Implementation of the World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons
Report of the Secretary-General
A/56/169
Page 3/5  
III. Progress in equalization of opportunities by, for and with
persons with disabilities
A. International norms and standards related to persons with
disabilities
1. Selected national experience
38. Several Governments have reported on the enactment of legislation addressing the
rights of persons with disabilities. Finland made a revision to its constitution that
entered into force on 1 March 2000, which specifically recognizes the rights of persons
with disabilities. In April 2000, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
set up a Disability Rights Commission to advise the Government on comprehensive
enforceable civil rights for disabled people. The Commission has four duties: to work
towards elimination of discrimination against disabled people; to promote equalization of
opportunities for disabled people; to encourage good practice in the treatment of disabled
people; and to keep under review the implementation of the 1995 Disability Discrimination
Act. In July 2000, the Republic of Cyprus enacted a law providing for persons with
disabilities, which provides for general protection of disabled persons, including the
safeguarding of their equal rights and equal opportunities and the promotion of their
social and economic integration. The law also provides for establishment of a
Rehabilitation Council as an advisory body to Government. Lebanon adopted a law concerning
the rights of persons with disabilities on 28 May 2000.
2. International cooperation
39. The principle of the universality of human rights provides persons with
disabilities with the fundamental framework for the application of international norms and
standards to protect and promote their rights. Within this framework, not only civil and
political rights, but also economic, social and cultural rights should be promoted as an
inalienable and integral part of their human rights.20 In
this sense the international norms and standards relating to disability refer to the
spectrum of international norms that could promote a broad human rights framework for the
rights of persons with disabilities, addressing disabling attitudinal, environmental or
economic realities affecting the lives of the persons with disabilities.21
In brief, the international normative system is becoming a complex, dynamic web of
interrelationships between international norms — binding and non-binding —
national and international laws and various institutions. These increasingly complex
processes, institutional arrangements and norms and standards form a nexus of institutions
and mechanisms that address the situation of persons with disabilities and ways and means
to promote their rights.
40. General Assembly resolution 54/121 urged relevant bodies and organizations of the
United Nations system to promote the rights of persons with disabilities. A great deal of
that work was carried out in close collaboration with the Special Rapporteur on Disability
of the Commission for Social Development. As noted briefly in the interim report to the
thirty-ninth session of the Commission (E/CN.5/2001/7), the Special Rapporteur organized
an international seminar on human rights and disability, "Let The World Know"
(Stockholm, 5-9 November 2000). The report on that seminar has been published on the
"Persons with Disabilities" web site at the United Nations — http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/stockholmnov2000.htm.
Seminar participants focused on means to make international norms more accessible and to
promote the rights of persons with disabilities. Participants expressed the view that:
(a) United Nations human rights mechanisms and their present constraints and potential
for adjudication of the human rights of persons with disabilities have not been fully
explored by legal experts and advocates for the rights of persons with disabilities;
(b) Accessibility to institutional resources for utilizing legal, administrative or
other official procedures to adjudicate the rights of persons with disabilities is vital;
(c) Improved access to and enhanced use by national judicial systems, as appropriate,
of relevant international law in domestic courts is needed;
(d) Capacity-building in the disability community as well as in other concerned sectors
of society is important in order to improve consideration of disability rights issues in
the judicial and administrative forums and to promote general awareness and inform both
the disability community and society as a whole about the human rights of persons with
disabilities;
(e) Networking among disability organizations and their advocates with NGOs, academic
institutions, legal experts and practitioners can contribute to creation of a sense of an
integrated community of interests, from which an agenda for action could be formulated and
priorities set to protect and promote the rights of persons with disabilities.
41. To provide a forum for the exchange of views on emerging issues concerning a broad
human rights framework and persons with disabilities and to identify further options to
promote their rights, on 9 February 2001, the Division for Social Policy and Development
of the Secretariat organized an Informal Consultative Meeting on International Norms and
Standards for Persons with Disabilities. The meeting brought together members of Permanent
Missions and substantive representatives of concerned intergovernmental organizations, and
the United Nations system, as well as the non-governmental community, for an exchange of
views. The Special Rapporteur on Disability, who chaired the meeting, noted in his closing
remarks that the focus of further work should be on identifying: (a) what actions are
required to further the rights of persons with disabilities; and (b) harmonizing options
to promote and protect the rights of persons with disabilities, for which the elaboration
of a convention represents a special issue. He added that, as efforts are made to use
existing instruments to further more effectively the rights of persons with disabilities
in mainstream human rights mechanisms, the issue of elaborating a convention requires
careful study. The report of the meeting is available at the "Persons with
Disabilities" web site of the United Nations — http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/consultnyfeb2001.htm.
42. During the fifty-seventh session of the Commission on Human Rights in April 2001,
the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights organized informal
consultations on human rights and disabilities with members of Permanent Missions and
delegates to the Commission, including national human rights commissions, representatives
of intergovernmental organizations, United Nations bodies and organizations as well as
NGOs and national institutions. The consultation reaffirmed the importance of the human
rights dimension in issues related to disability and recommended a strengthened link
between the activities of the Special Rapporteur on Disability, the High Commissioner for
Human Rights and the Commission on Human Rights. The consultations provided a forum for
national institutions to share national experiences in protecting and promoting the rights
of persons with disabilities and further strengthened efforts of the non-governmental
community to work more closely with international human rights mechanisms and national
human rights institutions.
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B. Global statistics and indicators on disability
43. The critical role of disability statistics and indicators is emphasized in the
World Programme of Action concerning Disabled Persons: "Monitoring and evaluation
should be carried out at periodic intervals at the international and regional levels, as
well as at the national level. Evaluation indicators should be selected by the United
Nations Department of International Economic and Social Affairs in consultation with
Member States and relevant United Nations agencies and other organizations".22 In 1993, the General Assembly adopted resolution 48/96, which
contains the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with
Disabilities — http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dissre00.htm.
Rule 20, National monitoring and evaluation of disability programmes, notes that
"States are responsible for the continuous monitoring and evaluation of the
implementation of national programmes and services concerning the equalization of
opportunities for persons with disabilities". In the third review and appraisal of
implementation of the World Programme of Action (A/52/351; http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disrawp0.htm),
conducted in 1997, the Secretary-General noted that establishing a set of indicators to
compare the situation of persons with disabilities and non-disabled persons is recognized
to be of critical importance if States were to implement rule 20 successfully.23
44. In recognition of this and other issues at its twenty-eighth session, the
Statistical Commission requested that the United Nations Statistics Division prepare a
minimum set of tabulation items and core tables on disability issues for consideration by
an expert group on the 2000 World Population and Housing Census Programme.24
The Statistics Division issued several recommendations for the 2000 round of censuses,
endorsed by an expert group in September 1996 and issued as a technical monograph.25 The Secretary-General endorsed the recommendations,
specifically endorsing a disability approach, rather than one focusing on impairments or
handicaps, as it related to the WHO International Classification of Impairments,
Disabilities and Handicaps.26 The Statistical Commission, at
its twenty-ninth session, endorsed the principles and recommendations and supported the
new and revised sections.27 For the first time, disability
was included as a topic in the revision of the Principles and Recommendations for
Population and Housing Censuses.28 The following broadly
defined categories were recommended: seeing, hearing, speaking (talking), moving, body
movement, gripping/holding, learning, behaviour and personal care.
45. With established principles on how to measure the population with disabilities, the
third review and appraisal recognized four new issues of critical importance to assess the
situation of persons with disabilities: "First, although comprehensive monitoring of
all aspects of the environment as it facilitates the achievement or hindrance of all three
goals of the World Programme of Action is clearly important, few countries systematically
collect data on environmental variables. Likewise, the areas of life where the environment
can hinder equalization of opportunity, such as independence, use of time, social
integration, economic self-sufficiency and life-cycle transitions, also have not been
systematically measured. Third, resource constraints can hinder the collection of data on
all important topics related to disability. Fourth, the success of certain data collection
efforts under conditions in which resources are scarce suggests the wisdom of setting
clear priorities in any data collection effort".29 Since
the third review and appraisal, however, there has been growing recognition that consensus
has not emerged as to how to statistically identify the population with disabilities.
46. Although neither instrument officially adopted it, both the World Programme of
Action and the Standard Rules recognized the definition of disability of WHO: "any
restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in a
manner or within the range considered normal for a human being".30
The Standard Rules notes that the term "... summarizes a great number of differential
functional limitations occurring in any population in any country in the world. People may
be disabled by physical, intellectual or sensory impairment, medical conditions, or mental
illness".31 This was the approach endorsed by the
Secretary-General.32
47. In accordance with General Assembly resolution 54/121, a substantive accomplishment
of the Statistics Division was the completion of the "Guidelines and principles for
the development of impairment, disability and handicap statistics", a forthcoming
publication oriented to national statisticians to assist them in responding to the growing
demand for data on disability. The publication addresses special issues raised by
collecting and compiling statistics on persons with disabilities in national censuses and
surveys, and in their analysis and dissemination for policy purposes. The expected
publication date is late 2001.
48. The Statistics Division organized and hosted the International Seminar on the
Measurement of Disability, in collaboration with UNICEF, the Statistical Office of the
European Communities (Eurostat) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the
United States of America (United Nations, 4-6 June 2001). The seminar brought together
nearly 100 participants from all regions of the world. Participants included experts in
disability measurement from government and research institutions, representatives of the
disability community and policy makers. The objectives of the meeting were: to review and
assess the current status of methods used in population-based data collection activities
to measure disability in national statistical systems, with particular attention to
questionnaire design; to develop recommendations and priorities to advance work on the
measurement of disability; and to contribute to building a network of institutions and
experts, including producers and users of disability statistics, to implement the
developments in this field. A publication will be issued as a report of the meeting.
49. With regard to national capacity-building, the Statistics Division participated in
the subregional workshop on disability statistics for the eastern Asian region (Shanghai,
9-14 April 2001) which was organized by ESCAP, the United Nations Statistical Institute
for Asia and the Pacific and the National Statistical Office of China. Participants came
from the following countries: China, Hong Kong (China), Indonesia, Macao (China),
Mongolia, Philippines, Republic of Korea and Singapore. The objectives of the workshop
were to address the training needs of national statisticians with responsibility for
producing disability statistics and of government personnel who require such statistics
for policy formulation. A second aim was to bring together producers and users of
disability data in countries of the subregion for dialogue and partnership on the
production and use of disability data. A similar training workshop is planned for the
African region in September 2001. The workshop will have access to the United Nations
"Guidelines and principles for the development of impairment disability and handicap
statistics" to use and to evaluate as a training resource.
50. In connection with efforts better to compile and disseminate data on disability,
the Statistics Division published an Internet-enabled statistical reference and guide to
the available statistics, specifically, on national sources of data, basic disability
prevalence rates, and questions used to identify the population with disabilities.33 Work continues on finalization of the United Nations
Disability Statistics Database (DISTAT-2). DISTAT is a global database, including
statistics, indicators and textual information from national data collected on disability
issues.
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C. Accessibility of the United Nations
51. The General Assembly, in paragraph 15 of resolution 54/121, expressed appreciation
to the Secretary-General for his efforts in improving the accessibility of the United
Nations for persons with disabilities. It may be recalled that the report of the
Secretary-General on the capital master plan (A/55/117) noted that the United Nations is a
well-constructed landmark building. Bringing the building up to current standards and
codes, including barrier-free criteria, will take a number of years depending upon which
development option Member States decide on. In the interim, accessibility provisions are
implemented in conjunction with needed short-term maintenance and facilities development
activities.
52. A study of the entire Headquarters facility was conducted in 1998-1999 in
preparation for the proposed capital master plan for United Nations headquarters. The
study indicated that the Dag Hammarskjöld Library building contained some of the greatest
obstacles to accessibility. A specific plan was developed to correct these conditions. In
September 2000, two sets of doors were altered to allow access from the major corridor
into the Library at the first basement level. This included a power-assisted control.
Similarly, doors were altered on the first floor, separating the Library from a connecting
"neck" permitting access to the only accessible at-grade doors to the building.
Additional items in the plan providing for better access to the Library include
installation of Braille and audible indicators for the elevators, the lowering of
controls, call buttons, drinking fountains, light switches and fire alarm controls, the
installation of Braille signage and the installation of lower desks in the reading rooms
for wheelchair accessibility. The plan also focuses on the replacement of inaccessible
furniture in the reading rooms and stack areas and improvements to general access
throughout all the floors for wheelchair accessibility. A complete renovation of the first
basement men’s and women’s toilet rooms, which will allow for access for
wheelchairs, is scheduled for completion by 2002. Modifications to the Dag Hammarskjöld
Library Auditorium include a wheelchair platform at the top level and a new ramp and
access corridor at the second basement level to the stage. Toilet room renovations on
second floor of the Conference Building and the first basement Public Lobby of the General
Assembly Building will begin during 2001, with completion anticipated for mid-2002. The
renovations will focus on wheelchair accessibility, signage and lighting.
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D. United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability
53. The interim report to the thirty-ninth session of the Commission for Social
Development (E/CN.5/2001/7) discussed the emerging role of the United Nations Voluntary
Fund on Disability as a source of venture grants to further equalization of opportunities
in accordance with priorities identified by the General Assembly in paragraph 4 of
resolution 54/121. The interim report also discussed project cycle activities of the Fund
through late 2000. The current section provides updated project cycle data through June
2001. During the period of November 2000 to June 2001 the Fund provided an additional US$
159,676 in grants to six disability-related projects. Projects supported during the period
(see annex) were implemented by the non-governmental community (with appropriate
endorsement and in cooperation with concerned governmental bodies or organizations) in
Africa and in Central and Eastern Europe. NGOs continue to make important and valued
contributions to the equalization of opportunities by, for and with persons with
disabilities by means of catalytic and innovative projects in capacity-building and
institutional development. Several projects deal with pilot (and innovative) action in
their respective countries, while others focus on technical exchanges of skills and
knowledge and establishment and development of networks for disability action.
1. Accessibility
54. The importance of information and communication technologies for development was
considered at the highest levels of the international community during 2000. This is
evident in the United Nations Millennium Declaration (resolution 55/2) and in the
Ministerial Declaration of the Economic and Social Council on the role of information
technology in the context of a knowledge-based global economy.34
Moreover, the United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for
Persons with Disabilities provides, in rule 5, that "States ... develop strategies to
make information services and documentation accessible for different groups of persons
with disabilities". While rule 5 does not set forth specific and binding measures to
promote accessibility, it continues to provide practical guidance for drafting policy
options and technical design standards in the twenty-first century.
55. A major project accomplishment during the period under review was the successful
completion of the first Latin American Seminar on Strategies for Implementing the Standard
Rules in relation to Internet Accessibility (Mexico City, 4-7 June 2001) — http://www.worldenable.net/mexico2001/default.htm.
The seminar was the initiative of Fundación Mexicana de Integración Social, and
the Government of Mexico (Sistema Nacional para el Desarrollo Integral de la Familia).
The seminar brought together nearly 30 participants from 20 Latin American and
Spanish-speaking Caribbean countries to review and discuss issues and trends in
Internet-enabled goods and services in the Americas and to consider their implications for
further implementing international norms and standards related to equalization of
opportunities for persons with disabilities. The seminar directed special attention to
issues of Internet accessibility and usability for all. Seminar participants were
knowledgeable and experienced and included specialists in their individual capacity from
governmental offices, NGOs and the private sector; all participants had a disability or
direct experience of disability. Participation was at a high level, engaged and
challenging in the consideration of issues, trends and options for further action. The
seminar venue was provided by excellent facilities of Tecnológico de Monterrey —
Campus Ciudad de México, in particular its Instituto Tecnológico y de
Estudios Superiores de Monterrey. A representative of the Government of Mexico, the
president of the National Institute of Social Development, opened the seminar. Other
resource persons from Mexico included representatives of Government’s
"E-Mexico" initiative (Secretaría de Comunicaciones y Trasportes) and
its "Civil society" initiative (Secretaría de Gobernación), a
representative of Microsoft de Mexico and representatives of advocacy and service
organizations in the disability field. Building on the substantive exchanges and
workshops, seminar participants formulated country and subregional strategic plans to
further realize Internet accessibility for all in Latin America and the Caribbean and
adopted a declaration outlining a strategic framework on Internet accessibility in terms
of policy advocacy, training and technical exchanges, pilot action and establishment of an
open and democratic network to promote Internet accessibility in the Americas. The seminar
obtained additional support from the Opera Software Corporation — http://www.opera.com — which granted the seminar
organizers a license to include a copy of its Spanish language browser on CD-ROM
compilation of seminar proceedings.
56. In the project pipeline, awaiting final approval, is a United Nations Voluntary
Fund-assisted project to promote awareness and capacities for "lean approaches"
to accessible information and telecommunication technologies in the entire Central and
Eastern European subregion. A subregional workshop on "Internet Accessibility for
All" is planned at Ljubljana, Republic of Slovenia, from 3 to 6 September 2001, in
conjunction with the sixth European Conference for the Advancement of Assistive
Technology, which is being hosted by Institute of Rehabilitation of the Republic of
Slovenia.35 The workshop will provide a forum for exchanges
of knowledge and national experiences in promotion of information and communication
technology for development. The workshop is being organized in parallel with the
Association for the Advancement of Assistive Technology in Europe conference in order to
leverage substantive exchanges on issues and trends related to assistive devices to obtain
new insights on effective promotion of accessible information and communication technology
for all. The workshop is expected to produce as a final product a strategic framework for
analysis and planning of accessible ICT in the Central and Eastern European subregion. The
workshop is expected to facilitate establishment of a network of excellence to promote
awareness and build national capacities related to accessible ICT.
2. Social services and safety nets
57. "Social services for all" is one of the priority themes of the Copenhagen
Declaration and Programme of Action of the World Summit for Social Development. In the
context of a broad human rights framework, achieving social services for all assumes
special importance: social services are essential investments in the development of human
potential, they can further social inclusion and can promote full and effective
participation on the basis of equality. For instance, a successful United Nations
Fund-assisted project in Uganda implemented by People with Disabilities, Uganda (an NGO)
in cooperation with the Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development, developed and
tested practical and low-cost approaches to identify and assess children with disabilities
to provide training to selected parents in Kampala and Mpigi districts. One result of the
project was identification of many more children with disabilities than previously thought
— an unidentified group lacking the means to obtain basic social services. A
follow-up project assisted by the United Nations Fund will focus on further improvements
in identification and assessment of children with special needs and on community
approaches to treat more children. This will include systematic development of community
support structures and development and testing of training materials to ensure the
sustainability of social services for disabled children and their families in Uganda.
58. An emerging area of concern related to the situation of children and adults with
disabilities and their families is de-institutionalization. This is particularly true in
countries in transition in Central and Eastern Europe and has constituted a focus of
United Nations Fund-assisted pilot efforts of the non-governmental community, in
cooperation with the concerned governmental offices, during the reporting period. The data
suggest a complex process of moving from institutional approaches to care to
community-based social services; exchanges of knowledge and experience are advantageous.
59. An initiative of the non-governmental community in Hungary seeks to develop
community-based social services for persons with psychiatric disabilities — a key
issue for this invisible and often highly disadvantaged social group.36
The Soteria Foundation, Budapest, in cooperation with the Ministry of Social Affairs and
local departments of social services will develop pilot day care services for previously
institutionalized persons with mental health problems. It is expected that a practical and
effective model will be provided that other countries with economies in transition may
wish to consider when formulating their own plans and programmes.
60. Other United Nations Fund-assisted projects awaiting final approvals address
de-institutionalization through integrated schooling for disabled persons. Pilot actions
will not only confront architectural barriers to accessibility but also psychosocial and
cultural barriers to the participation of people with disability in social life. The data
suggest that providing integrated education for children with disabilities is a primary
mechanism to prevent parents from sending their disabled children to institutions;
integrated education eases the transition from institutional life to life in the family
and community as well. In Albania, the Albanian Disability Rights Foundation, in
cooperation with Ministry of Education and local authorities will promote inclusive
education for children with disabilities in Durres for the school year beginning in
September 2001. The purpose of the project is to pilot the establishment of inclusive
education, based on integrative education concepts. One school in Durres will be made
accessible and teachers, students and parents trained in inclusive education. National
media activities to raise awareness of disability issues will be organized and the
Government will be encouraged to implement legislation on inclusive education for children
with disabilities. In Bulgaria, the Institute for Social Policy and Social Work, in
cooperation with Ministry of Education and the municipal government of Smolyan, will
develop and test innovative assistance to children with sensory and developmental
problems, based on integrative education concepts. A holistic approach to inclusion will
be developed and, in addition to the provision of direct services, the project will focus
on building the capacities of the professionals involved, developing parental attitudes
and skills in bringing up disabled children and lifting the social stigma associated with
disability.
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E. Development Account for the biennium 2000-2001
61. As described in the interim report to the thirty-ninth session of the Commission
for Social Development (E/CN.5/2001/7), one of the 16 approved projects for the
Development Account for the biennium 2000-2001, "Project H", involves
capacity-building and institutional development for equalization of opportunities for
persons with disabilities. The project has three priority areas for action: (a)
accessibility, (b) sustainable livelihoods and safety nets and (c) promoting a broad
framework of international norms and standards relating to disability.
1. Current activities
62. One of the ongoing Development Account-assisted projects is being implemented by
the Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA) and involves research,
training and capacity-building for accessible environments, using the municipality of
Aley, Lebanon, as case study. Aley was selected since it was a prominent tourist resort in
Lebanon although a great deal of municipal infrastructure was destroyed during the civil
disturbances. In an effort to resume its role as centre for tourism, the municipality of
Aley is currently renovating its city centre so that it will offer reasonable levels of
accessibility for all. ESCWA and the Aley municipality have conducted many meetings to set
a strategy on how to conduct the renovation. Accordingly, a section of the old souks
(public markets) and the Serial (a public building) have been selected as areas of
intervention. The souks stretch along two long streets where the main commercial
and recreational activities occur. Intervention here will require tackling the issue of
accessibility on an urban scale. Streets, walkways and crossings will be adjusted taking
standards for accessibility into consideration. The Serial is a public building
owned by the Ministry of Interior. It houses a number of government offices, including the
offices of the municipality. It has been designed and constructed with no concern for
access or use by persons with disability. Universal design standards will be applied onto
the existing structure and modifications will be carried out accordingly. The efforts of
ESCWA thus far reveal that considerable technical intervention is in fact needed by, and
is continuously being requested by, the municipality; intervention going beyond that
allowed in the original design of the project. This may involve a review for further
expansion later. The project initiative in Aley will serve as a model both for Lebanon and
for other interested countries and territories in the region, particularly when
accessibility intervention could be initiated at a local level and could be replicated at
a national scale. The results of this project will be shared by means of a subregional
training workshop with interested neighbouring countries and authorities where there is
great interest but limited national capacity for accessible environments.
63. A major project accomplishment during the period under review was the rapid design,
organization and conduct of a pilot seminar/training workshop organized by the Economic
and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) on leadership training for women
with disabilities to further international norms and standards. The workshop was proposed
in April 2001 as part of the larger "Asia-Pacific Summit of Women Mayors and
Councillors" (Phitsanulok, 19-22 June 2001). The project was designed so that a
sharper focus would be accorded to gender-based approaches to development and the role of
international norms and standards in promoting equalization of opportunities. The plan of
operations for the project was finalized in early May 2001 and approval followed shortly
thereafter. The seminar/workshop brought together 10 women with disabilities from eight
Asian and Pacific countries, who also were full participants at the parallel Asia-Pacific
Summit. The seminar/ workshop focused on leadership training and the development of the
advocacy skills of women with disabilities in order that they would be better able to
engage in dialogue and promote disability sensitive policies, strategies and programmes
with the mayors and councillors participating at the Summit, with a view to reinforcing
disability concerns at local government levels. As a result of the seminar/ workshop
experience and participation in the Summit proceedings and working groups, the women
leaders with disabilities contributed to improved understanding of disability-sensitive
and gender-responsive policies, strategies and programmes of local governments. The value
of these joint exchanges and interventions is evident in the consensus "Phitsanulok
Declaration on Advancement of Women in Local Government" adopted by the summit at its
closing session on 22 June 2001.
2. Pipeline proposals
64. Discussions are under way with representatives of interested Governments as well as
NGOs on further implementation of Development Account Project H (2000-2001). The
discussions have focused on technical exchanges on accessibility and on sustainable
livelihoods.
(a) Accessibility
65. As follow-up to the Development Account-assisted Asia-Pacific regional training
workshop on accessible tourism (Bali, Indonesia, 24-28 September 2000),37
which provided a forum for exchanging knowledge and experience in barrier-free tourism and
identifying multi-sectoral policies and strategies to promote it, a participant in that
seminar has proposed organizing a regional training workshop for Latin America. The
workshop proposal was drafted by the Association for the Development of People with
Disabilities (APRODDIS), an NGO, in cooperation with the National Council for the
Integration of People with Disabilities (CONADIS) and the Commission for the Promotion of
Peru (PromPeru). The workshop is to take place in Lima in late 2001 and will focus on the
formulation of a strategic framework for accessible tourism for all, training on the
facilitation of equitable tourism for all citizens and creating a network on accessible
tourism to encourage the generation of new ideas and the exchange of information.
66. To further equalization of opportunities in social life and development through
accessible information and telecommunication technologies in the Central Asian subregion,
a subregional expert seminar and workshop on Internet accessibility for all is planned in
cooperation with the Academy of Management, under the direction of the President of the
Kyrgyz Republic (fourth quarter 2001, Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan). The seminar will provide a
forum for the exchange of knowledge and national experiences in promotion of information
and communication technology for development. In addition to formulating a strategic
planning framework for accessible information and communication technology for all in the
Central Asian subregion, it is expected that the seminar/workshop will establish a network
of excellence to promote awareness and to build national capacities, skills and
technologies in this field. The seminar will involve participants from disability-related
organizations and Ministries responsible for technological development in the five
countries of Central Asia: Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan and
Uzbekistan.
(b) Sustainable livelihoods
67. Drawing on research supported in part by a grant from the United Nations Voluntary
Fund on Disability, the Institute for Social Development Studies, an NGO, in cooperation
with the National Development Planning Agency of the Republic of Indonesia and other
concerned governmental departments and offices, undertook a study of the effectiveness and
sustainability of United Nations-assisted community-based rehabilitation. The study was
carried out following the mid-1997 financial crisis in South-east Asia with a view to
examining the extent to which prior technical cooperation had responded to the changed
economic and social conditions. The research found that while technical cooperation
activities had continued to perform adequately following the scheduled completion of
international cooperation, the extent of the services established had not been realized in
other sectors. Discussions were held on better approaches to planning and organizing
social services and promoting sustainable livelihoods in communities. The proposal is at
an advanced stage of formulation, including inputs from research scholars and
practitioners with a view to organizing an intense interregional exchange on the question
as envisaged in Development Account Project H (2000-2001). It is envisaged that the venue
for the exchange will be South-east Asia in late 2001 and that it will provide a forum for
the exchange of knowledge and national experiences between the world’s leading
experts in sustainable livelihoods, rehabilitation and the inclusion and empowerment of
disabled people.
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20 "Compilation of international norms and
standards relating to disability" — http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/discom00.htm.
21 Both de jure and de facto discrimination exist in many
forms, ranging from subtle irritants to invidious discrimination, such as denial of equal
opportunities for education, employment, shelter and public services as well as
discrimination in social, cultural and political life.
22 A/37/351/Add.1 and Add.1/Corr.1, annex, sect. VIII,
para. 194 — http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/diswpa00.htm.
23 Measurement of a population that is deemed
representative of persons with disabilities was recognized as important in accomplishing
this goal. Because only after such a population is identified in data sources can
indicators comparing persons with disabilities and non-disabled people be assessed. For
instance, to compare unemployment rates between people with disabilities and non-disabled
people in a census or a survey, a population must be identified as having disabilities.
24 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council,
1995, Supplement No. 8 (E/1995/28), para. 56.
25 See United Nations Secretariat, Department for Economic
and Social Information and Policy Analysis Statistics Division, Part Two: Topics and
Tabulation for Population Censuses (ST/ESA/STAT/AC/51/2).
26 E/CN.3/1997/14, para. 29; and World Health Organization,
International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps: A Manual of
Classification Relating to the Consequences of Disease (Geneva, World Health
Organization ISBN 92 4 154126 1, 1980).
27 Official Records of the Economic and Social Council,
1997, Supplement No. 4 (E/1997/24), para. 55.
28 United Nations Secretariat, Department of International
Economic and Social Affairs, Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing
Censuses (ST/ESA/SER.M/67/Rev.1).
29 A/52/351, para. 48.
30 World Health Organization, International
Classification …, op. cit.
31 Resolution 48/96, annex, para. 17.
32 However, in a review of different disability models,
Barbara Altman notes that many models view disability as an outcome of the interaction of
persons with a functional limitation and their environments, not at the level of
functional limitations — Barbara M. Altman, "Disability definitions, models,
classification schemes and applications", chap. 3, in Gary L. Albrecht, Katherine D.
Seelman and Michael Bury (eds.) Handbook of Disability Statistics (Thousand Oaks (CA),
Sage Publications, 2001), pp. 97-122. Taking this argument further, the definition for
disability used by an international non-governmental organization, which has consultative
status with the Economic and Social Council, Disabled Persons International explicitly
views disability as caused by environmental factors. "Disability", Department of
Public Information notes, "is the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in
the normal life of the community on an equal level with others due to physical and social
barriers".
33 The Internet site for United Nations disability
statistics is located at http://esa.un.org/unsd/disability/.
The site does not however validate as HTML 4.1 transitional and thus poses accessibility
problems to persons with disabilities.
34 Official Records of the General Assembly, Fifty-fifth
Session, Supplement No. 3 (A/55/3), chap. III, para. 17.
35 The Conference site is located at http://aaate2001.ir-rs.si/.
36 The project responds to Economic and Social Council
resolution 2000/10 of 27 July 2000, which, in paragraph 4, calls for special emphasis to
be accorded to: "the situation of persons with developmental and psychiatric
disabilities, with a focus on integrating such persons into society".
37 http://www.unescap.org/decade/tourism.htm.
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