, geographies, and groups of beneficiaries.

Impact

The impact of a particular solution could refer to the number of beneficiaries or people using a service, the solution's growth rate, or the influence on improved public services, among others. Any selected solution must have been deployed and created impact; the selection process does not consider projects, or products at a concept stage.

Scalability

All nominations are reviewed for their potential in replicating and expanding to new geographies or growing in another way that allows a maximum number of persons with disabilities to benefit from the innovation.

Zero Project Awardees

Every year, Zero Project selects approximately 75 Awardees, with solutions demonstrating clear excellence in the research parameters of innovation, impact, and scalability.

Rotating on a 4-year cycle, the research process and Awardee selection focuses on the following 4 topics:

Since 2020, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is also covered every year.

These solutions are presented annually in the Zero Project Report. [5] [6]

The Awardees are invited to the annual conference at the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria, to present their solutions to an audience of policymakers, governmental figures, practitioners and experts. [7] [8]

Zero Project Conference

The Zero Project Conference (ZeroCon) brings together experts, policy makers, corporations, practitioners and persons with lived experience from all different sectors of society, in order to share proven solutions towards zero barriers for persons with disabilities. [9] ZeroCon is held annually at the United Nations Office at Vienna.

ZeroCon holds an award ceremony during which that year's Awardees are presented with the Zero Project Award, indicating the project's innovation, impact, and scalability. These Awardees are invited to present their projects to participants in a variety of formats, including presentations, forums, and workshops.

ZeroCon incorporates good practices in conference accessibility, [10] including such support as induction loops for hearing, tactile flooring, International Sign, large-print agendas, and volunteer assistance. [11]

Since 2021, many sessions from ZeroCon have been broadcast live and later provided for on-demand viewing on the Zero Project YouTube Channel, with captioning and International Sign.

Awards received

The Zero Project has been awarded with the Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments Award of Recognition in 2015 [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accessibility</span> Modes of usability for people with disabilities

Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" and "indirect access" meaning compatibility with a person's assistive technology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Invisible disability</span> Disability that is not immediately noticeable to others

Invisible disabilities, also known as hidden disabilities or non-visible disabilities (NVDs), are disabilities that are not immediately apparent. They are typically chronic illnesses and conditions that significantly impair normal activities of daily living.

The World Network of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (WNUSP) is an international organisation representing, and led by what it terms "survivors of psychiatry". As of 2003, over 70 national organizations were members of WNUSP, based in 30 countries. The network seeks to protect and develop the human rights, disability rights, dignity and self-determination of those labeled 'mentally ill'.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Debra Ruh</span> American businesswoman (born 1958)

Debra Ruh is an American business woman and advocate for the rights of persons with disabilities. She founded TecAccess, which provides software and services for information technology accessibility for people with disabilities and for Section 508 compliance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rehabilitation International</span>

Rehabilitation International is an international disability rights organization with member organizations in every region of the world. The RI secretariat is located in New York City.

Disabled Peoples' International (DPI) is a cross disability, consumer controlled international non-governmental organization (INGO) headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and with regional offices in Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Latin America, and North America and the Caribbean. DPI is a network of national organizations or assemblies of disabled people, established in 1980–81 to promote the human rights of disabled people through full participation, equalization of opportunity and development. DPI assists organisations in over 152 nations with the day to day issues of helping disabled people. They also host assemblies and symposiums across the world with their different national branches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Accessible tourism</span> Accessibility of tourism for disabled people

Accessible tourism is the ongoing endeavor to ensure tourist destinations, products, and services are accessible to all people, regardless of their physical or intellectual limitations, disabilities or age. It encompasses publicly and privately owned and operated tourist locations. The goal of accessible tourism is to create inclusivity of all including those traveling with children, people with disabilities, as well as seniors. This allows those with access requirements to be able to function as an independent using products following the universal design principle, a variety of services, and different environments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</span> Treaty of the United Nations

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international human rights treaty of the United Nations intended to protect the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. Parties to the convention are required to promote, protect, and ensure the full enjoyment of human rights by persons with disabilities and ensure that persons with disabilities enjoy full equality under the law. The Convention serves as a major catalyst in the global disability rights movement enabling a shift from viewing persons with disabilities as objects of charity, medical treatment and social protection towards viewing them as full and equal members of society, with human rights. The convention was the first U.N. human rights treaty of the twenty-first century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Light for the World</span>

Light for the World is an international disability and development NGO aiming at an inclusive society. The organisation currently supports projects in Sub-Saharan Africa — including: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, South Sudan and Uganda dedicated to the restoration of eyesight, prevention of blindness, rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, inclusive education and promotion of their human rights.

The Global Alliance on Accessible Technologies and Environments (GAATES) (2007) is an international not-for-profit organization (registered in Canada) that promotes accessibility of technologies and the built environment, and the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Its areas of interest include architecture, infrastructural design, transportation systems, habitat, and electronic information and communication technologies (ICT). It aims to enable people with disabilities and older persons to fully participate and contribute to society.

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is a United Nations body of 18 experts that meets two times a year in Geneva to consider the reports submitted by 164 UN member states on their compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and to examine individual petitions concerning 94 States Parties to the Optional Protocol.

In Japan, a person with a disability is defined as: "a person whose daily life or life in society is substantially limited over the long term due to a physical disability or mental disability". Japan ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on 20 January 2014.

There are an estimated 16 million people with disabilities in Bangladesh, or 10% of the country's population. In 2004, the prevalence of disability was about 6% among those below the age of 18 and about 14% among those above that age. People in Bangladesh living with disabilities are entitled to government support, but programs have been limited in scope and restricted to urban areas, and the question of disability has not been integrated into general development programs. In response, NGOs such as the Centre for Disability in Development have moved to provide assistance to people with disabilities.

Indigenous Disability Canada / British Columbia Aboriginal Network on Disability Society (IDC/BCANDS) is a national Indigenous charitable organization with its head office based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. IDC/BCANDS provides cross disability-related support and services to Indigenous peoples in Canada with disabilities, and advocates for the full inclusion of all Indigenous peoples with disabilities, both socially and economically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planet Abled</span> Travel company based in New Delhi, India

Planet Abled is a travel company based in New Delhi, India. The company provides travel to people with disabilities and the elderly. It has been recognized as one of the social innovators in travel space by Forbes.

Arlene S. Kanter is an American academic, lawyer and a Bond, Schoeneck & King Distinguished Professor of Law at Syracuse University College of Law. In 2005, she was named the Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence by Syracuse University. She is the founder and director of the Disability Law and Policy Program and director of the Office of International Programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Israel Elwyn</span>

Israel Elwyn (IE) (Hebrew: אלווין ישראל) is an Israeli nonprofit organization that provides services and programs for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. It serves over 5,100 people from all age groups. The goal of the organization is to create a society in which people with disabilities have equal rights and can determine their own future and way of life. With the help of its programs, children and adults with disabilities gain the tools needed to lead more independent lives within the community.

Under Italian Law 104/1992, "disability" is defined as a loss of the ability of the person to perform basic daily activities unaided."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Disability and climate change</span>

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Paris Agreement, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) are connected through their common goals of addressing global challenges and promoting sustainable development through policies and international cooperation.

Japanese Sign Language (JSL), also known as Nihon Shuwa, is the unofficial but most predominantly used sign language used by nearly 57,000 native signers as their primary language. It is a convergent, Deaf community sign language developed in the late 19th century.

References

  1. Disabled World (18 October 2014), Zero Project and the Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
  2. "Archive | Publications, Press Releases, and Events | Zero Project". zeroproject.org. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  3. "The Zero Project Milestones | Zero Project". zeroproject.org. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  4. "Welcome to csonet.org | Website of the UN DESA NGO Branch. At your service". csonet.org. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  5. EASPD, Zero Project launches its 2015 Report during the annual conference in Vienna
  6. "Annual Reports | Zero Project". zeroproject.org. Retrieved 2022-10-17.
  7. European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Speech given by Morten Kjaerum Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights at the Zero Project Conference
  8. APA (Austria Presse Agentur, in german language), Zero Project Conference: Von Inklusion profitieren alle
  9. "Annual Report CDD 2022". Publuu. Retrieved 2023-05-15.
  10. "Best Practices for Accessibility in Planning Conferences and Meetings". College of Arts & Sciences. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  11. "The Zero Project Conference 2023 | Zero Project". zeroproject.org. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
  12. GAATES Award of Recognition , retrieved 1 September 2015
  13. GAATES Presents Award of Recognition to the Zero Project , retrieved 1 September 2015