The Zero Project's mission is working for a world with zero barriers. Worldwide, the Zero Project finds and shares solutions that improve the daily lives and legal rights of all persons with disabilities.
Founded by the Austrian non-profit Essl Foundation in 2008, the Zero Project is a global and research-driven initiative to support the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
It focuses its efforts on the topics of Education, Employment, Accessibility, Independent Living and Political Participation, and ICT.
Over the past decade, Zero Project has established a global network of 10,000+ experts , policy makers, corporates, academics, and other persons with and without disabilities who are advancing the implementation of the CRPD. This network contributes to the Zero Project’s work and continues to grow, fostering a global community for disability inclusion.
Each year, the Zero Project conducts research into innovations worldwide. Following a call for nominations and an extensive selection process with an international peer-review board, exemplary solutions receive a Zero Project Award for their innovation, scalability, and impact. They are showcased across all of the Zero Project's communication channels, including publications, such as the renowned Zero Project Report.
The Zero Project Conference 2024 recognizes these solutions during the Award Ceremony. The Zero Project Awardees will also be featured in various formats throughout #ZeroCon24, showcasing their proven and scalable solutions on the topics of Inclusive Education, and ICT.
The Zero Project Conference is an annual event, which has become a unique global meeting place for disability inclusion. Around 1,000 people from 100 countries regularly attend, and more than 10,000 persons attend online or watch the recorded sessions on Youtube on demand. Reflecting the global nature of the event and the long-term partnership of the Essl Foundation and the UNO, the Zero Project Conference is hosted at the United Nations Offices in Vienna.
Building on its foundational work, the Zero Project’s scope of impact is augmented through collaboration with civil society, public and private sector organizations around the world. There are regional initiatives in Latin America and India; programmes to enhance the Zero Project Awardees' impact, such as the Zero Project Scaling Solutions Programme, and the Zero Project Technology Forum; initiatives to leverage the potential of Artificial Intelligence; and Inclusive Arts projects. Moreover, in the organisation's home country of Austria, the Zero Project Austria Team works to promote Inclusive Employment through a range of activities.
Tom Butcher is Senior Advisor to, and an Ambassador of, the Zero Project and has worked with it since its earliest days. Based in the US and with a background in international finance and investment, he helps extend the reach of the project internationally, especially into both North and South America. Tom was formerly President of Light for the World USA, Inc.
Tom is currently Director of ESG with VanEck, a privately owned and operated global investment company based in New York. Amongst other areas, he is especially interested in DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) and, in particular, the inclusion of persons with disabilities in the workplace. Tom continues to use his extensive contacts, and the wide experience he has gained from working internationally, to promote both the foundation and the Zero Project around the world.
Tom holds both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from the University of Cambridge University in England.