Championing the rights of children with disabilities through digital media: Submit your nominations for digital champions 2015/2016 by February 10!
Who are Digital Champions?
For many of us, digital tools and technologies help us in our daily lives. We use them for fun and for work; to learn and to connect. And some people are also using them to change the world for the better – we call them Digital Champions.
Digital Champions are powerful creators, makers, and innovators who are transforming their environment and their communities for the better. As individuals or teams, Digital Champions are addressing difficult questions such as gender, equity, rights, participation and civic engagement, discrimination, and poverty. They are looking to share and create new opportunities with children and youth through digital media, to give the people in their community a chance to voice their stories, and to help them in shaping a positive and meaningful life.
We need your help finding Digital Champions
As part of Digitally Connected – a collaborative network launched by UNICEF and the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University in 2014 – we are looking to find young people with disabilities who have done innovative, interesting, and inclusive digital work, as well as young people, youth groups, and youth-led organizations who have done such digital work in partnership with adults and/or children with disabilities.
A Digital Champion could be someone who runs a popular blog that serves as a source of support for fellow young people with a specific disability; an individual, group, or organization that develops strong advocacy campaigns on digital and social inclusion; someone who is working to ensure that the internet and STEM education are more accessible for people with disabilities; or someone designing apps or technology to assist children and young people with disabilities in everyday life.
How to apply or nominate?
If you or someone you know has a project, we would love to hear from you. To apply please complete this form and tell us more about yourself, someone you know, or an organization that fits the profile of a Digital Champion.
We are looking for submissions from all across the world, and examples of champions of all ages and backgrounds. A selection of the most innovative, interesting, and inclusive work will be selected for the 2015/2016 edition of Digital Champions, which will be published online and distributed through the Digitally Connected network.