This is underway. REAL TIME TEXT https://bit.ly/3YwhWoL [image: isoc.live] <http://isoc.live/16757>On *Wednesday 9th August 2023* at *19:00-20:30 BST* (13:00-14:30 UTC) *Friendship NGO <https://friendship.ngo/>* in collaboration with *Aspire to Innovate (a2i) <https://a2i.gov.bd/about-us/>*, ICT Division of the Government of Bangladesh hosts a webinar ' *Realizing the Rights and Improving Accessible and SMART Services for Persons with Disabilities in Hard-To-Reach Areas <https://bit.ly/3Ypzi6G>*.' The aim of this international dialogue is to understand the gaps and discuss possible digital solutions to include persons with disabilities living in hard-to-reach areas in the process of making ‘*SMART Bangladesh*’. The *SMART Bangladesh Vision 2041 <https://a2i.gov.bd/a2i-missions/smart-bangladesh-vision-2041/>*, led by the Honorable Prime Minister of the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is about bridging the digital divide by innovating and scaling sustainable digital solutions that all citizens, regardless of their socio-economic background, and all businesses, regardless of their size, can benefit from. This Vision will straddle 4 key pillars: Smart Citizen, Smart Government, Smart Economy, and Smart Society. *DISCUSSANTS* *Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan*, Secretary, Coordination & Reforms Cabinet Division, Government of Bangladesh *Anir Chowdhury*, Policy Advisor, a2i Programme, Government of Bangladesh / UNDP Bangladesh *Runa Khan*, Founder, Friendship NGO *Marc Elvinger*, Chair, Friendship Luxembourg / Co-Chair, Friendship International *Vashkar Bhattacharjee*, National Consultant- Accessibility Disability Innovation Lab (a2i) *Suzana Brown*, Associate Professor, Department of Technology and Society, State University of New York *Ann Gummels*, Director, Foundation of Children with Autism *Betteke de Gaay Fortman*, Director, Friendship Netherlands *Deepak Raj Sapkota*, Executive Director of Karuna Foundation, Nepal / the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Barrister *Ayesha Taasin Khan*, Senior Director & Head of Inclusive Citizenship, Friendship NGO The event will have captions and also IS interpretation, and will be live simulcast by the *Accessibility Special Interest Group <https://a11ysig.org/>* of the Internet Society US New York Chapter (A11ySIG). *LIVESTREAM http://livestream.com/internetsociety/bd-digitalinclusion3 <http://livestream.com/internetsociety/bd-digitalinclusion3>* *PARTICIPATE VIA ZOOM https://bit.ly/3Ypzi6G <https://bit.ly/3Ypzi6G>* *REAL TIME TEXT (see ISOC.LIVE <http://isoc.live/16757>)* *TWITTER #digitalsolutions @a2i_bd @friendship_ngo #accessibility #SmartBangladesh2041 <https://bit.ly/3qkZa78> #Bangladesh #DigitalInclusion #A11y @a11ySIG @ISOCapac* *MASTODON https://mastodon.social/tags/digitalsolutions <https://mastodon.social/tags/digitalsolutions> #digitalsolutions* *SIMULCASTS* *https://twitter.com/ISOC_Live <https://twitter.com/ISOC_Live>* *https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive <https://www.twitch.tv/isoclive>* *https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/ <https://www.facebook.com/liveisoc/>* *https://www.facebook.com/isocasiapacific/ <https://www.facebook.com/isocasiapacific/>* *ARCHIVE* *https://archive.org/details/bd-digitalinclusion3 <https://archive.org/details/bd-digitalinclusion3>* -- -------------------------------------- Joly MacFie +12185659365 -------------------------------------- -