The Zero Project Conference 2023 (#ZeroCon23) took place at the United Nations
Office at Vienna, Austria from February 22-24, 2023. It convened over 1200 participants
from 80+ countries and represented one of the largest disability inclusion conference
ever. Mrs. Sulo Krishnamurthy, our Director of Assistive Technology Implementation &
President of Handi-Care Intl., and Marie Brien, our Associate Director of Research &
Capacity Building attended the 3-day conference filled with impactful presentations,
networked with conference participants from around the World, and developed future
collaborative relationships for our Enabling Inclusion® Program.
On February 23rd, 2023, they received a Zero Project 2023 award for Amar Seva
Sangam’s “Pediatric Assistive Technology Provision Program” in rural South India. This
project is funded & supported by Handi-Care Intl., Canada. www.handicareintl.org/AT
ASSA is honored for this recognition of our Enabling Inclusion Program & of our partner
Handi-Care Intl. http://www.handicareintl.org/
On February 23rd, 2023, Amar Seva Sangam’s awarded initiative, our “Pediatric
Assistive Technology Provision Program” in rural South India was presented by Marie
Brien, our Associate Director of Research and Capacity Building. This presentation was
part of a session on “Innovations in Assistive Technology from Asia and Africa” with a
panel of awardees. Our AT program, based on the WHO principles of AT access, was
very well received by attendees for its impact, scalability and innovation.
https://youtu.be/Frr13Q4w7dk
As a Zero Project awardee, we are actively supporting the mission and vision of the UN
CRPD for a world with zero barriers. Facilitating AT access to enable development,
participation, and inclusion of children with disabilities. We are proud to be part of the
Zero Project family and to share our impactful, innovative, and scalable solution at the
Zero Project Conference 2023.
The Zero Project Conference 2023 featured a wide spectrum of formats, from parallel
sessions to workshops, keynote presentations, and engaging forum discussions
Some of the key topics covered at #ZeroCon23 included:
- Assistive Technology
- Early Childhood Intervention
- Independent Living
- Participation in Public Life
- Self-employment & Micro Finance
- Deinstitutionalization
- From Guardianship to Supported Decision Making
- Voter & Civic Education
For the first time ever, the Zero Project introduced the Zero Project India Forum, to
foster closer partnerships with India, and welcome a large multi-sectoral delegation from
India which underlined the disability inclusion ecosystem underway in India.
Looking ahead to next year, the Zero Project 2024 theme will be centered around the
crucial topic of inclusive education.
