| Promotion of Non-handicapping Environments
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Promotion of Non-handicapping
Environments for Disabled and Elderly Persons
Objectives
To support selected ESCAP developing countries in
the development and implementation of pilot projects
on the elimination of physical barriers in the built
environment for people with disabilities and elderly
persons, using technical guidelines for this purpose
developed in Phase I of the project.
Background
The majority of people with disabilities in the ESCAP
region are poor. Their opportunities of breaking out
of poverty are constricted by the physical obstacles
that exist in the built environment. Those obstacles
prevent persons with disabilities from attending schools,
training programmes and using public amenities.
Many handicapping features also cause inconvenience
or are a source of danger to elderly persons, women
and children. Thus the promotion of accessibility
to minimize or remove those handicapping features
will greatly benefit diverse social groups whose needs
are neglected in the rapid urbanization under way
in the region
The Agenda for Action for the Asian and Pacific Decade
of Disabled Persons, 1993 - 2002, recommends measures
to improve access for disabled persons' to facilities
intended for use by the public. Those include buildings
and their surrounding areas, roads, as well as infrastructure
for public transport, education, information, housing,
employment and commerce.
Under Phase I of the ESCAP project titled "Promotion
of non-handicapping environments for disabled and
elderly persons in the Asia-Pacific region",
a set of guidelines on the promotion of non-handicapping
physical environments for disabled persons had been
developed. Phase II focuses on the implementation
of the guidelines. Under Phase II, seed funding is
provided to Beijing and New Delhi for pilot projects
Technical assistance is provided to other cities,
such as Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur. Implementation of
Phase II, a three-year project, commenced in May 1995.
Intended impact
It is intended that this project will generate significant
improvements in accessibility for people with disabilities
and elderly persons in project areas in a number of
capitals of populous ESCAP developing countries.
Models for access promotion will be created in three
subregions (East Asia, South-east Asia and South Asia).
The models will generate important lessons for the
pursuance of similar work in other cities and towns
in ESCAP developing countries. They will also pave
the way for related work on improving access to public
transport infrastructure and services.
Activities
- Consultations with concerned Governments and
preparations for the Yokohama workshop
- Recruitment of a project expert on accessibility.
- Convening of a Workshop on Pilot Projects to Promote
Non Handicapping Environments, Yokohama, Japan
- Finalization of pilot project proposals, including
(a) identification of a pilot project site, (b)
constitution of a working committee to ensure implementation
of the pilot project (c) conduct a survey of the
pilot project sites. conduct of an inaugural seminar
- Implementation of pilot projects, including: (a)
public awareness raising and sensitization of professional
groups to access promotion, (b) mobilization of
additional resources (funding and in-kind), (c)
conduct of an inaugural seminar and (d) conduct
of a series of three workshops for pilot project
start-up, monitoring and evaluation.
- Facilitation of participation of pilot project
technical personnel in a workshop-cum-field study
programme in conjunction with global congress on
barrier-free living environments; Sendai, Japan,
in follow up to the Yokohama workshop.
- Organization of technical cooperation among developing
countries (TCDC) exchanges to build national capabilities
on the promotion of non-handicapping environments
for persons with disabilities and elderly persons.
- Documentation of pilot project experience and
issuance of a publication for region-wide dissemination.
Donors
This project received generous funding and technical
support of the Government of Japan, particularly the
Ministry of Construction.
An illustrated report on the promotion of non-handicapping
environments is currently being prepared for printing.
This report will contain the outcome of the non-handicapping
project implementation. For more information contact
us at spidgs@un.org
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