An International Summit Conference on Independent Living

Washington, DC
September 21-25, 1999
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Promoting Independent Living Globally in the 21st Century
by Lex Frieden

Almost everyday, the reach of the Internet expands exponentially, and almost everyday, the costs of using the Internet becomes cheaper. There is still a vociferous cadre who claim that using the Internet reaches only the rich, but almost daily I receive e-mail from disability activists in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and Eastern Europe. What does this mean?

To me, it means that, as always, the dedicated disability activists in any country will find a way to be in the vanguard of changes in communication strategies. They found their way to telex machines in the early 1980's, to fax machines in the late 1980's, and to e-mail in the 1990's. Social change artists and activists find a way to communicate their messages effectively, disabled or not.

One of the lessons I learned during the International Independent Living Summit came from Thai and Brazilian disability activists who showed me their extensive international e-mail lists. The lesson was that none of us should make assumptions about the capabilities of our colleagues in poorer countries to capitalize on the new technologies. Many of them are already well aware that the web is their best chance to get exposure and attract support.

My organization, ILRU, is collaborating in a new five-year techno-venture--an international disability webzine--and promotion of independent living worldwide will be one of the primary goals. We will seriously explore how disability activists can support each other, and we will report monthly on our progress. Stay tuned to http://www.disabilityworld.org

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