UN chief’s call for improved digital accessibility

At the start of the 16th session of the Conference on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) at the UN headquarters in New York, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for improved digital accessibility for people living with disabilities (PLVD).

The Convention on the CRPD has been accepted by 186 nations, marking an important step toward a more equitable and inclusive future. It has been ratified by 75% of member nations, with 80% currently prohibiting disability discrimination in work and more than 90% enacting national disability laws. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, the escalating climate catastrophe, violence, mounting humanitarian needs, and the global cost of living threaten to undermine the gains gained. When a crisis strikes, people with disabilities are typically the first and worst impacted, with workers with disabilities frequently losing their employment and women and girls with disabilities more likely to face violence and abuse.

The UN developed a policy to include people with disabilities in all elements of the organisation’s work in peace and security, human rights, and development. The Convention on the Rights of the Child offers a framework for UN agencies and country teams to achieve inclusion and accessibility. Csaba Kerosi, President of the UN General Assembly, underlined the need for reliable statistics in assisting policymakers in allocating resources to support people with disabilities and the necessity of simple communication in helping people with disabilities to participate in UN activity.