News and Events

ECDD organizes Information Seminar on Accessibility for owners/managers of hotel and restaurant businesses in Addis Ababa

Over 50 owners and managers of major hotels and restaurants in Addis Ababa participated in a half-day Information Seminar on why and how to make their establishments accessible to persons with disabilities. The Seminar, which took place on 23 December 2009 at the Intercontinental Hotel, featured a presentation by Mr. Shesema G/silasie, Head of the Addis Ababa Bureau of Trade and Industry, on legal accessibility regulations. An illustrated presentation was also made by Mr. Seifedin Badi, Senior Training Officer of the Hilton Addis Hotel, on measures taken by the hotel to make its facilities and services accessible to blind, deaf and physically disabled clients, and the benefits to the hotel of doing so.

The Seminar was organized by ECDD under its “Guide to Accessible Addis Ababa” project, funded by Light for the World (Austria). The project is undertaking assessment surveys of the accessibility of major hotels, guest houses, restaurants/cafes, shopping centers, essential services, transport, sports, recreation, culture and religious facilities in Addis Ababa, in order to prepare a guidebook indicating which facilities and services are accessible to persons with disabilities.

Technical specifications on international accessibility standards were shared with the participants, some of whom requested additional ECDD guidance on how to make their buildings and services accessible.

ECDD receives new minibus donated jointly by Light for the World, the Abilis Foundation and ILO

ECDD has over 25 staff members with disabilities who are dependent upon public transport for their movement around the city for various work-related activities. As ECDD has no vehicle of its own, an appeal was made to the primary donors of ECDD for the purchase of a minibus. Light for the World (Austria), the Abilis Foundation (Finland) and the International Labour Organization (ILO) responded and jointly purchased a new minibus for ECDD. The new minibus has arrived in Addis Ababa and will be put into service during January 2010. The minibus, which will be equipped with a wheelchair ramp, will be available for use by other organizations in Addis Ababa requiring its use for the transport of wheelchair-users and other persons with disabilities.

ECDD signs MOU with TDVA

ECDD has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tigray Disabled Veterans Association (TDVA) that sets out modalities for collaboration in the implementation of joint activities in Tigray Region. ECDD is presently implementing an ILO-funded project with disability awareness training activities planned with government bureaus, DPOs, small enterprise development organizations and micro finance institutions in Tigray Region.

ECDD organizes Workshop on Disability Mainstreaming for Dutch partner organizations in Ethiopia

ECDD has entered into a partnership with the Dutch NGO Dark and Light Blind Care to support its Disability Mainstreaming Initiative with Ethiopian partner organizations of the Dutch NGOs Tear, Help a Child, Edukans and Woord en Daad. As part of this support, ECDD organized a two-day workshop, 9-10 December 2009 in Addis Ababa to review the progress of the Mainstreaming Initiative by 10 Dutch partner organizations in the country.

During the workshop the findings of a mapping exercise, and an assessment exercise to review the accessibility of partner programs were presented. Priority areas for inclusive development (education, income generation, health, HIV/AIDS) were identified and priorities for capacity-building of partner organizations were outlined. The 20 workshop participants also discussed a future vision for an inclusive society in Ethiopia.

ECDD organizes Consultation Workshop on SNE in TVET

In collaboration with the Ethiopian National Disability Action Network (ENDAN) and the Ministry of Education, ECDD organized a Consultation Workshop on a draft framework document on Special Needs Education (SNE) in Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), prepared by the Ministry of Education. The workshop took place on 24 November 2009 with over 40 representatives of stakeholders (TVET institutions, DPOs, disability NGOs, international NGOs and UN agencies) providing feedback on the draft document.

During the workshop it was decided to create a Task Force to work with the Ministry on finalizing the document. The Task Force subsequently met and decided to organize additional consultation workshops in 4 Regions to obtain feedback from stakeholders in the Regions. ECDD is chairing the Task Force.

ECDD elected Chair of the Ethiopian National Disability Action Network (ENDAN)

Member organizations of the Ethiopian National Disability Action Network (ENDAN) elected ECDD as Board Chair at the ENDAN Annual General Assembly Meeting held on 29 August 2009. ENDAN is a network of over 30 DPOs, disability NGOs, development NGOs and other NGOs working on disability issues in Ethiopia.