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Inclusive Design and Accessibility in Medellín, Colombia. AT2030 Inclusive Infrastructure Case Studies

PATRICK, M
MULDOWNEY, A
ARRUBA PALACIO, M
AGUIRRE, M
McKINNON, I
August 2023

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Prepared by the Global Disability Innovation Hub and partners for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Medellín, Colombia is the sixth and final case study city under the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) led and UK Aid funded AT2030 Inclusive Infrastructure sub-programme. Colombia’s second largest city, Medellín is well-known for its progress in urban development in the last 20 years, moving forward from its violent history. Medellín has been designated a district of innovation and is known for innovative urban projects such as its cable cars and electric escalators that connect higher altitude, low-income communities on the peripheries of the city. This case study explores the current state of accessibility and inclusion in the city for persons with disabilities and helps understand whether such urban innovations are inclusive for all the city’s residents.

Medellín is home to nearly 80,000 persons with disabilities and Colombia does have strong legal frameworks in place to support persons with disabilities. However, this case study found that the numerous laws and regulations are not always well implemented and there is also a need to consider more diverse disabilities in city planning and design.

The research took place in 3 phases between December 2022 and May 2023, combining both virtual and face to face approaches. Phase 1 focused on understanding the current state of accessibility through desk-based research and interviews. Phase 2 captured the lived experience of persons with disabilities through interviews, photo diaries and co-design activities. Phase 3 then synthesised the findings, running multiple in-person workshops to validate and create actions towards the creation of more inclusive environments. Thematic analysis was applied to understand the research data, identifying key themes across three different stakeholder groups of People, Policy, and Practice.

The themes identified span across daily life for persons with disabilities including, poverty, transport, housing, healthcare, public spaces and recreational activities. Quotes from participants are interwoven throughout the report and strengthen the concluding actions. The report recognises what has worked in Medellin as well as areas for improvement.

Inclusive Design and Accessibility of the Built Environment in Nairobi, Kenya

PATRICK, M
MULDOWNEY, A
KILIMANJARO BLIND TRUST AFRICA
TANUI, G
BUKACHI, V
CAMPBELL CLAUSE, J
McKINNON, I
October 2022

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Prepared by the Global Disability Innovation Hub and partners for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

This case study, funded through UK aid AT2030 programme, explores the current situation of inclusive and accessible environments for people with disabilities living in Nairobi. The research findings detailed in this report describe the current challenges and opportunities for embedding inclusive design in Nairobi’s future, providing priority recommendations and forward-thinking next steps.

The research took place in three phases between July 2021 and January 2022, combining both virtual and face to face approaches. Phase 1 focused on understanding the current state of accessibility through desk research and interviews, phase 2 captured the lived experience of people with disabilities utilising interviews, photo diaries and co-design activities. Phase 3 then synthesised findings, running multiple workshops to create actions towards inclusive environments. Thematic analysis was applied to understand the research data, identifying key themes across three different stakeholder groups of People, Policy, and Practice.

The themes identified span across daily life, poverty, transport, housing, sanitation, public spaces and recreational activities. Quotes from participants are interwoven into this report, and strengthen the concluding actions towards inclusion.

 

“Disability Is Not Weakness” Discrimination and barriers facing women and girls with disabilities in Afghanistan

GOSSMAN, Patricia
April 2020

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Everyday barriers that Afghan women and girls with disabilities face are described.  Decades of conflict have decimated government institutions and development efforts have failed to reach many communities most in need. Obtaining access to health care, education, and employment, along with other basic rights, is particularly difficult for Afghan women and girls with disabilities, who face both gender discrimination and stigma and barriers associated with their disability.

 

This report is based primarily on research by Human Rights Watch researchers from April 2018 through January 2020 in Kabul, Mazar-e Sharif, and Herat, Afghanistan. 23 interviews with women with disabilities and 3 interviews with family members of women and girls with disabilities were conducted. 14 healthcare and education professionals were interviewed, including representatives from the United Nations and international and local nongovernmental organizations providing services to persons with disabilities in Afghanistan

Disability, mobility and transport in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A thematic review

KETT, Maria
COLE, Ellie
TURNER, Jeff
January 2020

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This paper discusses issues affecting the transport and mobility needs of people with disabilities in middle- and low-income countries and how disability intersects with a range of other factors to impact on transport needs, use and engagement. The paper is intended to stimulate discussion and identify areas for further research, and identifies a number of key issues that are salient to discussions around equitable and inclusive transport provision, including patterns of transport use, behaviour and experiences, solutions and policy directions, measuring access and inclusion, policies and intersectionality. The paper also identifies gaps in knowledge and provision, barriers to addressing these gaps, and some possible solutions to overcoming these barriers. These include shifting the focus from access to inclusion, reconceptualising how ‘special’ transport might be provided, and most importantly listening to the voices and experiences of adults and children with disabilities. Despite lack of transport often being cited as a reason for lack of inclusion of people with disabilities, there is surprisingly little evidence which either quantifies this or translates what this lack of access means to people with disabilities in their daily lives in low- and middle-income countries.

 

Sustainability 2020, 12(2), 589

https://doi.org/10.3390/su12020589

Progress Report on the implementation of the European Disability Strategy (2010-2020)

EUROPEAN COMMISSION
February 2017

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The Strategy is the main instrument to support the EU's implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Progress in all eight areas of the strategy is reported: accessibility, participation, equality, employment, education and training, social protection, health and external action. Initiatives such as the Directive on Web Accessibility, the proposal for a European Accessibility Act, the EU Disability Card project (being piloted in 8 Member States) and provisions in the Erasmus+ programme (allowing better mobility for students with disabilities) are highlighted. 

 

This report presents progress achieved in the first five years of the Strategy and assesses implementation. Many stakeholders have contributed to this work. The United Nations reviewed how the EU has been implementing its obligations under the UNCRPD3, and issued Concluding Observations with concrete recommendations for follow-up. These contain guidance on priority issues while also highlighting the steps already taken (see Annex 3). The European Parliament and the European Economic and Social Committee subsequently prepared their own reports on the implementation of the UNCRPD, while civil society organisations provided analysis and proposals (see Annex 4). The Commission also launched a public consultation to collect views from a broad range of stakeholders on the current situation of persons with disabilities and the impact of the Strategy so far, gathering more than 1,500 contributions (see Annex 1). This report also looks at the role of the supporting instruments and at the implementation of the UNCRPD within the EU institutions. Finally, it looks ahead at how the Strategy will continue to deliver on its objectives. In addition, the report includes a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of EU legal acts with an impact on disability matters (Annex 5)

 

SWD(2017) 29 final

Disability considerations for infrastructure programmes

AGARWAL, Anjlee
STEELE, Andre
March 2016

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This study identifies and summarises evidence of the impact of non-accessible infrastructure on people with disabilities. It makes recommendations on how to incorporate the principals of universal access into all infrastructure projects. This document should be read in combination with the DFID (UK Department for International Development)​ Disability Framework “Leaving No One behind” (2014), which sets out how DFID promotes inclusion of people living with disabilities in all its programmes. Topics covered include: rationale for inclusive infrastructure; best practices in project planning, engineering design; monitoring and evaluation processes; inclusive design in planning and policy; mainstreaming disability considerations into infrastructure programmes and policy decisions; linking disabilities with cross cutting agendas. 

Road safety : focus on vulnerable users

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
November 2015

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This advocacy briefing paper shows the challenges to implementing road safety, the benefits of safe roads for communities, the international legal framework that discusses road safety in policy, suggestions for what individual actors can do to increase mobility and vehicle safety, and finally how to measure the progress of road safety programmes

 

Policy paper

Promoting good practices to reach personal mobility of persons with disabilities in the metropolitan area of Guatemala

QUAN CHANG, Silvia Judith
2010

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This presentation discusses the Making It Work multi-stakeholder initiative which documented and promoted good practice of accessible transportation in order to improve accessibility in three municipalities in Guatemala. Good practice examples were collected from other South American cities relating to: legislation and policies; disabled people’s organisations participation and political advocacy results; and technical solutions.  The presentation summarises the objectives and approach of the report, and advocacy activities, and it does not give examples of good practice or recommendations

Note: The original report is in Spanish and has not been translated

Policy paper : accessibility|How to design and promote an environment accessible to all?

PLANTIER-ROYON, Eric
November 2009

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This policy paper defines accessibility and presents the operational strategy of Handicap International in this area. It details types of intervention, targeted objectives and activities, as well as providing tools and a bibliography for reference. This policy paper is useful for organisations, programmes and projects that are interested in accessibility issues

Universal design and visitability : from accessibility to zoning

NASAR, Jack L., EVANS-COWLEY, Jennifer
Eds
2007

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This book is a collection of best practices gathered from an international conference on universal design. It features guiding principles, statistics and examples of universal design. This comprehensive book offers detailed chapters on the following key issues: principles of universal design; inclusive housing and neighbourhoods; architecture and spatial cognition without sight; and research and teaching of accessibility. It features case studies in Brazil, Thailand, Norway and Maryland, USA. This book would be useful for those interested in universal design, accessibility, and disability and development

The role and effectiveness of disability legislation in South Africa

DUBE, Andrew K
March 2005

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This report explores how South African legislation protects the rights of people with disabilities. Government policies have the potential to address key issues such as access to employment, poverty alleviation, access to education and social services and better housing. The report findings show that while the South African government has been active in creating well-designed policies, their implementation has been less successful, due to a lack of funded strategies, resources and capacity. The study discusses in some detail each policy, including the Skills Development Act (SDA) and the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act (2000)

The International Forum for Rural Transport and Development (IFRTD)

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This website is a network of organisations and individuals committed to improving access, mobility and economic opportunity for poor and disabled people in developing countries. A key element of the website, is the Opinion's Fair, which is designed to promote dialogue in developing countries by providing an online forum. The website also features resources, postings and "networked research" on: advocacy, governance, interactive dissemination and strategy. This website would be useful for anyone with an interest in rural transport, accessibility, poverty alleviation and disability and development

The FIA guide for the disabled traveler

FEDERATION INTERNATIONALE DE L’AUTOMOBILE (FIA)

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This website provides a global guide for the disabled traveller by providing practical information about disability parking tools. This resource would be useful to anyone practical interested in information for disabled travelers

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