Persons with Disability Roundtable - World Urban…

Persons with Disability Roundtable - World Urban Forum 11th Session (WUF11, 26–30 June 2022, Katowice, Poland)

The Persons with Disabilities Roundtable at the Eleventh World Urban Forum (WUF11) is a key meeting point for participants working to build sustainable, disability responsive and inclusive cities.

WHO (2021), estimates that 1 billion people experience disability, corresponding to 15% of the global population with the figure increasing due to growth and the ageing process. Increasingly, environments impose barriers that limit opportunities and directly affect participation and inclusion for persons with disabilities. With more than two thirds of the global population expected to live in cities by 2050, it becomes essential for urban environments, infrastructure, facilities and services to be accessible and inclusive for all, especially for those living with disabilities. 

UN-Habitat recognizes that persons with disabilities are disproportionately represented in the poorest quantile of the population and face additional challenges due to discriminatory laws and policies, environmental barriers and lack of support to services that enable the enjoyment of their rights. The New Urban Agenda shares the vision of cities for all where all persons are able to enjoy equal rights and opportunities where no one is left behind. It particularly sensitizes the need to address multiple forms of discrimination faced by persons with disabilities and commits States to promoting measures in cities and human settlements that facilitate access for persons with disabilities to physical and other facilities in both urban and rural areas.

The theme for WUF11, 'Transforming our Cities for a Better Urban Future' presents an opportunity for ensuring that the Right to the City for all remains cognizant of different categories of persons with disabilities' needs and aspirations. This roundtable discussion will specifically aim to assess accessibility and inclusion within human settlements while presenting on the New Urban Agenda as a critical component in addressing disability driven discrimination. It will also present on best practices by UN-Habitat, local and national governments, stakeholders and partners to address barriers to inclusive human settlements.