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The Global Disability Summit Commitments Portal is Now Fully Accessible and Online!

Persons with disabilities will face exclusion from every aspect of society if the policy approach to internet access for people with disabilities is not rethought for current social and technological realities.

  • 30 November 2021
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During the Global Disability Summit In 2018, data disaggregation was featured as one of the themes, and no wonder why! We know that when it comes to policy, programming, and implementation, data collection plays an important role in having a better understanding to help build inclusive communities. Data contributes to global decisions about development efforts, strategies of reducing poverty, and humanitarian response.

In the digital world, people with disabilities continue to face barriers to access information. In fact, the high degree of inaccessibility on the web threatens to leave people with disabilities behind as they miss relevant information that leads to their inclusion in society: as education, employment, communication, entertainment, civic participation, and government functions move primarily or exclusively online.

Consequently, persons with disabilities will face exclusion from every aspect of society if the policy approach to internet access for people with disabilities is not rethought for current social and technological realities.

The International Disability Alliance (IDA) recognizes the importance of ensuring full accessibility in line with Article 9 and Article 21 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). This includes ensuring that persons with disabilities can participate fully, and can access, on an equal basis with others, information, and communications.

Therefore, IDA recently developed iData, a web platform for online surveys and in accessible formats to include as many people as possible. The accessibility tool includes features such as the choice of language, explanation of complicated words, text guidance to questions, the possibility to modify colour contrasts and sizes of texts, questions in the audio text, Easy Read and International Sign. Here is a guide for completing the survey on iData: https://youtu.be/PeKGzdHvwKA

Not only is the tool CRPD compliant, but it collects data from the users for assessment, tracking, and sharing of updates, most particularly for commitments. Indeed, with the coming of the Global Disability Summit 2022 (GDS22) in February, thanks to the account registration system of stakeholders through the platform, IDA will use these data to send updates and also to allow people to renew their commitments saved through their usernames. 

In fact, IDA is currently working on integrating commitments made from 2018 with the aim to connect them and future ones to come to the tracking system on the GDS Website. In only a few clicks, all information will soon be automatically centralised, quickly online, and accessible. 

At the moment, the menu of commitments and submission form are virtually available and all stakeholders are invited to fill out the form. 

From the GDS Secretariat, we’re emphasizing that making concrete political commitments equals significant contribution will promote equality for persons with disabilities through joint action and invite you to check out the tool and – if your organisation allows – make commitments to bring about real change for persons with disabilities.