CRPD/C/GC/2
(a)
Buildings, roads, transportation and other indoor and outdoor facilities,
including schools, housing, medical facilities and workplaces;
(b)
Information, communications and other services, including electronic
services and emergency services.
The other indoor and outdoor facilities, mentioned above, should include law enforcement
agencies, tribunals, prisons, social institutions, areas for social interaction and recreation,
cultural, religious, political and sports activities, and shopping establishments. Other
services should include postal, banking, telecommunication and information services.
18.
Article 9, paragraph 2, stipulates the measures States parties must take in order to
develop, promulgate and monitor the implementation of minimum national standards for
the accessibility of facilities and services open or provided to the public. Those standards
shall be in accordance with the standards of other States parties in order to ensure
interoperability with regard to free movement within the framework of liberty of movement
and nationality (art. 18) of persons with disabilities. States parties are also required to take
measures to ensure that private entities that offer facilities and services that are open or
provided to the public take into account all aspects of accessibility for persons with
disabilities (art. 9, para. 2 (b)).
19.
Since a lack of accessibility is often the result of insufficient awareness and
technical know-how, article 9 requires that States parties provide training to all stakeholders
on accessibility for persons with disabilities (para. 2 (c)). Article 9 does not attempt to
enumerate the relevant stakeholders; any exhaustive list should include the authorities that
issue building permits, broadcasting boards and ICT licences, engineers, designers,
architects, urban planners, transport authorities, service providers, members of the
academic community and persons with disabilities and their organizations. Training should
be provided not only to those designing goods, services and products, but also to those who
actually produce them. In addition, strengthening the direct involvement of persons with
disabilities in product development would improve the understanding of existing needs and
the effectiveness of accessibility tests. Ultimately, it is the builders on the construction site
who make a building accessible or not. It is important to put in place training and
monitoring systems for all these groups in order to ensure the practical application of
accessibility standards.
20.
Movement and orientation in buildings and other places open to the public can be a
challenge for some persons with disabilities if there is no adequate signage, accessible
information and communication or support services. Article 9, paragraph 2 (d) and (e),
therefore provides that buildings and other places open to the public should have signage in
Braille and in easy-to-read and understand forms, and that live assistance and
intermediaries, including guides, readers and professional sign-language interpreters should
be provided to facilitate accessibility. Without such signage, accessible information and
communication and support services, orientation and movement in and through buildings
may become impossible for many persons with disabilities, especially those experiencing
cognitive fatigue.
21.
Without access to information and communication, enjoyment of freedom of thought
and expression and many other basic rights and freedoms for persons with disabilities may
be seriously undermined and restricted. Article 9, paragraph 2 (f) to (g), of the Convention
therefore provide that States parties should promote live assistance and intermediaries,
including guides, readers and professional sign language interpreters (para. 2 (e)), promote
other appropriate forms of assistance and support to persons with disabilities to ensure their
access to information, and promote access for persons with disabilities to new information
and communications technologies and systems, including the Internet, through the
application of mandatory accessibility standards. Information and communication should be
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