Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments Dear Participants, Our seminar « Access to services » is based on exchanges, encounters and discussions. In order to identify each other more easily, we ask you to fill in the small document (“introduction form”). Then, all introduction forms will be collected and shared between participants. You can write them in French, English or Arabic, according to your working language. Thank you for returning them to Marion by 30th November You can choose your pictures; Please keep the same colours suggested in the example. Good organisation and see you soon! © Handicap International

Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments International Seminar Amman, Jordan 7 – 11 december 2009 © Handicap International Ms. Neuhaus oversees implementation of the Making it Work initiative. As an Attorney and development professional, she has worked on subject areas including human rights, advocacy, capacity-building and civil society strengthening in international development programming. Prior to her legal education at the University of Maryland School of Law, Rhonda received her M.A. in Sustainable International Development from Brandeis University and has experience working in the area of inclusive development and public relations at Mobility International USA (MIUSA). She was a Consultant at BlueLaw International providing human rights education and advocacy services related to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities for the Shafallah Center for Children with Special Needs in Doha, Qatar. She is an experienced trainer, facilitator and has delivered trainings in Peru, Nicaragua, Tunisia, Spain, Brazil, and throughout the US. She is a trained negotiator and mediator and is a founding member of Mediators Beyond Borders (MBB), where she is co-chair of the Latin American sub-committee. She is fluent in Spanish and lives in Silver Spring, Maryland.

Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments Personally, I am a bilateral amputee since birth. I have therefore been making new legs with my service providers often throughout my life. In my professional life, access to social services is always an important and vital issue when working on inclusive development and CRPD implementation

Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments photo Financial resources sufficient to pay for the services needed (and the quality desired) Literal access issues (including dealing with governments, possible insurance depending on the country, local service providers to determine eligibility and process for obtaining required services).

Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments photo I am relatively new to this area and am looking forward to this discussion in Amman to bring up these issues in detail. I would believe greater clarity with who is responsible for providing the services themselves, whether it is governments, private providers, and who is filling in the gap (ie. NGOs). Also, what funding mechanisms exist for such services.

Access to Services for Persons with Disabilities in Challenging Environments photo I would like to be clear on how I can support all participants in your work around Access to Social Services through the Making it Work (MIW) Initiative. I look forward to sharing MIW with you all and learning about your work. Please see the Making it Work (MIW) website for more information prior to the start of the Conference.