Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action
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Introduction
The World Blind Union (WBU) and CBM Global Disability Inclusion have launched the new Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action.
With 10 years to realise the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, accessibility is the foundation to building a more inclusive, equitable world where no-one is left behind in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Recent examples of global crises such as the Covid-19 pandemic amplify the need to urgently increase our efforts to address persistent and emerging accessibility barriers which sustain inequalities and exclusion of persons with disabilities. The response to this critical challenge begins with a willingness to change and work together to take a few collective steps towards creating a world that removes barriers and promotes inclusion. Organisations around the world must decide on how to adapt their structures and services to be accessible to and inclusive of all within their communities.
To address this challenge, the WBU and CBM Global Disability Inclusion are delighted to introduce the newly developed Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action. The guide provides practical support on how to deliver a wholistic organisational approach towards accessibility. It describes how to progressively achieve seven core accessibility commitments across built environments, information and communications, procurement of goods and services, training and capacity development, programmes, meetings and events, recruitment, and human resource (HR) management. The guide offers pathways to progressively realise accessibility in various contexts and organisations; recognising that users of the guide will be diverse.
Jointly produced and informed by OPDs (Organizations of Persons with Disabilities), the guide can be used to improve how accessibility is addressed and delivered by any organisation.
The WBU Chief Executive Director, Mr. Jose Viera, says that “We firmly believe this guide can support meaningful partnerships between OPDs and our mainstream partners at all levels and in all sectors. With this guide we want organisations across the world to practice and model the highest level of accountability to persons with disabilities and ensure that accessibility standards set by the CRPD are met.”
Mr. David Bainbridge, the Executive Director of CBM Global says, “We recognise that we are all on a journey when it comes to making our workplaces and operations fully accessible and inclusive of persons with disabilities. We are committed to this journey and to do so in close partnership with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, in order to see an inclusive world in which all persons with disabilities enjoy their human rights and achieve their full potential.”
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Accessibility GO A Guide to Action WBU-CBM Global Dec2021. The guide is currently available in English and will be available in Arabic, Chinese, French, Spanish and in Easy Read. Stay tuned.
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Download the InDesign, Acrobat, and Document Checklist. The checklist is currently available in English and will be available in French and Spanish.
This checklist was developed alongside the guide and can be used to ensure that important aspects of accessible document design have been considered when creating PDF in InDesign.
Please note that the guide and the checklist are interactive and accessible PDF documents, which has now undergone accessibility improvements. Make sure you download it and save it on your device(s) to benefit from all the functionalities. Download the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader and read more about Accessing PDF Documents with Assistive Technology.
For more information, please contact:
Benjamin Dard
Senior Advisor for Inclusive and Accessible Urban Development
Email: Benjamin.Dard@wbu.ngo