Platform that rates accessibility of public spaces for disabled goes global – The New Indian Express

Advancing Sustainable Development Goals through Digital Accessibility Solutions: The ‘Yes to Access’ Initiative

Introduction and Global Recognition

A digital solution named ‘Yes to Access’ (YTA), developed by the Bengaluru-based ‘The Association of People with Disability’ (APD), is set for global presentation at the United Nations Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha, Qatar. This initiative represents a significant advancement in leveraging technology to achieve core tenets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, particularly those focused on inclusivity, equality, and sustainable urban environments.

Direct Contributions to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

The YTA platform is an AI-powered, community-led tool that maps and rates the accessibility of public spaces. Its operational framework and objectives directly support the implementation of several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: By mapping over 196,000 public spaces across 15 states, YTA directly contributes to Target 11.7, which calls for universal access to safe, inclusive, and accessible public spaces. The data collected informs inclusive urban planning and supports accessibility audits, making cities and human settlements more inclusive for all.
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities: The initiative is fundamentally designed to reduce the inequalities faced by persons with disabilities. By enabling full participation in community life, YTA promotes the social and economic inclusion central to this goal.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: Accessibility is a prerequisite for full and productive employment. By identifying and mapping accessible infrastructure, YTA helps remove barriers that prevent persons with disabilities from participating in the workforce, thereby supporting the goal of decent work for all.
• SDG 4: Quality Education: The platform’s mission to ensure access to public spaces extends to educational institutions, a critical component for achieving inclusive and equitable quality education for persons with disabilities.
• SDG 1: No Poverty: As noted by APD representatives, accessibility is essential for poverty eradication. By enabling access to education, employment, and community resources, the initiative addresses key factors that can trap persons with disabilities in cycles of poverty.

Platform Mechanics and Citizen-Led Action

The development of YTA was prompted by a 2021 APD study which concluded that traditional expert-led accessibility audits were resource-intensive and unscalable. In response, YTA was created to democratize the process of accessibility assessment, aligning with SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals) by fostering a citizen-led movement.

1. Empowerment through Technology: The platform utilizes an AI-assisted, intuitive mobile application, making it simple for any citizen, including persons with disabilities, to participate.
2. Decentralized Data Collection: Citizens are empowered to use a simple checklist to identify, map, rate, and report accessibility barriers within their own communities.
3. Community-Driven Impact: This model has mobilized over 10,000 citizen volunteers under the Sugamya Yatra initiative, transforming a data collection effort into a broad-based social movement for accessibility.

Strategic Impact and Future Outlook

The ‘Yes to Access’ initiative provides a scalable and efficient model for monitoring and improving public infrastructure accessibility. By placing citizens at the center of data collection and advocacy, it ensures that development is people-centric and inclusive. Its presentation at the United Nations summit highlights its potential as a replicable global tool for advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and ensuring that persons with disabilities are not left behind in the pursuit of social integration and full employment.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  The article’s central theme is the “Yes to Access” (YTA) platform, which is designed to empower persons with disabilities by mapping and rating the accessibility of public spaces. This directly addresses the goal of reducing inequalities by promoting the social inclusion of a vulnerable group.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The YTA platform focuses on making urban environments more inclusive. The article explicitly states that the data collected “supports accessibility audits and informs of inclusive urban planning,” which is a core component of creating sustainable and inclusive cities.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article mentions that accessibility “enables persons with disabilities to participate fully in… work.” This connects the issue of physical accessibility directly to the goal of achieving full and productive employment for all, including persons with disabilities.

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  The article highlights that improved accessibility allows persons with disabilities to “participate fully in education.” This links the initiative to the goal of ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education by removing physical barriers to educational facilities.

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article quotes a panellist stating, “Without accessibility, the goals of poverty eradication… remain incomplete.” This establishes a direct link between providing access for people with disabilities and the broader goal of eradicating poverty, as access to services and employment is crucial for economic well-being.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

1. SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

   • Target 11.7: “By 2030, provide universal access to safe, inclusive and accessible, green and public spaces, in particular for women and children, older persons and persons with disabilities.” The YTA platform’s entire purpose is to map, rate, and report on the accessibility of public spaces, directly contributing to this target.
   • Target 11.3: “By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.” The article notes that YTA is a “community-led platform” and a “citizen-led accessibility movement” that “informs of inclusive urban planning,” aligning with the participatory and inclusive planning aspect of this target.

2. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

   • Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… disability…” The YTA app empowers citizens, including persons with disabilities, to report barriers and promotes their social and economic inclusion by improving access to community life, education, and work.

3. SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

   • Target 8.5: “By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all… including… persons with disabilities…” The article’s assertion that accessibility enables participation in “work” directly supports the aim of this target.

4. SDG 4: Quality Education

   • Target 4.a: “Build and upgrade education facilities that are… disability… sensitive and provide… inclusive and effective learning environments for all.” The initiative’s goal to help persons with disabilities participate in “education” implies a focus on making educational environments physically accessible, which is the foundation of this target.

Indicators for Measuring Progress

1. For Target 11.7 (Provide universal access to public spaces)

   • Number of public spaces mapped for accessibility: The article explicitly states that the platform has “mapped over 1.96 lakh spaces.” This serves as a direct quantitative indicator of the scale of the accessibility audit.
   • Geographic coverage of accessibility mapping: The article mentions the mapping has occurred “across 15 states,” indicating the breadth of the initiative’s reach.

2. For Target 11.3 (Enhance inclusive and participatory urbanization)

   • Level of citizen engagement in urban planning: The article implies this indicator by mentioning “over 10,000 citizen volunteers” and describing the initiative as a “citizen-led accessibility movement.” The number of volunteers is a clear measure of participatory action.

3. For Target 10.2 (Promote social inclusion)

   • Availability of tools to empower persons with disabilities: The existence and functionality of the “Yes to Access” app itself is an indicator. The article describes it as an “AI-powered, community-led platform” that “empowers citizens to identify and report barriers,” showing a tangible tool for inclusion.

Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: newindianexpress.com