The image shows the “Make the Right Real in Malaysia” logo of The OKU Rights Matter website and an image of two smiling brothers, the older with his right hand over the right shoulder of the younger one with spinal muscular atrophy and using a wheelchair.

Introduction to Accessibility

Introduction to Accessibility

Accessibility affects all aspects of our daily living:

  • Communicating with others
  • Navigating physical environment
  • Using public transport
  • Obtaining and using basic goods and services, such as grocery shopping, banking and financial services, helpline, government services, etc.
  • Reading webpages and articles, and understanding video and audio content
  • Understanding and obtaining important information, such as public announcements, disaster response, aid assistance, healthcare information and available services, education materials, etc.
  • Participating in cultural and leisure activities

Unfortunately, our environment is not built or designed to accommodate the diverse differences in the way we interact with our environment, physical or otherwise. Hence, persons with disabilities face multiple barriers in doing things that are easy to non-disabled persons.

Importance of Accessibility and Inclusive Design

  • It is the right of persons with disabilities to access and use facilities, products, services, programmes, etc. without barriers.
  • Accessible and inclusive design benefits everyone, whether they have disability or not. When something is designed to address accessibility issues for one person, many other people who struggle with similar issues can access and use the facility, product, service, or programme with greater ease. Thus, increasing its usability.
  • Accessible and inclusive design reduces costs of retrofitting, improvisation, and maintenance.

Accessibility = GO! A Guide to Action by World Blind Union and CBM Global Disability Inclusion.

  • The guide describes a whole-of-organisation approach to accessibility covering aspects such as built environments, information and communications, procurement of goods and services, training and capacity development, programmes, meetings and events, recruitment, and human resource (HR) management.

Inclusive Design Toolkit Manual by Microsoft

Artificial intelligence and the rights of persons with disabilities by United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Gerard Quinn

Access to the built environment is a fundamental human right, protected by the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

The Inclusive Cities | AT2030 Programme, led by the led Global Disability Innovation (GDI) Hub, recognises that the built environment, the world where we live, dictates our ability to use the AT we need.

GDI_Hub_-_A_global_comparison_report_on_Inclusive_Infrastructure.pdf by Mikaela Patrick, Annamae Muldowney, Shivani Gupta and Iain McKinnon of Global Disability Innovation Hub under the AT2030 programme, 2024

GDI_Hub_-_A_global_action_report_on_Delivering_Inclusive_Design in Cities.pdf by Mikaela Patrick, Annamae Muldowney, Shivani Gupta and Iain McKinnon of Global Disability Innovation Hub under the AT2030 programme, 2024

Indonesia_case_study_executive_summary.pdf
&
AT2030-InclusiveInfrastructure-Solo-FullReport-May2020.pdf by Patrick, M., McKinnon, I., Putri Prastika, K., Asterina, N. and Jamil, F., 2022

Varanasi_Case_Study_Summary.pdf

AT2030_Inclusive_Infrastructure_Varanasi_case_study_-_final.pdf by Patrick, M., McKinnon, I., Mishra, S., Gupta, S., Roy, P, Choudhury, U., Murugkar, K., and Raheja, G., 2021

Summary of Inclusive Design and Accessibility of the Built Environment in Ulaanbaatar Mongolia | AT2030 Programme

Microsoft Word – Updated – Final – Full report – Inclusive Infrastructure Case Study 1 – Ulaanbaatar.docx by Patrick, M., McKinnon, I. and Austin, V., 2020

See also City Case Study Reports for:

Nairobi, Kenya Inclusive Infrastructure Case Study Nairobi, Kenya

Freetown Sierra Leone Inclusive Design and Accessibility of the Built Environment in Freetown – an Inclusive Infrastructure Case Study from Sierra Leone

Medellin, Colombia Inclusive Design and Accessibility of the Built Environment in Medellín – an Inclusive Infrastructure Case Study from Colombia

Disability Publics: Making Accessibility in Modern Japan” is a book on disability in Japan over the past 150 years. It was published in 2025 after the passing of its author, Mark Ross Boookman, in December 2022. This book is a welcome global public good, with free access for all