AADISAO is honored to host one virtual and one in-person conference each year which are open to the public. Members receive a special admission rate, and group rates are available for non-profits and organizations working for and with people with disabilities.

AADISAO conferences provide a regional forum for disability professionals (researchers, educators, social workers, caregivers, etc) and self-advocates to share their work, learn from each other, and collaborate on issues that impact the quality of life of people with disabilities all across the continent of Africa.

Click REGISTER to register for the 2022 annual virtual conference.

The Conference Planning Committee is excited to announce the Call for Proposals for the February 7th, 2022 Annual International Conference on Disability and Social Inclusion in Africa – Advancing an Inclusive, Accessible, and Sustainable Post-Covid19 World.

We are seeking proposals for the following conference strands.

Education Strand (Gender and Inclusive Education – Girls Education Programming Pre and Post Covid19) – speakers or panelists for this strand will address the many barriers to inclusive education for young girls and women with disabilities. Panelists or speakers should be knowledgeable of the barriers to inclusive education for school-age girls with disabilities in Africa and purpose a comprehensive plan to overcome these barriers.
Public Health Strand – Public health for People with Disabilities in Africa – A Double Challenge. This strand focuses on the healthcare needs and access challenges for people with disabilities pre and posts covid in Africa. Sessions in this strand will discuss the experiences of people with disabilities during the peak of the pandemic in their home countries. What specific barriers did PWDs face during the peak of the pandemic, and what specific challenges lie ahead to ensure that PWDs get access to quality, and affordable healthcare?
Transportation Strand – sessions in this strand will look at how transportation options change for PWDs since the pandemic and then potential opportunities for increasing access to accessible and sustainable transportation for PWDs in Africa. Proposals should address specific recommendations for local and national governments, including international NGOs and community-based organizations.
Inclusive Employment Strand (Seeking creative strategies to promote inclusive employment for people with disabilities during Covid19 and post Covid19). Sessions in this strand should address CoVID19’s impact on inclusive employment for people with disabilities in Africa. It should highlight the challenges and barriers faced by PWDs, especially women who had to work twice as hard to provide for their families. Proposals should also address the consequences of lockdowns on many families where the principal breadwinner was a person with a disability.
Early Childhood Strand (Beyond the Diagnosis – meeting the social, communication, behavioral, and interaction needs of children with autism in Africa.) For this strand, we are seeking a Parent Panel that will be made up of 3-4 parents who can discuss the social, communication, behavioral, and interaction needs of their children and how they meet these needs today.

The deadline for submission is December 15th, 2021 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Proposals should include a short bio of the presenter(s), an abstract, learning objectives, Program, or topic description (not more than 2 pages). Please email your proposal to info@aadisao.org. by the submission deadline.

Quality proposals should demonstrate meaningful, effective, and sustainable collaborations across research, policy, and practice to promote sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for people with disabilities, work to make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe and sustainable and strives to reduce inequality within and among countries by empowering and promoting the social, economic and political inclusion of all people, especially persons with disabilities. We look forward to reading your proposals for the 2021 Conference!

If you or your organization would like to sponsor the conference or support a specific strand, please reach out to us at info@aadisao.org.

Who Should Attend the 2022 Conference?

People with disabilities
Disability Advocates in Africa
African NGOs working with people with disabilities
Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) working with people with disability
International NGOs
Country Directors and Managers
Caregivers and Support Professionals
Fellows and Alumni of US State Department programs on disability and inclusive disability employment.
Psychologists
Early Childhood workers and caregivers
Parents and Family members
Physicians
Educators
Nurses
Students
Researchers
Psychiatrists
Therapists
Criminal Justice Systems Personnel
Behavior Support Specialists

The primary objectives of the 2022 conference include:

Creating a forum for professional dialogue, knowledge sharing, and knowledge translation.
Establishment of a Regional Disability Policy Action group
Sharing new and improved research on disability issues in Africa.
Build the capacity of disability advocates, supporters, family caregivers, and individuals working with people with disabilities on the continent of Africa.
Providing a safe forum for the exchange of new ideas and information.

– The 2022 Conference Co-Chairs and Committee.