Disability Rights are Human Rights 
Third Annual National Human Rights Forum 2020 
Video Contest: November 6 – December 3

The U.S. Embassy in cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lithuanian Children and Youth Center, the Lithuanian School Students‘ Union, and the Lithuanian Disability Forum invites all students from grades 9-12 to participate in a human rights–focused video contest “Disability Rights are Human Rights.” The winners will be students who can best illustrate the importance of a human rights–based approach to disability rights in Lithuania. We encourage everyone to participate and share their personal stories or present creative ideas about disability rights through a short video (2-3 minutes) in Lithuanian or English.  

Personnel from the U.S. Embassy and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; representatives from the Lithuanian Children and Youth Center, the Lithuanian School Students‘ Union, and the Lithuanian Disability Forum; and social media experts will evaluate the submissions. Evaluators will judge the submissions based on content and ability to express ideas and insights. If the submission uses words, they may be in Lithuanian or in English – please note that you will not be judged on language level, grammar or spelling skills.  

Submissions are due by December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Two winners will be notified on Monday, December 7. They will be invited to participate in the third annual National Human Rights Forum in Vilnius on Thursday, December 10, at the Martynas Mažvydas National Library, where they will be awarded prizes and have their videos featured after the session dedicated to marking the 10th anniversary of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Lithuania. Both winning videos and other finalist entries will also be featured on U.S. Embassy social media channels.   

You must email your submission to Miglė Grigienė at grigienem@state.gov using subject line “DRHR Contest 2020” by midnight on December 3. You will receive an email confirming the successful submission of your entry. 

Prompt: Your piece should show how important you think disability rights are and how you and others can be more active in raising awareness about disability rights issues in Lithuania. To get started, think about a disability rights issue in Lithuania that is important to you or someone in your community (local or national). Once you choose an issue you care about, think about what you can do to help people understand this issue and the importance of living in a diverse and welcoming community. Then make a short video to visually present the issue you care about. 

When thinking about creating your submission, consider some of the questions below.  

1. Where has Lithuanian society made the most progress on addressing disability rights issues, and where should we continue to focus our attention?
2. What can students and young people do to make Lithuania a more inclusive, accessible, and friendly place for persons with disabilities? 
3. How can each of us have an impact on inclusive community for all? 
4. What are some major issues related to rights of persons with disabilities in Lithuania? 

For inspiration check out: 

• Daugiau pažinimo – mažiau sutrikimo 
• Akcija „Už miestą visiems” 
• International Day of Persons with Disabilities – 3 December    
• Four Approaches to Disability
   

Evaluation Criteria 

1. The submission is clear, understandable, and unique.
2. The film is accessible for both the blind and deaf community (captions/subtitles and audio description).
3. Examples of persons with disabilities rights issues are accurate, appropriate, and applicable to Lithuania.
4. The author makes connections between individual experience and possible solutions to rights of persons with disabilities issues.
5. The author shows strong understanding of barriers to be tackled within infrastructure, societal attitudes, and existing stigma, and promotes a human rights-based approach towards persons with disabilities.
6. The author provides strong ideas for respectful, dignified ways of empowering and including persons with disabilities in Lithuanian society, acknowledging their diversity and evolving abilities.
7. The visual provides creative solutions and examples of how to get engaged. 

By U.S. Embassy in Lithuania | 6 November, 2020 | Topics: Art & Culture, Embassy, Events, Human Rights, News, U.S. & Lithuania, Video