The Benefits of Accessibility

As the United Nations celebrates its 70th anniversary year, leaders and advocates gathering at UN Headquarters in New York this week for the largest international meeting on disability issues in the world are doing so in a complex that has been made more accessible to everyone in recent years. 

Participants are examining how far the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities -- which entered into force in 2008 -- has been put into practice. The Convention reaffirms the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the more than a billion people with disabilities – that’s around 15 per cent of the population of the planet. 

When it was designed nearly 70 years ago by a group of international architects, the landmark building set standards as a unique example of modernist, international-style architecture that transcended national and cultural differences. 

Now, a five-year renovation of UN Headquarters has helped make the complex safer and more sustainable, and has enhanced its accessibility. I had the honour of launching another milestone achievement and an important step towards creating an inclusive UN for all -- the United Nations Accessibility Centre (pictured above). From wheelchair-charging stations to Braille printers to hearing devices, the Centre provides practical tools and services so that persons with disabilities can better access UN infrastructures and participate in UN meetings, conferences and other events. 

Relief area for service dogs designated at UN Headquarters in New York

Our efforts to lead by example have not stopped there. A new UN policy on the employment and accessibility of staff with disabilities was implemented last year to eliminate discrimination on the basis of disability in the workplace. The success of the Centre in New York has inspired other UN duty stations and our office in Bangkok now has its own accessibility centre, and the UN Office in Geneva will soon follow suit. The New York complex has also designated a dedicated relief area for service dogs helping staff, delegates and visitors. 

Accessibility is, of course, not just about addressing physical but also digital barriers. Those of you with disabilities may be all too familiar with the experience of using an inaccessible site: not being able to see any photos or read all the content on the page; not even being able to navigate. A new UN website aims to recreate the experience of persons with disabilities if a website is not made accessible – an eye-opening window into the frustrating reality faced by so many users. 

Accessible websites benefit all visitors, not just those with disabilities. On an accessible website, the user is put at the centre of the experience. Text is more readable. Content is better organized. The design is clean and simple. The new UN site offers resources and practical advice to help enhance the experience of sites for everyone. 

As we celebrate 70 years of the UN, we continue to take full advantage of the knowledge and technology available to us today to ensure accessibility. Let us remember that we need to harness the talents and expertise of all parts of society to achieve a sustainable future. I urge you to join the efforts of the United Nations and to reap the benefits of accessibility for all.  

• Find out more about the UN's work for persons with disabilities.
• Listen to an interview with the designer of the new UN web accessibility site. 
• Get information on the 70th anniversary of the UN. 

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Photos: UN Photo; Fred Doulton/UN