Disability At A Glance 2019: Investing In Accessibility In Asia And The .

DISABILITY AT A GLANCE 2019: INVESTING IN ACCESSIBILITY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFICBox 15.Box 16.Box 17.Box 18.Box 19.Box 20.Box 21.Act on Guarantee of Rights of and Support for Persons with Developmental Disabilities (2017)Additional legislation on accessibility in the Republic of KoreaThe Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016)Legislative Rules of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act (2016)Accessible India Campaign 2015International Sign interpretationPacific Disability Forum’s six areas of required change to facilitate disability inclusionACRONYMSAUDAustralian dollarsCADCanadian dollarsCRPDConvention on the Rights of Persons with DisabilitiesDETDisability Equality TrainingDPODisabled People’s OrganizationsESCAP Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the PacificEUEuropean UnionGATEGlobal Cooperation on Assistive TechnologyICFInternational Classification of FunctioningICTInformation and communications technologyINRIndian rupeesISOInternational Organization for StandardizationJPYJapanese yenKRWKorean wonNDISNational Disability Insurance Scheme Act (2013)NGONon-governmental organizationSDG(s) Sustainable Development Goal(s)USDUnited States dollarsVRSVideo Relay ServiceWHOWorld Health OrganizationW3CWorld Wide Web ConsortiumWASLI World Association of Sign Language InterpretersWFDWorld Federation of the Deafvi69697173788196

Chapter 1Introduction1

DISABILITY AT A GLANCE 2019: INVESTING IN ACCESSIBILITY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC“TOGETHER, WE CAN RAISE AWARENESS AND REMOVE BARRIERS.TOGETHER, WITH PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES AS AGENTS OF CHANGE,WE CAN BUILD AN INCLUSIVE, ACCESSIBLE AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD”1ANTÓNIO GUTERRES, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE UNITED NATIONSresults in persons with disabilities falling behind, asevidenced by their relatively low rates of completingsecondary education, gaining full time employmentand securing a decent income compared to thosewithout disabilities.61.1 DISABILITY AND THE IMPORTANCEOF INVESTING IN ACCESSIBILITYPersons with disabilities, who comprise an estimated15 per cent of the global population, are one of thelargest minority groups in the world.2,3 In Asia andthe Pacific, this translates to an estimated 690 millionpeople, including those with physical disabilities,those who are blind or experience low vision, deaf orhard-of-hearing, and those with learning disabilities,cognitive/developmental disabilities, psychosocialdisabilities, deafblind, and those with multipledisabilities. This figure is expected to increase over thecoming decades, owing to population ageing, longerlife expectancy, and an increasing number of injuriesresulting from situational and natural disasters, amongother factors.4The inadequacy and lack of accessible builtenvironments, accessible information andcommunication, including information andcommunications technology (ICT), and accessibleservices are fundamental barriers that widen thisinequality. ‘Accessibility’, in simple terms, is thebreaking down of the barriers across these sectors thatprevent persons with disabilities — and the broaderpopulation — from participating in society on an equalbasis with others.To illustrate the fundamental importance ofaccessibility for reducing inequality for persons withdisabilities, it is necessary only to look at daily life.With recognition of the diversity that exists amongpersons with disabilities and the various barriersthey face, activities often taken for granted such asentering or exiting a residential building, crossinga street, a school, or an office building, are commonbarriers to access of employment and educationopportunities. Uneven pavements, steps and unclearsignage between a residence and transportation hubshave the same detrimental impact on participation,and this is assuming that public transportation itself isequipped to support persons with diverse disabilitiesPersons with disabilities face numerous barriersthat restrict their full and effective participation insociety on an equal basis with others and are amongthose at highest risk of being left behind in thedevelopment process. This risk is particularly pertinentgiven rising inequality across the world, which has adisproportionate impact on persons with disabilities.For instance, the increase of income inequality putspersons with disabilities – who already are less likelyto be employed compared with their peers withoutdisabilities – in a particularly vulnerable position.5Furthermore, the rising inequality with regard to accessto basic services such as education opportunities often123456United Nations News, 2019.World Health Organization (WHO), 2011.United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), 2018.WHO, 2011.International Labour Organization (ILO) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), 2018.United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP), 2019a.2

Chapter 1: Introductionand requirements. Considering public toilet facilities,shops, banks and automated teller machines, votingbooths, recreational venues and other typical placesfor societal gathering and participation, the potentialfor persons with disabilities and those with specificaccessibility requirements to conduct daily life on anequal basis with others can be a challenge, let aloneachieving educational and career goals. These are justa few examples of barriers to participation which willbe explored in more detail in this report.In addition, the Incheon Strategy to ‘Make the RightReal’ for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and thePacific, 2013–2022, together with the accompanyingBeijing Declaration and Action Plan to Acceleratethe Implementation of the Incheon Strategy, providea robust regional framework for advancing crosssectoral disability-inclusive development.11 The tenIncheon Strategy goals and accompanying targetsand indicators set benchmarks for progress forgovernments, civil society actors and internationalorganizations alike. Rooted in the CRPD, accessibility isboth an underpinning principle of the frameworks, aswell as a specific area of focus through Goal 3 of theIncheon Strategy and specific reference in five of theaction points set out in the Beijing Declaration andAction Plan.To break down these barriers, a number of global,regional and national efforts have been taken. TheUnited Nations Convention on the Rights of Personswith Disabilities (CRPD), which was adopted in 2006and entered into force in 2008, is a landmark documentfor ensuring the rights of persons with disabilities areupheld, and one of the most prominent and catalyzingmeans of promoting accessibility at the global level.7The CRPD recognizes in its preamble “the importanceof accessibility to the physical, social, economic andcultural environment, to health and education andto information and communication, in enablingpersons with disabilities to fully enjoy all humanrights and fundamental freedom”.8 The Conferenceof States Parties to the CRPD said that “accessibilityis a precondition for persons with disabilities to liveindependently and achieve full and equal participationin society”.9 Article 9 of the CRPD specifically focuseson accessibility, noting that “States Parties shall takeappropriate measures to ensure to persons withdisabilities access, on an equal basis with others, to thephysical environment, to transportation, to informationand communications, including information andcommunications technologies and systems, and toother facilities and services open or provided to thepublic, both in urban and in rural areas”.107891011121314Regional progress also requires support in nationaland global fora, and as such successes in the IncheonStrategy and Beijing Declaration and Action Planare closely intertwined with national and globaldevelopment efforts. The Incheon Strategy has spurredgovernments across Asia and the Pacific to take steps toinvest in accessibility and promote disability-inclusivedevelopment, as demonstrated through the findingsof the ESCAP midpoint review of the third and currentAsian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities,2013-2022, conducted in 2017.12 Furthermore, globalagreements such as the Sendai Framework for DisasterRisk Reduction 2015–2030,13 and the Marrakesh Treatyto Facilitate Access to Published Works for PersonsWho Are Blind, Visually Impaired or Otherwise PrintDisabled,14 similarly provide a mandate and guidancefor investing in accessibility.Most prominently, all stakeholders have been activelyengaged at the global level through the 2030 Agendafor Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda andConvention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, New York, 13 December 2006.United Nations General Assembly, 2006. A/RES/61/106, Preamble v.United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), 2017. CRPD/CSP/2017/4, para 4.United Nations General Assembly, 2006. A/RES/61/106, Article 9, para 1.United Nations ESCAP, 2018.United Nations ESCAP, 2017c., E/ESCAP/APDDP(4)/1United Nations General Assembly, 2015. A/RES/69/283.World Intellectual Property Organization, 2013.3

DISABILITY AT A GLANCE 2019: INVESTING IN ACCESSIBILITY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFICits 17 inter-related Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs) adopted in 2015 by 193 United Nations MemberStates, pledge to leave no one behind. This pledgeasserts and commits that the “dignity of the individualis fundamental and that the Agenda’s Goals andtargets should be met for all nations and people andfor all segments of society”, including persons withdisabilities.15 Five of the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals contain targets that make direct reference topersons with disabilities, and seek to make educationalfacilities accessible, to improve accessibility of builtcities, public spaces and public transportation, andto enhance access to ICT. Furthermore, another sixof the goals make implicit reference to disability andaccessibility.16By extension, approaches to promote accessibility areoften falsely assigned and confined to select actors andservice providers – namely those focused on disabilitymatters – which severely hampers achieving objectivesof building accessible environments. For instance,accessibility-related policy measures and activities maybe assigned the jurisdiction of government ministriesproviding social welfare services, whereas successfulendeavours to build accessible environments require awhole-of-house approach. Furthermore, it is importantthat governments recognize the instrumental role thateach of their branches play in promoting accessibility.It is the role of the legislative branch to discuss, adopt,and amend laws, and nullify those which do notharmonize with the spirit and the content of the CRPD.The executive branch implements these laws anddevelops programmes and initiatives with sustainedbudget to put them into practice. Finally, the judicialbranch provides interpretations of the laws, and passesjudgement on legal cases to ensure that the right toaccess is upheld.1.2 CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIESTO INVEST IN ACCESSIBILITYAlthough national, regional and global frameworks arein place to promote disability inclusion, there remainnumerous challenges and opportunities to investingin accessibility in Asia and the Pacific. A strengthof the region is that governments, representativeorganizations of persons with disabilities, privatesector and other civil society organizations are awareof the importance of accessibility, generally throughknowledge of the CRPD. However, an ESCAP surveyconducted for the midpoint review of the Asian andPacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2013-2022,and recent accessibility expert discussions indicatethat common understandings of accessibility are toooften limited to envisioning physical interventions,such as installation of a ramp to facilitate access forwheelchair users. While this is an important dimensionof accessibility, it is only a small part of the wider scopeof barriers that need to be broken down.151617The need for multi-stakeholder approaches toinvesting in accessibility mirror the same requirementsfor cross-pillar approaches to sustainable developmentin the context of the 2030 Agenda. In additionto the references that the 2030 Agenda makes todisability and accessibility,17 achieving the SDGs andensuring that no one is left behind requires increasedinvestment in accessibility. There is an inextricablelink between investing in accessibility and achievingsustainable development that is inclusive of bothpersons with disabilities and the broader population,yet too often accessibility is inadequately included insustainable development efforts.One of the underlying challenges is that manypolicy and lawmakers, development practitioners,advocates and other stakeholders are not adequatelyequipped with technical knowledge and capacityto effectively mainstream accessibility in their work.United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA), 2016.United Nations ESCAP, 2017b. E/ESCAP/APDDP(4)/INF/1.United Nations ESCAP, 2017b. E/ESCAP/APDDP(4)/INF/1.4

Chapter 1: IntroductionThis is understandable, as the concepts of disabilityand accessibility are dynamic, and rapid technologicaldevelopments across society mean that new andinnovative approaches to accessibility are continuallyemerging. Such technological developments andinnovations have had positive impacts on breakingdown barriers to participation, but these too runrisks of further exclusion of persons with disabilities.The Fourth Industrial Revolution is a driving forcein digitalizing society to enhance efficiency andeffectiveness of economic and social activities, howeverit has the potential to further the divide between thosewho can and cannot use and access such technologies.For persons with disabilities, if any digital products andservices are not accessible, again, they experience alost opportunity for participation in society.organizations of persons with disabilities, the privatesector and other stakeholders. Through this investmentapproach, governments can foster inclusive societies inwhich innovation from the diversity that exists withinits populations can contribute to social and economicbenefits, and most importantly in which all of societycan participate and enjoy equality of opportunity.Against this backdrop, this report will do the following:Another underlying reason for the lack of inclusion ofaccessibility in development efforts is that outside ofthe disability community there remains an insufficientlevel of awareness and understanding of the broaderand more comprehensive conceptualizations ofaccessibility vis-à-vis its value for all of society. Inthis regard, this report aims to bridge the gap inthe understanding of accessibility by presentingand demonstrating the conceptual and practicalapproaches of investing in accessibility as it appliesboth to persons with disabilities, as well as the broaderpopulation.With this context in mind, this report will illustrate theneed for increased investment in accessibility to buildan inclusive Asia and Pacific for all. Financial investmentis an important part of this however money alonewill not break down the barriers to participation thathundreds of millions of people in the region continue toface. Rather, enhancing accessibility requires innovativeforms of investment, including through gaining highlevel commitment and institutional buy-in; establishingstrong legal frameworks on accessibility; buildinghuman resources, namely capacity and understandingof accessibility in different dimensions of society;developing technical knowledge and solutionsto fill gaps and bridge inequalities that persist inprivate and public life; and encouraging partnershipsbetween governments, organizations, policymakers,1Lay out foundational concepts and terminologiesrelated to disability and accessibility;2Provide an understanding of the key areas in whichto invest in order to promote accessibility;3Examine the drivers for governments and otherstakeholders to invest in accessibility and theadded social and economic value that theseinvestments can yield;4Analyse the status of disability-inclusivedevelopment and accessibility investment acrossAsia and the Pacific, looking at regional andnational trends;5Present case studies and good practices ofinvesting in accessibility that demonstrate differentapproaches that can be undertaken to break downbarriers in both legal and programmatic andproject contexts;6Provide recommendations to policymakers forenhancing effectiveness of investment in andimplementation of accessibility promotion efforts.As accessibility covers a wide range of areas, thisreport cannot cover all relevant issues. For example,it does not address artificial intelligence in thecontext of accessibility, or assistive devices in depth.Covering all accessibility needs of persons with diversedisabilities also goes beyond the scope of this report.Nonetheless, it will provide readers with a foundationalunderstanding of the key concepts and measures thatare necessary to effectively invest in and promoteaccessibility in different contexts.5

DISABILITY AT A GLANCE 2019: INVESTING IN ACCESSIBILITY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFICFIGURE 1.A.VISUALIZATION OF HOW INVESTMENT BUILDS AN ACCESSIBLE SOCIETYMONEYAWARENESS KNOW L EDGERAISINGINSTITUTLAWSHTEBUY IONALWITH TE-I NP EOPLEPARTNERSHIPPrivate sectorMediaMen and women with disabilitiesAccessibilityexpertsMultiple ministries(i.e., ICT, infrastructure, disaster riskreduction, social development)Central government andlocal governmentINCLUSIVE nInclusionInnovationSOURCE: UNITED NATIONS ESCAP DESIGN6

Chapter 2Understandingaccessibility7

DISABILITY AT A GLANCE 2019: INVESTING IN ACCESSIBILITY IN ASIA AND THE PACIFIC‘ACCESSIBILITY IS A PRECONDITION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES TOLIVE INDEPENDENTLY AND PARTICIPATE FULLY AND EQUALLY IN SOCIETY.WITHOUT ACCESS TO THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT, TO TRANSPORTATION,TO INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION, INCLUDING INFORMATION ANDCOMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS, AND TO OTHER FACILITIESAND SERVICES OPEN OR PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC, PERSONS WITHDISABILITIES WOULD NOT HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARTICIPATIONIN THEIR RESPECTIVE SOCIETIES.’- COMMITTEE ON THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES, CONVENTIONOF THE RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH DIS

3.2 Investing in adopting and implementing accessibility standards 22 3.3 Investing in a disability-inclusive procurement approach 24 3.4 Investing in development and employment of access audits 26 Chapter 4: Drivers for and added value of investing in accessibility 29 4.1 Demographic factors driving the need for investing in accessibility 30