Recommendations

  1. Raise awareness of accessibility: The first step to solving a problem is to identify and acknowledge it.
  2. Move from access to accessibility: As the Secretary-General’s brief on accessibility highlights, “Accessibility is not just access, but also availability and usability of products, programs and services, in physical and virtual environments”.[1]
  3. Remember the concept of “nothing about us without us”: Any endeavour to create laws, policies, programmes or initiatives on accessibility must include persons with disabilities and the organizations that represent them (organizations of persons with disabilities or OPDs). Not only is this in line with the CRPD, but it also ensures that accessibility initiatives are successful, in line with standards and truly accessible by persons with disabilities as the main users. Mapping the user experience, dividing it step by step and conducting simulations and audits are all helpful steps to follow.
  4. Issue an open call to schools of architecture, engineering and urban planning in the Arab region to conduct accessibility audits in their local urban or rural setting. This could help fill the knowledge gap on the level of accessibility in different Arab cities, towns and rural areas. Despite the discourse around accessibility, actual data on the degree of environmental and architectural accessibility of spaces in the Arab world remain scarce. Crowdsourced data could also support this endeavour.
  5. Start from the design and promote the use of the principles of universal design: This could be reflected in national and local legislations, building codes and urban development plans. Architects should consider accessibility in all their designs. A good design can make accessibility seamless and zero cost.
  6. Encourage public-private partnerships to make facilities accessible and create online directories of the accessibility of different cities or towns. Partnerships can include ministries of planning, urban and rural development municipalities, building permit offices, engineers, architects and urban developers. The private sector also has a great potential, and a business incentive, to be a key partner in ensuring accessibility, as accessibility can drive innovation, expand the market and establish companies as key stakeholders in ensuring an inclusive economy and society.
  7. Conduct capacity-building efforts for all stakeholders and partners to ensure the implementation of accessibility standards.
  8. Ensure compliance and feedback mechanisms that enable persons with disabilities to issue reports or complaints regarding any facility that does not comply with local or national accessibility standards. Periodic inspections are important, as are incentives and fines to encourage facilities to ensure accessibility.