US-funded TechCamp empowers people with disabilities through technology

US Consul General Grace Shelton opened a US government-sponsored TechCamp on empowerment through social media in Karachi on January 20-21.

The TechCamp was one of a series the US Mission to Pakistan has been carrying out to aid persons with disabilities in learning and exploring both the tools available for the disabled to interface with technology and the effective use of social media for advocacy, said a press release issued on Tuesday.

Held at the Lincoln Corner Karachi in Liaquat Memorial Library, the camp was a collaborative effort between the US Consulate General Karachi, the Network of Organisations Working for Peoples with Disabilities, Pakistan (NOWPDP), and digital media company East River.

Speaking on the occasion, Consul General Shelton said, “Empowerment and inclusion of people with disabilities in society is an integral part of promoting basic human rights for all people. Social media provides us a platform to get our voices heard in ways unimaginable in years past, and I encourage you to make use of the skills learned this weekend for raising awareness and advocating for inclusive change.”

NOWPDP President Amin Hashwani thanked the US Consulate General for supporting the TechCamp and other initiatives assisting and serving people with disabilities.

TechCamps are a public diplomacy programme hosted in the Bureau of International Information Programs (IIP) at the US Department of State. They are hands-on, participant-driven workshops that connect private sector technology experts with key populations.

The US State Department has conducted more than 60 TechCamps all over the world since 2010, training more than 3,200 participants from more than 110 countries.