Monica Duhem, Director of the Global Advisory Center at the Global Initiative for Inclusive ICTs (G3ict), explains how she has been working to make accessibility by design a priority for cities, and how model policies have helped make an impact.
Q: Can you provide some background information on how you came to be involved in the accessible technology space?
My journey into the accessible technology space began during my time working with the Mexican government, specifically within the Ministry of Telecommunication. I was responsible for handling international relations and issues, and it was in this capacity that I became the first rapporteur at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) under a question dedicated to the development of inclusive technology for persons with disabilities. This was around 2010 when the ITU, a UN organisation, first began examining how ICT could become more inclusive of and benefit persons with disabilities.
This experience really sparked my interest in understanding the impact of technology on people with disabilities and other vulnerable populations. From there, I began working with the ITU to assist various governments in developing their standards and policies around accessible technology. Given my background in Mexico, I’ve always placed a strong focus on Latin America, ensuring that countries in the region adopted the same accessibility standards as those used globally. This was crucial, especially in developing countries, where technology is often imported from major global developers. Ensuring that those governments understood and implemented the same accessibility standards meant that the software and hardware we brought in could be used effectively by everyone.
A significant part of my work involved aligning local standards with international ones, such as those from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) on web accessibility. This alignment was vital for cities and countries across Latin America, as well as in Africa, where I also did extensive work. Developing countries often inherit technology, so it’s critical to create awareness and ensure that their legal frameworks and standards are on par with those in more developed regions.
When the pandemic hit, the role of technology in our lives grew exponentially, highlighting the need for much more inclusive digital environments. At this time, my focus was particularly on older adults, who suddenly had to rely on digital platforms to access essential services like banking. Many of these individuals encountered significant barriers due to the inaccessibility of these platforms. This experience underscored the importance of accessibility and digital literacy – not just connectivity – in creating inclusive cities.
Since then, I’ve been emphasising the responsibilities of cities to deploy accessible services and the need for citizens to become digitally literate. Accessibility is not just about meeting technical standards; it’s about ensuring that everyone can engage fully with digital environments. I’ve also been involved in estimating the economic cost of not having accessible cities – both in terms of lost business opportunities and the additional strain on citizens who cannot effectively use non-intuitive, inaccessible platforms. My goal is to help cities recognise that accessible environments are essential for full citizen engagement and economic vitality.
Q: What can cities do to prioritise accessibility in their services and technology rollouts?
To prioritise accessibility, cities need to adopt an "accessibility by design" approach from the very beginning. This means integrating accessibility into the planning and development stages of any service or technology rollout, rather than adding it as an afterthought. This change in mindset is crucial; accessibility shouldn’t be seen as something that only applies to specific departments, like social affairs, where the target audience is more clearly defined to include persons with disabilities. Instead, it needs to be a cross-cutting consideration across all departments.
Take public transportation as an example. Not every taxi needs to be accessible, but if cities have data on how many citizens require accessible transportation, they can make better investments and ensure they are providing adequate accommodations where they are most needed. This data-driven approach helps cities focus their budgets effectively to create meaningful impacts, enhancing independence and quality of life for all citizens.
Similarly, with ticketing machines or other public service kiosks, we don’t need every machine to be fully accessible. However, we do need to ensure that there are enough accessible options available and that these options are well-designed for independent use by individuals with disabilities.
I also strongly support the procurement policies being developed through initiatives like the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance. These model policies encourage cities to prioritise accessibility from the start and to develop comprehensive, inclusive environments that serve everyone, not just a single demographic.
Q: How can these model policies support cities in shaping their own policy development on accessible services and technology?
These model policies can be incredibly beneficial for cities looking to enhance their accessibility, resilience, and sustainability. One of the key parts of the model procurement policy, for instance, is that it was designed with accessibility in mind from the outset. This means that any technology a city purchases to deploy a service or product must comply with established accessibility standards.
By adopting these model policies, cities have a clear framework to follow. They can reference existing global standards for accessibility, ensuring consistency and inclusivity in their services. While cities can develop their own specific standards, the model policies provide a strong foundation to start from, outlining the most widely recognised and effective accessibility standards.
Another crucial aspect we emphasise in these policies is the definition of accessibility. Throughout my career, I’ve seen a lot of confusion about what accessibility actually means. It’s often misunderstood or reduced to just connectivity, with efforts focusing on making the internet accessible and affordable. While those are important aspects, they are not the whole picture.
True accessibility is about universal design. It’s not just about making sure everyone has access to the internet or affordable services; it’s about designing services, products, and environments that everyone can use, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. This distinction needs to be clearly defined in any policy to ensure that cities are not only thinking about accessibility in terms of connectivity or affordability but also in terms of inclusive design that meets the needs of all their residents.
Q: What tangible impacts have the model policies made in cities so far?
Last year, we collaborated with the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance and the World Economic Forum to draft these model policies, starting with a cohort of six cities: São Paulo, Istanbul, Kisumu, Quito, Los Angeles, and Valongo. Among these, São Paulo and Istanbul were particularly proactive, not just embrace the policy but moving quickly to implement it.
In São Paulo, for example, we worked closely with the city to adapt the regulatory draft to their existing regulations. The city already had some accessibility standards in place, so instead of creating a new policy, they developed a guide for procurement officers. This guide clearly outlined how to create calls for tenders with specific accessibility requirements, linked to universal design principles. It emphasised that every service procured must offer alternative ways of use to ensure accessibility.
Since implementing these guidelines, São Paulo has already seen tangible changes. One notable example is in their public libraries. The city rolled out new systems for library interactions and information access that fully incorporate accessibility features. This shows that the guidelines are starting to have a real impact, though it’s still early days and there is a long way to go in building the necessary capabilities within city departments.
This year, focus has shifted more broadly towards Latin America. We’re working with two cities in Argentina and potentially two more in Chile. We’re also looking to engage with cities in Mexico following elections earlier in the year, hoping to raise awareness about inclusion, which aligns with the stated priorities of the new government.
Ideally, I’d like to see tech companies begin to view accessibility as an added value in their offerings to cities, not just an optional feature. While we may not yet be at a point where cities are fully driving these changes, it would be great to see more tech companies proactively including accessibility in their products and services as a standard, enhancing their value proposition to cities from the start.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Luke Antoniou
Quelle/Source: Smart Cities World, 23.08.2024
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