Asia Pacific Accessibility

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The Jakarta Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023-2032

A group of people, including three men in wheelchairs, a woman with a cane, and a small dog, are sitting and smiling for a photo on a covered walkway with a field in the background.

The Jakarta Declaration calls for a whole-of-society approach to disability-inclusive development and outlines six priority areas for accelerated actions:

  • Harmonizing national legislation with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, including reviewing legislation, integrating reasonable accommodation into all national policies and programmes, and strengthening independent mechanisms to address and respond to grievances.
  • Enabling meaningful participation of persons with diverse disabilities of all ages in planning, decision-making, implementation and review of policies and programmes, and political processes.
  • Advancing universal design-based accessibility of the physical environment, public transportation, knowledge, information and communication, and other public facilities and services.
  • Galvanizing the power of the private sector, including in developing disability-inclusive public procurement policies and mainstreaming disability inclusion into workforces, products, supply chains, and media.
  • Promoting a gender-responsive life cycle approach to disability inclusion, including through social protection schemes, early childhood intervention, and policies responding to intersecting forms of discrimination.
  • Closing disability data gaps and strengthening progress-tracking of disability-inclusive development, building on synergies with monitoring the Sustainable Development Goal progress.

The adoption and endorsement of the Jakarta Declaration marks a pivotal moment in the Asia-Pacific region’s pursuit of disability-inclusive development.

This milestone document, building upon the successes and lessons learned from the past three consecutive Asian and Pacific Decades of Persons with Disabilities (1993–2022), stands as a testament to the region’s unwavering commitment to advancing disability rights and inclusion. It charts a transformative course for the next Decade, aiming to break down barriers and create a more equitable and inclusive society for all.

Read More: Operational guide on the implementation of the Jakarta Declaration on the Asian and Pacific Decade of Persons with Disabilities, 2023-2032

 

https://repository.unescap.org/items/5dfd09bd-2ffb-4e91-9fa8-ac36b820fe0d