Asia Pacific Accessibility

This image is a logo of apna - Asia pacific network for accessibility, which written in a white font over a purple background.

APNA Focus

The toughest foundational barriers are ableist attitudes and non-acceptance of diversity. Ableist attitudes and behaviour are the root of all physical and digital barriers. APNA will work towards dismantling barriers to improve accessibility in these core areas:

  • Physical environment
  • Public transportation
  • Knowledge
  • Information and communication
  • Public facilities and services
  • Products

Physical Environment

Accessible Infrastructure & Inclusive Education

A young girl sits at a desk in a classroom.
A young Indian woman in a wheelchair, wearing a white t-shirt, is seated at a table in a classroom. She is focused on working with a green circuit board and wires. In the background, other students and a teacher are visible, also engaged in a technical training session.

Accessible Healthcare Centres, Facilities and Services

A woman wearing glasses is giving another woman a shoulder massage.
A person with a ponytail, wearing a light blue hospital gown, is sitting in a wheelchair next to a height-adjustable hospital bed. She is looking to the side. A nurse in a white uniform stands in the background, out of focus

Equal Opportunites to Economic Empowerment

Three women measuring the width of a sidewalk next to a road, one with a measuring tape and the other two observing and taking notes.
A woman with long dark hair, wearing a black coat, smiles as she crafts with a long piece of thick twine. She is sitting at a table and wrapping the twine around a flat, circular base. A ball of twine is on the table to her right.
A woman wearing a blue and white checkered apron and a hairnet is stirring food in a large black wok on a gas stove. She is focused on the task, with a red container of spices nearby.
A group of five women stand around a table, focused on a beige anatomical model of a torso. The woman in the center, wearing a blue sweater, and the woman to her left, in a green sweater, are pointing at and touching the model. The other three women are watching intently

Public Transportation 

A woman in a blue and yellow patterned tunic and a young child in a stroller are waiting to board a green public bus. The bus is at a stop with a curb ramp, and other people are standing behind them.
A man is pushing a woman in a wheelchair up a metal ramp into the back of an orange accessibility van.
A smiling woman in a patterned blouse and pink shorts sits on a bus’s accessible seat, holding a yellow bar. A walking stick rests between her knees, with accessibility signs beside her and the driver in the background.
A group of people are gathered outdoors, with a woman in a wheelchair on a portable ramp attached to a small cart. Several men are standing around her, looking at the device.

Knowledge

A middle-aged woman in a yellow and pink sari is sitting at a conference table, looking to the side with a serious expression.
A young girl in a plaid shirt and a pink beanie kneels on a concrete pavement, drawing a flower with pink chalk. A small bag and other drawings on paper and the pavement are visible around her.

Information and Communication

A square sign with a monarch butterfly wing on the right side. The sign has a blue background with a white wheelchair accessibility symbol and a white arrow pointing up. The sign is hanging from a ceiling by two thin wires.
A close-up shot of a keyboard with a person's finger pressing the 'accessibility' key, which features a wheelchair symbol and the word "accessibility" in blue.
A woman wearing a yellow top and blue jeans, standing next to a large information board outdoors, touching the board as if reading it.

Public Facilities and Services

A woman in a wheelchair, with curly brown hair, sits at a wooden table in an indoor space.
n accessible public restroom with a brick exterior. A blue wheelchair accessibility sign is mounted on the wall. A metal ramp with a handrail leads to the entrance. Inside the open door, a grab bar is visible next to a toilet

Use of Assistive Technology

A woman in a yellow wheelchair is being pushed by a man inside a temple. A young boy in an orange robe is standing in front of them, praying.
A woman with a bun is sitting at a desk, using a computer. She is wearing a headset with a microphone and dark glasses. Her hands are on the keyboard, and the corner of a wheelchair is visible in the bottom left.
A man in a blue jacket is helping a woman in a motorized wheelchair go up a small ramp onto a sidewalk. The woman is wearing a dark coat and a patterned scarf. The background is a plain wooden wall.
This is a close-up photograph of a person's ear with a hearing aid. The hearing aid is visible behind the ear and connected to the inner ear, highlighting an assistive technology used by people with hearing impairments.

Accessible Tourism

A smiling woman, Veneranda Mateo, stands on a large reddish-brown rock, with her arms outstretched behind her. She is wearing a dark jacket and glasses, and two crutches are resting in front of her. In the background, a vast canyon landscape stretches under a partly cloudy sky.
A man in a wheelchair is holding a child on his lap while they participate in a craft activity at a table.
Two women, one standing with a walking stick and the other in a wheelchair, pose for a photo inside a shop. Both are wearing large straw hats and smiling. The shop is filled with woven bags and hats.
Two women in wheelchairs are playing a giant game of Snakes and Ladders outdoors.

Products

The image shows an accessible public toilet designed for people with disabilities. It features a toilet with a white grab bar on the left side and another one that can be raised or lowered on the right side
A smiling Asian woman with short, dark hair is at a table, touching a white bottle with a braille label. Her eyes are downcast, and her hands are gently holding the bottle, feeling the raised dots.
A picture of a woman wearing black glasses, using something with her hands.
A person's hand holds a blue pen with a thick, ergonomic grip designed for easy holding. The fingers are wrapped around the pen, which has a distinct, curvy shape.
Three eating utensils with thick, green ergonomic handles are shown on a white background. One is a spoon being held by a hand. The other two, a fork and a larger spoon, are shown from the side, demonstrating their design. The utensils have bent heads to make them easier to use.
A picture of grey trousers on a hospital bed.
a picture of three glasses with yellow, red and blue color drinks in them