E-accessibility in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Article 9 of the Convention stipulates that, “To enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life, States Parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure to persons with disabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, including information and communications technologies and systems, and to other facilities and services open or provided to the public, both in urban and in rural areas”.

On the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2019, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres launched the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy.[1] In his opening statement, the Secretary-General called on all States to adopt disability-inclusive national policies: “I want the United Nations to lead by example and invite you to join me in moving decisively to achieve the goals of the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy”.

In response to the request by the Secretary-General that United Nations institutions adopt the Strategy and address barriers to its implementation, particularly in terms of e-accessibility, the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) launched the Arab Digital Inclusion Platform (ADIP) in 2020 as part of a package of measures designed to help Arab policymakers develop national policy and guidance to enhance e-accessibility.