Accessibility

The government of Mexico, the host city Cancun and UNISDR are committed to making the 2017 Global Platform accessible to persons with disabilities.

The General Assembly through its resolutions 65/186, 64/131, and 64/154 urged the United Nations system to make a concerted effort to integrate disability into its work and encouraged the Inter Agency Support Group on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities to work to ensure that development programmes, including Sustainable Development Goals policies, processes and mechanisms, are inclusive of and accessible to persons with disabilities.

As a member of the Inter-Agency Support Group, UNISDR is actively coordinating to integrate disability into the implementation process of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction.

In line with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities principle on full and effective participation and inclusion in society, persons with disabilities should have the opportunity, on an equal basis with others, to be actively involved in all decision-making processes about policies and programmes, and at fora where international development is discussed. This undertaking by the Government of Mexico, the Province of Quintana Roo, and UNISDR will ensure that the perspective and the experience of persons with disabilities is reflected in the process.

International Sign Language Interpretation

Given the mandate to support the Sendai Framework implementation and commitment to ensure a disability-inclusive approach to disaster risk reduction, International Sign Language interpreters will support key plenary and special session to meet this commitment by ensuring the meaningful and active participation of persons with disabilities in the 2017 Global Platform procedures and proceedings. Please consult with the detailed session information on the availability of international sign language interpretation.

Remote Participation

In order to increase the opportunities for participation in the 2017 Global Platform from around the world, multiple opportunities for accessible remote participation will be offered. The overall goal is to increase access to the conference for remote participants around the world who would otherwise be unable to attend.

Webconferencing

The overarching mechanism for remote participation is via the accessible webconferencing tool (using Blackboard Collaborate Ultra). A selected series of pre-events, side events and working sessions (information is on each session provided) will include the opportunity of remote participation throughout the week of 2017 Global Platform. Persons interested in participating in this way, may use their personal computers (Chrome browsers are recommended) or using the free mobile all called Bb Student (which must be installed in advance), and connect to the virtual room at http://tinyurl.com/gp-2017. This will enable to watch the conference live, with closed-captioning, and ask/answer questions via online messaging or video/audio.

Remote Hubs

Remote Hubs will be located in: (1) Dhaka, Bangladesh; (2) Suva, Fiji; (3) Brussels, Belgium; and (4) Washington, D.C., and are organized by specific disability-related organizations. For persons located in one of four cities, you may choose to participate in one of the “Remote Hubs.” These Remote Hubs have been used successfully in previous UN and other international meetings. At a remote hub, you may engage with other participants face-to-face, follow the discussions in Cancun via webconference and telepresence robots (see below). Additional speakers and resources may be available at each Remote Hub.

Remote participation via Telepresence Robot

The 2017 Global Platform will provide an opportunity to remotely attend via telepresence technologies. Our goal is to increase access to the conference for remote participants who would otherwise be unable to attend due to mobility impairments, chronic health issues, or temporary travel limitations. Although we will only be able to accommodate a small number of participants, or groups of participants in this programme, our goals are to test the viability of this experience for the future.

Selected participants at each Remote Hub will be able to participate via mobile remote presence (MRP) devices, also known as robots. The telepresence robot will allow you to appear on the screen, manoeuvre in the conference venue, attend talks, and mingle with other participants. The mobile remote presence experience will simulate an in-person conference experience!

The Nippon Foundation has supported UNISDR and the Institute on Disability and Public Policy (IDPP) at American University to lead these remote participation efforts at 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction.

Accessible documentation

Please find below some accessibility tools. DAISY (www.daisy.org) is an international standard for accessible digital talking books.

Logistics - Transport

All requests for accessible transport should be sent to malonso@mondoalquixa.com.mx with the Subject header: "Request for Accessible transport".