Human Development &
Capability Association

A limited number of studies have examined the issue of disability as a cross-cutting development concern, vis-à-vis a health or human-rights issue. Moreover, no studies were found that had systematically explored its relevance to sustainable development, indicating a great need for evidence-based research to promote informed policy-making and accountable monitoring and evaluation. The principal objective of this paper is to examine the key questions including: (a) how some of the key development issues, which are currently being scrutinized in the consultative processes of the Rio+20, are intricately interwoven with disability issue. These key sectoral or cross-sectoral development issues include, among others: agricultural development and food security; energy security; habitat and infrastructure; information and communications technologies (ICTs); employment; social protection; public health; humanitarian crises; and climate change; and (b) why enhanced accessibility for persons with disabilities will help countries to achieve sustainable development in each of the afore-mentioned area. The present paper will serve as a comprehensive ‘reference work’ on the topic of accessibility and sustainable development, as it aims to explain what increased accessibility for persons with disabilities means for society at large with a view to achieving sustainable development for all from a human-centered perspective.

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