This week, I join the 11th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF11) being held in the Polish city of Katowice. WUF is a global conference on urban development under the auspices of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat). It engages national governments, local governments, urban development professionals, the private sector, academia, stakeholder groups and civil society.
Certainly, the engagement of persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in decisions and processes guiding urban development at all levels is critical to hold governments accountable, address discrimination and remove accessibility barriers which sustain inequalities and exclusion of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities, like any other marginalized group in the community, must have a say in the decisions and plans that impact their lives and the future of their communities.
My participation, together with other delegates of the disability caucus to WUF11 is coordinated as part of the official delegation of the General Assembly of Partners (GAP) Partner Constituent Group of Persons with Disabilities (PCG). It builds upon the achievements and set-up from previous forums, including WUF10, where the delegation was coordinated by the World Blind Union in cooperation with CBM Global, International Disability Alliance, Cities 4 All Network, and UN-Habitat.
Indeed, WUF11 provides a unique opportunity to accelerate the engagement of organisations of persons with disabilities in mainstream discussions about urban policy and practice, allowing space for collective advocacy with a cross-disability focus along strengthening the commitments to specifically reflect Article 9 of the CRPD in the progressive realisation of accessibility.
Through the week, we shall participate in numerous events, both virtual and hybrid format. These will include high-level sessions, thematic dialogues, roundtables, training events, networking events, providing a range of engagement opportunities.
Launching the Journal of Public Space
I especially look forward to our launch of the Journal of Public Space Special Issue on “Universally Accessible Public Spaces for All”, comprised of research articles, case studies and viewpoints from across academia, city professionals, city managers and officials, urban planners, and civil society, including organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), older persons representatives, self-advocates, and artists from across the globe. I am really excited that a Viewpoint I authored also features in the Journal.
Inclusion in the urban century
Certainly, cities continue to shape every aspect of global development, including the way in which fundamental human rights are promoted, protected, and realized. Today, more than half of the world’s population live in cities, 15% of them being persons with disabilities. Recent examples of global crisis like the Covid-19 pandemic, reminds us that much remains to be done to address discrimination and accessibility barriers which sustain inequalities and exclusion of persons with disabilities in urban areas.
To realise a sustainable future that is inclusive of and accessible to all in line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Agenda 2030, participation of OPDs in urban development processes at all levels is indispensable.
Building back better after Covid-19 and helping to ensure that disability inclusion, accessibility and universal design are integral components of urban development and how our cities and communities are governed, developed, and designed is critical.
I look forward to a productive week, more special for me, especially that we can also talk about how underrepresented groups of persons with disabilities, including those with psychosocial disabilities, can be involved in these discussions that are key to shape how our cities and public spaces are inclusive and accessible to all persons with disabilities.
My appreciation goes to Hannes Juhlin Lagrelius, World Blind Union, for his insights in the development of this piece.
Elizabeth Ombati 