Rehabilitation International (RI) is a worldwide network organization, which works to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities. The organization, which has its secretariat in New York, was established in 1922. It currently has national links in approximately 100 countries.
RI-Norway's Vision
RI-Norway bases its work on the idea that all people should have opportunities for personal development and full participation in society. A society for all will be a target also in the habilitation and rehabilitation efforts RI-Norway perform. Of RI-Norway's constitution states that we should be "a forum for habilitation and rehabilitation." To carry out this task it will be important for RI-Norway to work out from the assumption that the RI-Norway will be an organizational network.
The organization's task will be to bring network members together for discussion of key issues within our scope. Through these discussions we will be able to ensure that members get access to information about important developments in our area for so early in the process that we may be players before positions have been locked.
The organization can also take the initiative to the important issues are put on the political agenda by inviting to the meetings and by stimulating the members continue their discussions in their own organizations. The organization will be able to assume the role as the guardian of the whole of the area when people through its membership has access to all areas and arenas that together constitute a whole.
When the RI-Norway also has good contacts through his international work, it is important that the organization will keep the discussions going international to the national level so that members can bring new ideas from abroad back home in their own organization. Equally important, the RI's members participate in the international arena, for example, at various international conferences.
For the RI-Norway is to achieve its goals in accordance with its vision, it will be necessary to consider what sort of membership organization should consist of. Our conclusion is that the most important is that members can contribute within the network and has a standpoint where debates and ideas can be brought forward. The recruitment should be concentrated around the active communities that are contributors to the debate and those who sit close to where decisions are taken.
Vision for the RI-Norway
RI- Norway should have a hand on the steering wheel and a foot on the gas for an inclusive society.
We will with this vision, demonstrate that the organization wants to be involved in ensuring that the development of our policy areas are in the right direction. We want to influence the situation by having a hand on the wheel.
However, it is not NOK to control development in the right direction, it is also important that the development has an appropriate speed. Often the path from idea to action has been far too long in our field and it is therefore important that the organization, through its members, makes his for the various processes going as fast as desired.
By using the term "inclusive society", we will also demonstrate that the organization supports the idea of "universal design" as that term is now used nationally and internationally. RI-Norway is also working actively with the ratification and implementation of the UN Convention.
Main objective
RI- Norway will be the most important organization for the impact of development on the rehabilitation area.
This goal is very ambitious, but realistic, as it currently does not exist any other place where all the different players can meet to discuss various issues on the field. On the RI-Norway's arena can representatives from different disciplines, professions, government agencies and user organizations meet and through debates and exchanges of views help you to lay the foundation for the development of the area.
To achieve our goal, it will especially be necessary to activate the members' interest in working through the RI, and there will also be required to work with the recruitment of members in the areas we have the greatest need to add expertise.
Norway Rehabilitation International (RI Norway) have worked since the mid 1960's. Member body consists of disability organizations, trade unions, professional associations, central / local governments, institutions and individual members.
RI-Norway is now a member of the board of the RI Global and vice chairman of the RI-Europe's Board of Directors.
RI's international commissions are also obsessed with the Norwegian members (Medical Commission, Commission on Work and Employment, Social Commission, Commission on Education, the International Commission on Technology and Accessibility, Commission on Recreation, Leisure and Physical Activities, Commission on Organization and Administration).
The organization also has its own agency cooperation at the Nordic level.
RI-Norway arranges hits points for organizations, groups or individuals that have its work in or have interest in habilitation and rehabilitation. A collection of different environments for discussion and exchange of views on comprehensive rehabilitation provides exciting challenges and will initiate new thinking and rationalization. RI-Norway's international business leads to cooperate with new and interesting environments in all parts of the world.
