The Zero Project has completed the nomination process for Innovative Practices and Policies in the field of accessibility. It has received 317 nominations for Innovative Practices and 55 for Innovative Policies from more than 70 countries around the world
Vienna 7th August 2017: The Zero Project researches the status of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN CRPD) around the world. This year, is focusing on employment, work and vocational education and training.
The nomination process started in May 2017 and the Call for Nominations of Innovative Practices, as well as Innovative Policies, closed at the beginning of July.
The Zero Project received an astounding 372 Nominations from 76 countries, and astounding is also the variety of accessibility that is created by them: from assistive technology to tourism, from urban development to access to health and justice, from accessibility in humanitarian aid to orientation maps, artificial intelligence and automated easy language support.
The process of carefully screening, shortlisting, voting on, and finally selecting the Innovative Practices and Policies 2018 of the Zero Project has already begun.
Call for Innovative Practices: 317 Nominations
The Call for Nominations of Innovative Practices resulted in 317 nominations from 73 countries and all regions of the world: 24 were received from Africa, 87 from Asia, 129 from Europe, 43 from North America, 30 from Latin America and the Caribbean, and 4 from Australia.
Countries where the most Innovative Practices were nominated: Israel (36), Austria, home country of the Zero Project (34), United States (33) and Spain (14). For the first time, nominations were received from Honduras, Iran, Swaziland and Zambia.
Call for Innovative Policies: 55 Nominations
The Call for Nominations of Innovative Policies resulted in 55 nominations being received by the Zero Project. These Nominations for Innovative Policies came from all regions of the world: Africa (7), Asia (6), Europe (25), North America (9), Latin America and the Caribbean (6) and Australia (2). Countries with the most nominations for Innovative Policies were: Spain (8), Austria (6) and Canada (4).
Next steps in the selection process
The Zero Project team, with the help of its partners and expert network, is currently shortlisting all nominations, based on its three criteria: Innovation, Impact and Scalability.
In September, the Zero Project network will be asked to vote on the shortlisted nominations as the next step in the selection process.
In a final step, the Zero Project team will thoroughly research all practices and policies before final decisions are made by the end of 2017.
The overall aim is to select a total of up to 70 Innovative Practices and 10 to 12 Innovative Policies, to be published in the Zero Project Report 2018 on Accessibility and to award them at the next Zero Project Conference in February 2018 at the UN in Vienna.
For further information, please contact:
Michael Fembek
Zero Project, Director
Essl Foundation, Klosterneuburg/Austria
m.fembek@zeroproject.org